Avoiding Third Party Libraries
As a developer, it can be tempting to reach for the latest and greatest libraries and frameworks to solve every problem. However, it's important to remember that sometimes the simplest solution is the best one.
In the world of web development, there are many libraries and frameworks that offer solutions for common problems, such as authentication and managing application state. However, these libraries often come with their own set of problems, such as bloat and potential security vulnerabilities.
For example, when it comes to authentication, many developers use specialized libraries like NextAuth to handle the process. However, HTTP headers and cookies already exist for this purpose and are natively supported by web browsers. Using these built-in tools can often be a more secure and efficient solution than relying on a third-party library.
Or the use of global providers for managing light theme vs dark theme. While these libraries can be useful, the “prefers-color-scheme” media query can be used to access the user's device settings and provide a more consistent experience across all of their apps.
Furthermore, when it comes to network data, many developers will try to shove everything into a global provider such as with Redux. But state management tools don't properly use HTTP cache invalidation and overcomplicate the idea of caching at all. In these cases, it's often better to use a simpler approach that does support caching such as React Query, SWC, or the upcoming features built into NextJS
While the React ecosystem offers many powerful tools, it's important for developers to remember the native solutions that are already available. By using these simple, built-in tools, we can avoid the pitfalls of relying on third-party libraries and create more efficient and secure applications.