--- title: "Should we really use useMemo?" publication: "React Status" issue: 226 published_at: "2021-02-17" canonical_url: "https://react.statuscode.com/issues/226" --- Plus codeless React prototyping, and React's 10 million downloads per week. | #226 — February 17, 2021 [Read on the Web](https://react.statuscode.com/issues/226) React Status Your weekly React news digest, every Wednesday [![\](https://res.cloudinary.com/cpress/image/upload/w_1280,e_sharpen:60/nha6bjiargyrsnawj8rv.jpg)](https://t.co/IXjVi9Q1IN?amp=1) [ReacType 5.0: A Tool to Prototype React Apps without Writing Code](https://t.co/IXjVi9Q1IN?amp=1) — We touched on [ReacType](https://reactype.io/) briefly in issue 198, but this major new release along with a new, well-written introduction makes this visual prototyping tool worth another look. Linh Tran [Awesome React: Over 500 Curated React Projects and Resources](https://github.com/enaqx/awesome-react) — A frequently updated and in-depth collection of articles, and resources relating to the React ecosystem that seems to have been hugely cleaned up over the past year. [Awesome React Components](https://github.com/brillout/awesome-react-components) is a similar compilation for components specifically. Nick Raienko [![\](https://copm.s3.amazonaws.com/720408a7.png)](https://www.telerik.com/kendo-react-ui/?utm_medium=cpm&utm_source=reactstatus&utm_campaign=kendo-ui-react-trial-standardization-cta&utm_content=primary) [Master the Art of React UI](https://www.telerik.com/kendo-react-ui/?utm_medium=cpm&utm_source=reactstatus&utm_campaign=kendo-ui-react-trial-standardization-cta&utm_content=primary) — Why reinvent the wheel? Use KendoReact, a professional React UI library, as the rock-solid foundation for building your UI. Handle project requirements like the pro you are. [Explore KendoReact](https://www.telerik.com/kendo-react-ui/?utm_medium=cpm&utm_source=reactstatus&utm_campaign=kendo-ui-react-trial-standardization-cta&utm_content=primary). Progress KendoReact sponsor [Should You Really Use `useMemo`?](https://t.co/nsZiZLptD3?amp=1) — In a natural follow up to Max Rozen’s _[Understanding When to Use `useMemo`](https://maxrozen.com/understanding-when-use-usememo)_ which we featured recently, the author of this article first states a hypothosis about `useMemo` performance and then rigorously tests it and reports the raw data. Results that may, yet again, change your mind about the value of `useMemo`. Kevin Van Ryckegem [React Bricks: Like LEGO, Except with React Components](https://reactbricks.com/) — A new, fee-based cloud service which claims a [Wix](https://www.wix.com)-like development experience except they’re using ‘visual building blocks’ made up of React components. It has grabbed the attention of some [respected names](https://swizec.com/blog/react-bricks-visual-blocks-editor-for-nextjs-codewithswiz-22) in the React community. React Bricks - React has just passed [10 million npm downloads](https://twitter.com/0xca0a/status/1359507331927670785) _per week._ Big numbers. - [A perfect example](https://twitter.com/bernam92/status/1361380064974303241) of using React but not _really_ using React.. 😆 💻 Jobs [Senior Frontend Engineer (Berlin / Remote)](https://feather-insurance.com/careers/senior-frontend-engineer) — We're looking for a senior frontend engineer to help us take our website and web app to the next level. Feather [Find Your Next Job Through Hired](https://hired.com/join/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=sponsor&utm_campaign=%28b2c%29%28l-all%29%28r-all%29%28cooper-reactstatus%29&utm_content=find-your-next-job) — Create a profile on Hired to connect with hiring managers at growing startups and Fortune 500 companies. It's free for job-seekers. Hired 📘 Tutorials and Stories [Mastering TypeScript for React Hooks](https://t.co/XUBX7Q4QVG?amp=1) — Briefly stated, [TypeScript](https://www.typescriptlang.org) is JavaScript with the addition of strong typing. But did you know that you can use its capabilities to type your React Hooks? Jack Herrington [Unit Testing Your Gatsby Site with Jest and React Testing library](https://dev.to/takeshape/unit-testing-your-gatsby-site-with-jest-and-react-testing-library-3c66) — The detailed, generously illustrated guide to get unit testing going on your [Gatsby](https://www.gatsbyjs.com) site. While sometimes tedious to setup, the author asserts the effort to implement this type of testing is worth it. Ibrahima Ndaw [Creating a Static React Site