Proposal: Introducing useTransition Hook for Non-Blocking Heavy Tasks

[quiteeasy]

React's useTransition hook provides a powerful way to handle resource-intensive operations, such as rendering large lists or performing heavy computations, without blocking the JavaScript engine and degrading the user experience. This hook allows developers to prioritize updates, ensuring that high-priority updates are processed immediately while deferring lower-priority updates until the main thread is available.

In Vue.js, we currently lack a similar mechanism to handle such scenarios gracefully. While techniques like code-splitting and lazy-loading can help mitigate performance issues to some extent, there is no built-in solution to handle heavy tasks or large renders without blocking the main thread.

I propose introducing a useTransition hook (or a similar mechanism) in Vue.js, inspired by React's implementation. This hook could provide a way to mark certain updates as low-priority, allowing the framework to batch and defer these updates until the main thread is available, preventing potential freezes or janks in the user interface.

By adopting such a feature, Vue.js developers would benefit from improved performance and a smoother user experience, particularly when working with large datasets or computationally intensive tasks. This could be especially beneficial in scenarios like rendering large lists, processing complex calculations, or performing data transformations on the client-side.

I understand that introducing a new hook or mechanism like this would require careful consideration and discussion within the Vue.js core team. However, I believe that addressing non-blocking heavy tasks is a crucial aspect of modern web development, and Vue.js could greatly benefit from a built-in solution to tackle this challenge.

I'm interested in hearing the thoughts and perspectives of the Vue.js community and the core team members on this proposal. Are there any existing solutions or workarounds that could achieve similar results? What potential challenges or concerns should be considered when implementing such a feature? I'm open to feedback and discussion to refine this proposal and ensure it aligns with Vue.js's design principles and goals.

[Yordan-Ramchev]

@quiteeasy There is a library vueUse (Collection of Essential Vue Composition Utilities) and it has useTransition composable.

[quiteeasy]

React's useTransition hook is not related to CSS transitions. It's a mechanism for separating high-priority and low-priority state updates, allowing you to keep your UI responsive while performing non-urgent updates. You can learn more about it in the official React documentation.

[Yordan-Ramchev]

Thank you for the additional information!