Merge pull request #5 from alexkrolick/16.3-release-blog-post

Context updates

content/docs/context.md

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ In a typical React application, data is passed top-down (parent to child) via pr
   - [Consuming Multiple Contexts](#consuming-multiple-contexts)
   - [Accessing Context in Lifecycle Methods](#accessing-context-in-lifecycle-methods)
   - [Forwarding Refs to Context Consumers](#forwarding-refs-to-context-consumers)
+- [Caveats](#caveats)
 - [Legacy API](#legacy-api)
 
 
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ Accepts a `value` prop to be passed to Consumers that are descendants of this Pr
 
 A React component that subscribes to context changes.
 
-Requires a [function as a child](/docs/render-props.html#using-props-other-than-render). The function receives the current context value and returns a React node. All consumers are re-rendered whenever the Provider value changes. Changes are determined by comparing the new and old values using [`Object.is`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Object/is).
+Requires a [function as a child](/docs/render-props.html#using-props-other-than-render). The function receives the current context value and returns a React node. All consumers are re-rendered whenever the Provider value changes. Changes are determined by comparing the new and old values using the same algorithm as [`Object.is`](developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Object/is#Description). (This can cause some issues when passing objects as `value`: see [Caveats](#caveats).)
 
 > Note
 > 
@@ -89,15 +90,23 @@ A more complex example with dynamic values for the theme:
 **app.js**
 `embed:context/theme-detailed-app.js`
 
-## Consuming Multiple Contexts
+### Consuming Multiple Contexts
+
+To keep context re-rendering fast, React needs to make each context consumer a separate node in the tree. 
 
 `embed:context/multiple-contexts.js`
 
-## Accessing Context in Lifecycle Methods
+If two or more context values are often used together, you might want to consider creating your own render prop component that provides both.
+
+### Accessing Context in Lifecycle Methods
+
+Accessing values from context in lifecycle methods is a relatively common use case. Instead of adding context to every lifecycle method, you just need to pass it as a prop, and then work with it just like you'd normally work with a prop.
 
 `embed:context/lifecycles.js`
 
-## Forwarding Refs to Context Consumers
+### Forwarding Refs to Context Consumers
+
+One issue with the render prop API is that refs don't automatically get passed to wrapped elements. To get around this, use `React.forwardRef`:
 
 **fancy-button.js**
 `embed:context/forwarding-refs-fancy-button.js`
@@ -105,9 +114,20 @@ A more complex example with dynamic values for the theme:
 **app.js**
 `embed:context/forwarding-refs-app.js`
 
+## Caveats
+
+Because context uses reference identity to determine when to re-render, there are some gotchas that could trigger unintentional renders in consumers when a provider's parent re-renders. For example, the code below will re-render all consumers every time the Provider re-renders because a new object is always created for `value`:
+
+`embed:context/reference-caveats-problem.js`
+
+
+To get around this, lift the value into the parent's state:
+
+`embed:context/reference-caveats-solution.js`
+
 ## Legacy API
 
 > Note
 > 
-> React previously shipped with an experimental context API. The old API will be supported in all 16.x releases, but applications using it should migrate to the new version. The legacy API will be removed in React 17. Read the [legacy context docs here](/docs/legacy-context.html).
+> React previously shipped with an experimental context API. The old API will be supported in all 16.x releases, but applications using it should migrate to the new version. The legacy API will be removed in a future major React version. Read the [legacy context docs here](/docs/legacy-context.html).
  

content/docs/legacy-context.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ permalink: docs/legacy-context.html
 
 > Note:
 >
-> The legacy context API will be removed in version 17.
+> The legacy context API will be removed in a future major version.
 > Use the [new context API](/docs/context.html) introduced with version 16.3.
 > The legacy API will continue working for all 16.x releases.
 

examples/context/motivation-problem.js

@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-const ThemedButton = props => {
+function ThemedButton(props) {
   //highlight-range{1}
   return <Button theme={props.theme} />;
-};
+}
 
 // An intermediate component
-const Toolbar = props => {
+function Toolbar(props) {
   // highlight-range{1-2,5}
   // The Toolbar component must take an extra theme prop
   // and pass it to the ThemedButton
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const Toolbar = props => {
       <ThemedButton theme={props.theme} />
     </div>
   );
-};
+}
 
 class App extends React.Component {
   render() {

examples/context/motivation-solution.js

@@ -2,24 +2,24 @@
 // highlight-next-line
 const ThemeContext = React.createContext('light');
 
