React Server Components: The Future of React

React Server Components represent a paradigm shift in how we think about React applications, offering better performance and developer experience.

What are Server Components?

Server Components run on the server and render to a special format that can be streamed to the client:

jsx
// This runs on the server
async function BlogPost({ id }) {
  const post = await db.posts.findById(id)
  
  return (
    <article>
      <h1>{post.title}</h1>
      <p>{post.content}</p>
    </article>
  )
}

Benefits

1. Zero bundle size - Server Components don't add to your JavaScript bundle
2. Direct data access - Access databases and APIs directly
3. Better SEO - Content is rendered on the server
4. Improved performance - Less JavaScript to download and execute

Server vs Client Components

jsx
// Server Component (default)
async function UserProfile({ userId }) {
  const user = await fetchUser(userId)
  return <div>{user.name}</div>
}

// Client Component (needs "use client")
'use client'
function InteractiveButton() {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0)
  return (
    <button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}>
      Count: {count}
    </button>
  )
}

Composition Patterns

You can compose Server and Client Components together:

jsx
// Server Component
async function PostPage({ id }) {
  const post = await fetchPost(id)
  
  return (
    <article>
      <h1>{post.title}</h1>
      <p>{post.content}</p>
      {/* Client Component for interactivity */}
      <LikeButton postId={id} />
    </article>
  )
}

// Client Component
'use client'
function LikeButton({ postId }) {
  const [liked, setLiked] = useState(false)
  
  return (
    <button onClick={() => setLiked(!liked)}>
      {liked ? '❤️' : '🤍'} Like
    </button>
  )
}

Best Practices

1. Use Server Components by default - Only use Client Components when needed
2. Keep the client boundary small - Minimize Client Component usage
3. Pass serializable props - Server Components can only pass serializable data

Server Components are the future of React, enabling us to build faster, more efficient applications.