On September 17th, 2024, I attended React Alicante, the international React.js conference held in Spain. It was a fantastic event filled with insightful talks, workshops, and lightning talks that covered a wide range of topics, from design patterns to accessibility and code review improvements. In this article, I’ll share my experience and key takeaways from the conference.
This year’s React Alicante conference featured a mix of engaging sessions. The speakers were experts in their fields, and the content was incredibly relevant to developers working with React. As with my previous experiences, I was excited to take part in this event, which not only deepened my understanding of React but also helped me learn valuable best practices and tools to apply in my daily work.
My Schedule
Day 1
- Workshop: GraphQL for React Developers / Aashima Ahuja
- Composition is King / Chancethedev
- State Machines with XState / Workshop
- CoPilot and Prompts for React Development / Session
Day 2
- useWat – Advanced React Patterns / David Khourshid
- Design Patterns: From Chaos to Clarity / Joana Santos
- Provider Design Pattern instead of Prop Drilling / Session
- Continuous Improvement in the Code Review Process / Keren Kenzi
- Chaos Mode: Finding Race Conditions / Session
- Accessible Design System Storybook Tests / Session
Below, I’ll highlight some of the most impactful sessions and key points that resonated with me. I’ll also share some of the techniques and tools I plan to implement in future projects.
Workshop: GraphQL for React Developers
One of the most exciting sessions I attended was the workshop on GraphQL for React developers, presented by Aashima Ahuja, an experienced Frontend Engineer skilled in JavaScript, React, TypeScript, Algorithms, CSS, and jQuery. We explored GraphQL in detail and tried out some real-world examples with GraphQL hooks. It was a hands-on session that reinforced how React and GraphQL work together to build efficient and scalable applications.
Design Patterns: From Chaos to Clarity
Joana Santos’ talk on design patterns was another highlight. She focused on how design patterns can help bring clarity to chaotic React codebases. She emphasized the importance of understanding and applying design patterns, especially when dealing with complex state management and component structures. Joana also covered the Provider Design Pattern as a better alternative to Prop Drilling, which is something I definitely plan to incorporate into my future projects.
Continuous Improvements in the Code Review Process
One session that stood out was by Keren Kenzi, who shared valuable insights into the continuous improvement of the code review process. Keren suggested several best practices, such as breaking down large code changes into smaller tasks, including links to Jira/Figma for better context, and using PR templates to make the process more efficient. One key takeaway for me was the importance of managing expectations regarding reviewers and making sure to avoid the bystander effect by actively involving team members in the review process.
Accessible Design System Storybook Tests
In an informative session on accessibility, we learned how to implement accessibility tests for Storybook with the help of Storybook Addons and Axe Core. The speaker demonstrated how to create stories for dark mode and ensure proper contrast ratios, which is essential for building inclusive design systems. As a developer, it’s crucial to consider accessibility, and I plan to start integrating these practices into my workflow, especially by adding more accessible design tests to our Storybook stories.
Race Conditions and Chaos Mode
Another exciting talk was focused on “Chaos Mode,” where we learned about finding and fixing race conditions in React applications. The speaker used an example of a race condition to illustrate how easily these bugs can creep into applications, especially with rolling versions. Understanding how to debug race conditions will certainly be a priority in my future projects, particularly when scaling applications in production.
React Alicante 2024 was a great experience, and I walked away with a wealth of knowledge. Whether it was design patterns, state management, or improving the code review process, I’m excited to implement what I learned into my work. I look forward to attending next year’s event and continuing to grow as a React developer.