on S3 with `/directory-style` URIs](https://bonner.jp/posts/a-static-react-site/) — If you have felt that [AWS S3 static sites](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/WebsiteHosting.html) were limited to simplistic HTML and CSS, here’s how you upgrade to React on the popular cloud platform. JP Bonner [How to Build a Chat App](https://getstream.io/chat/react-chat/tutorial/?source=reactstatus_promoted) — Quickly build chat leveraging Stream's Chat API and the Stream Chat React components. The underlying API is flexible, allowing you to build nearly any type of chat. Stream sponsor ▶[React in 100 Seconds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn6-PIqc4UM) — In [issue 224](https://react.statuscode.com/issues/224) we featured [Fireship](https://fireship.io)’s 13-minute introduction to React Hooks. [Jeff Delaney](https://fireship.io/contributors/jeff-delaney/) moves the bar up another notch as he covers all of React in _just 100 seconds_. Seriously, if you’re an experienced dev just about to transition to React (or know one), it’s an interesting quick taster. Fireship ▶[A Short Course on Building React Sidebar Navigation with CSS Grid & Flexbox](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UGnfcT5rXk) — At a little over two hours, this is a nice contrast and counterpoint to the breakneck speed of those [Fireship](https://fireship.io) videos. Sometimes the details just take the luxury of time to explain. Web Steps [Replace Type Component With Subcomponents](https://altrim.io/posts/replace-type-component-with-subcomponents) — A simple, step-by-step refactoring exercise to simplify some code. Altrim Beqiri [Is Chakra UI the 'Only React Component Library You Need'?](https://t.co/hej7md4cCV?amp=1) — We first featured [Chakra UI](https://chakra-ui.com) in [issue 215](https://react.statuscode.com/issues/198), but here is an independent review which describes one developer's first-hand experience and the reasons they feel it’s “_truly a joy to work with from a developer perspective_”. Caelin Sutch 🛠 Code and Tools [Rerousel: A Light Infinite Carousel for React](https://blog.graphqleditor.com/rerousel-react/) — Claims to be _“the simplest and the lightest infinite carousel component package made for React.”_ [GitHub repo.](https://github.com/aexol-studio/rerousel) Tomek Poniatowicz [Windups: A Typewriter Effect Library for React](https://github.com/sgwilym/windups) — View [examples here](https://windups.gwil.co/). Apply the effect to strings or anything in a React child prop, with an API to control effect speed, animations, sounds, and more. Sam Gwilym [Serverless Image Transformation & Optimization in React Application](https://imagekit.io/blog/image-tranformation-optimization-and-upload-in-react-application/?utm_source=Cooperpress&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Reactstatus_newsletter&utm_content=Brieflink_Serverlessimagetransformations) ImageKit.io sponsor [Landy: A React Landing Page Template for Developers and Startups](https://github.com/Adrinlol/landy-react-template) — Why settle for static HTML and CSS or the stuffiness of a LinkedIn profile when the Landy template can set you apart from the crowd? Lasha Kakabadze [Bedrock: A Next.js and GraphQL Boilerplate App](https://bedrock.mxstbr.com/) — “The modern full-stack Next.js & GraphQL boilerplate with user authentication, subscription payments, teams, invitations [and] emails” leaving you to focus on the unique, core value of your app. The only catch is it does cost money/is a commercial project of the creator. Max Stoiber [Homura: A Basic RSS Reader](https://github.com/Saul-Mirone/homura) — In [issue 225](https://react.statuscode.com/issues/225) we featured the [Fluent](https://hyliu.me/fluent-reader/) RSS reader. Here’s another entrant, which while simpler, may well be a better place to start your own RSS-related project. Saul-Mirone **⚡️ Quick Bits:** Interesting projects which you may have missed: - [react-colorful](https://github.com/omgovich/react-colorful) — Tiny color picker component. - [google-pay-button](https://github.com/google-pay/google-pay-button) — Add one to your app for fast checkouts. - [react-circle-flags](https://www.npmjs.com/package/react-circle-flags) — A neat collection of circular SVG country flags. This issue was curated by Terence C. Gannon and edited by the Cooperpress team. A **[Cooperpress](https://cooperpress.com/)** publication. 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