-const ThemedButton = props => {
+function ThemedButton(props) {
   // highlight-range{1,3-5}
   // The ThemedButton receives the theme from context
   return (
     <ThemeContext.Consumer>
-      {theme => <Button theme={theme} />}
+      {theme => <Button {...props} theme={theme} />}
     </ThemeContext.Consumer>
   );
-};
+}
 
 // An intermediate component
-const Toolbar = props => {
+function Toolbar(props) {
   return (
     <div>
       <ThemedButton />
     </div>
   );
-};
+}
 
 class App extends React.Component {
   render() {

examples/context/multiple-contexts.js

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const ThemeContext = React.createContext('light');
 const UserContext = React.createContext();
 
 // An intermediate component that depends on both contexts
-const Toolbar = props => {
+function Toolbar(props) {
   // highlight-range{2-10}
   return (
     <ThemeContext.Consumer>
@@ -20,17 +20,9 @@ const Toolbar = props => {
       )}
     </ThemeContext.Consumer>
   );
-};
+}
 
 class App extends React.Component {
-  static propTypes = {
-    theme: PropTypes.string,
-    signedInUser: PropTypes.shape({
-      id: number,
-      name: string,
-    }),
-  };
-
   render() {
     const {signedInUser, theme} = this.props;
 

examples/context/reference-caveats-problem.js

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+class App extends React.Component {
+  render() {
+    // highlight-range{2}
+    return (
+      <Provider value={{something: 'something'}}>
+        <Toolbar />
+      </Provider>
+    );
+  }
+}

examples/context/reference-caveats-solution.js

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+class App extends React.Component {
+  constructor(props) {
+    // highlight-range{2}
+    this.state = {
+      value: {something: 'something'},
+    };
+  }
+
+  render() {
+    // highlight-range{2}
+    return (
+      <Provider value={this.state.value}>
+        <Toolbar />
+      </Provider>
+    );
+  }
+}

examples/context/theme-detailed-app.js

@@ -2,27 +2,29 @@ import {ThemeContext, themes} from './theme-context';
 import ThemedButton from './button';
 
 // An intermediate component that uses the ThemedButton
-const Toolbar = props => {
+function Toolbar(props) {
   return (
     <ThemedButton onClick={props.changeTheme}>
       Change Theme
     </ThemedButton>
   );
-};
+}
 
 class App extends React.Component {
-  state = {
-    theme: themes.light,
-  };
+  constructor(props) {
+    this.state = {
+      theme: themes.light,
+    };
 
-  toggleTheme = () => {
-    this.setState(state => ({
-      theme:
-        state.theme === themes.dark
-          ? themes.light
-          : themes.dark,
-    }));
-  };
+    this.toggleTheme = () => {
+      this.setState(state => ({
+        theme:
+          state.theme === themes.dark
+            ? themes.light
+            : themes.dark,
+      }));
+    };
+  }
 
   render() {
     //highlight-range{1-3}
@@ -31,14 +33,14 @@ class App extends React.Component {
     // the default dark theme
     //highlight-range{3-5,7}
     return (
-      <div>
+      <Page>
         <ThemeContext.Provider value={this.state.theme}>
           <Toolbar changeTheme={this.toggleTheme} />
         </ThemeContext.Provider>
-        <div>
+        <Section>
           <ThemedButton />
-        </div>
-      </div>
+        </Section>
+      </Page>
     );
   }
 }

examples/context/theme-detailed-themed-button.js

@@ -1,19 +1,17 @@
 import {ThemeContext} from './theme-context';
 
-class ThemedButton extends React.Component {
-  // highlight-range{3-10}
-  render() {
-    return (
-      <ThemeContext.Consumer>
-        {theme => (
-          <button
-            {...this.props}
-            style={{backgroundColor: theme.background}}
-          />
-        )}
-      </ThemeContext.Consumer>
-    );
-  }
+function ThemedButton(props) {
+  // highlight-range{2-9}
+  return (
+    <ThemeContext.Consumer>
+      {theme => (
+        <button
+          {...props}
+          style={{backgroundColor: theme.background}}
+        />
+      )}
+    </ThemeContext.Consumer>
+  );
 }
 
 export default ThemedButton;