New CSS Using Understanding and Resolving the Issue

Greetings, fellow developers! Today, we delve into the intriguing world of React and tackle a common problem faced by many beginners: a slight render delay when applying conditional CSS. If you’ve noticed a visible delay in the rendering of CSS styles, specifically when using React’s setState, you’re not alone. In this comprehensive blog post, we’ll explore the root cause of this issue, analyze the code snippet responsible, and provide practical solutions to overcome this challenge. Let’s dive in and unravel the mystery together!

Understanding the Code: To begin, let’s examine the code snippet that triggers the render delay. We have a React component called “Word” that renders a button with conditional CSS styles based on the component’s state. The state determines the appearance of the button and changes based on user interaction. The delay occurs when the state transitions from “timesup” to “gameover,” resulting in a momentary inconsistency in the applied CSS.

javascriptCopy code













export default function Word({ word, state, onClick }) {
  return (
    <button
      id='word'
      disabled={state !== 'gameover'}
      onClick={onClick}
      className={state === 'timesup' ? 'timesup' : ''}
    >
      {state === 'playing' && word}
      {state === 'gameover' && 'GO'}
      {state === 'timesup' && 'Time\'s up!'}
    </button>
  )
}

The component is rendered in the main App.js component using the word, state, and onClick props. The state is managed within App.js and changes occur through the handleTimesUp function.

Analyzing the Render Delay: Now, let’s dive into the cause of the render delay. When the state transition occurs inside the handleTimesUp function, a small delay is observed between the moment the text changes to “Time’s up” and when the CSS styles are applied. This delay results in a temporary mismatch between the text and the applied color.

Understanding the Issue and its Solution: The root cause of this issue lies in the asynchronous nature of React’s rendering process. Although the state update triggers a re-render of the component, the application of CSS styles might not be immediate. Here are a few steps you can take to mitigate the render delay:

1. Leverage the useEffect hook: Wrap the conditional CSS-related logic inside a useEffect hook. This ensures that the styles are applied consistently after the component renders. Adjust your code as follows:

javascriptCopy code




















export default function Word({ word, state, onClick }) {
  useEffect(() => {
    // Apply any necessary CSS adjustments here
  }, [state] 













);

  return (
    <button
      id='word'
      disabled={state !== 'gameover'}
      onClick={onClick}
      className={state === 'timesup' ? 'timesup' : ''}
    >
      {state === 'playing' && word}
      {state === 'gameover' && 'GO'}
      {state === 'timesup' && 'Time\'s up!'}
    </button>
  )
}

2. Use CSS transitions: Instead of relying solely on immediate CSS changes, utilize CSS transitions to create a smooth visual transition when the state changes. This ensures a visually appealing user experience while avoiding abrupt changes.

By implementing these adjustments, you’ll achieve a more seamless transition between state changes and CSS updates, effectively eliminating the render delay.