React Compiler: Goodbye useMemo?
React 19's optimizing compiler promises to automate memoization. I tested it on a large codebase to see if manual optimization is truly dead.
The promise of 'React Forget'
We've spent years fighting re-renders with `useMemo` and `useCallback`. The React Compiler automates this by analyzing data flow during the build step. If a value doesn't change, the component doesn't re-render. It sounds magical, but does it work in practice?
Field report
I migrated a heavy dashboard with 50+ charts. I removed all `useMemo` hooks. The result? A 15% reduction in code volume and indentical—sometimes better—performance metrics. The compiler is smart enough to memoize not just at the component boundary, but at the hook level.
- No more dependency array management
- Cleaner, more readable component bodies
- Setup is trivial in Next.js 15+
Gotchas
It's not bulletproof. If you have side-effects in your render phase (which you shouldn't anyway), the compiler might aggressive optimize them away. Strict Mode compliance is now mandatory.
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