Exploring XState Store for State Management

State management plays a crucial role in building dynamic and scalable applications. While libraries like Zustand and Redux Toolkit have been popular choices, a new contender, XState Store, is making waves in the React and Next.js ecosystem. In this blog, we’ll explore how XState Store simplifies state management while offering robust features for type safety and scalability.

The Challenge

State management in modern applications often involves balancing simplicity and scalability. Common challenges include:

• Managing local and global state consistently.
• Maintaining type safety, especially in TypeScript-heavy projects.
• Ensuring state transitions are predictable and descriptive.
• Adapting to growing application complexity.

The Solution: XState Store

XState Store introduces an event-driven approach to state management, blending the simplicity of Zustand with the structured design of Redux Toolkit. This makes it ideal for developers seeking a balance between flexibility and maintainability.

The Code

Below is an example of how to set up a store using xstate/store and integrate it into your application:

import { createStore } from '@xstate/store'
import { useSelector } from '@xstate/store/react'

const store = createStore({
  // context
  context: {
    bears: 0,
    fish: 0
  },
  // transitions
  on: {
    increasePopulation: {
      bears: (context, event: { by: number }) => context.bears + event.by
    },
    eatFish: {
      fish: context => context.fish - 1
    },
    removeAllBears: {
      bears: 0
    }
  }
})

export const useBears = () => useSelector(store, state => state.context.bears)
export const useFish = () => useSelector(store, state => state.context.fish)

In xstate/store, the createStore function serves as the core API. It organizes the store into two parts: context (the state) and transitions (similar to actions).

At first glance, this setup might seem only slightly different from Zustand. But let me share what makes it so intriguing:

Why This Approach Works

1. TypeScript Support

XState Store offers seamless TypeScript integration, inferring types directly from the initial context. This reduces boilerplate and ensures strong type safety, making it easier to work with in TypeScript-heavy projects.

In the example above, the only manual typing required is for the event passed to the increasePopulation transition. This simplicity aligns well with the principle that user-land TypeScript should resemble plain JavaScript as much as possible.

2. Event-Driven Transitions

State updates are triggered by events, which are more predictable and descriptive than traditional setters. This approach ensures a clear separation between the UI and the business logic, enhancing maintainability and readability.

3. Selector-Based Subscription

Using useSelector, you can efficiently subscribe to specific parts of the state. This minimizes unnecessary re-renders, optimizing performance and keeping components focused on their relevant data.

4. Framework Agnostic

The core API of XState Store is framework-agnostic, allowing flexibility in its usage. A dedicated React adapter simplifies integration, making it easy to use within React projects while keeping the core logic decoupled.

5. Scalability and Flexibility

As your application grows in complexity, XState Store provides a seamless upgrade path to full state machines. This feature future-proofs your state management solution, making it adaptable to evolving requirements in larger projects.

Using XState Store

Here’s how you can integrate XState Store in your React components:

function App() {
  const bears = useBears()

  const handleIncrement = () => {
    store.send({ type: 'increasePopulation', by: 10 })
  }

  return (
    <div>
      Bears: {bears}
      <button onClick={handleIncrement}>Increase Population</button>
    </div>
  )
}

Conclusion

XState Store offers a fresh perspective on state management by combining the best features of Zustand and Redux Toolkit. Its clean API, robust TypeScript support, and event-driven architecture make it a strong candidate for modern React and Next.js applications.

If you’re looking to simplify state management while preparing for future complexity, give XState Store a try. Feel free to explore its official documentation for more details.

Happy coding! 🚀

Note: This blog assumes familiarity with Zustand and Redux Toolkit. For beginners, consider reviewing those libraries to better understand the context of XState Store.