All language subtitles for 005 Context API Summary (and why NOT to use it instead of Redux)_en

Well, one huge downside is this comment here by our REACT team member.

The statement here is clear, the context is great for low frequency updates, but not for high frequency

ones.

That means if you have something which changes really, let's say the user authentication status, which

is the example I used to do, react hooks module, that is fine to be covered with the context API because

this will not change all the time.

Not that often.

The same would be the case if you have something like theming on a page.

Also something which doesn't change all the time for a favorite status like this, you could already

argue that it's quite a high frequency update.

Now, obviously, users might not be tapping these buttons every second, but still switching to favorite

status of something will very likely occur way more often than logging in or changing the theme of a

page.

And therefore, I would argue that this is more on the high frequency side, just like maybe managing

a shopping cart, basically anything which changes rather often.

The context API, of course, works in that case.

But regarding the performance, it's simply not optimized for that.

The way to react context API works is such that whenever something changes in your context, it has

no way of cleverly figuring out which component that uses this context really is concerned and which

component is not.

Which means that every component that uses you as context will rebuild, will render when you switch

something in that context, no matter if it's directly affected or not.

And in general, the context API is simply not optimized and not meant to be your global state management

tool in your app.

It's meant for some state like authentication status, like the theme, but not for all your state because

of these missing optimizations and also dismissing intent behind the context API.

Hence, it is great for some things like authentication, which I mentioned a couple of times, but

not for all use cases, not for all scenarios and something like your products.

And the favorite status is probably not what you want to manage with the context API in larger projects.

But there still is a nonreaders alternative for debt and that's what we'll have a look at next.