React Synapse

Overview

React-synapse provides fine-grained reactive state management for React using Preact Signals. It offers a global singleton store pattern that requires no providers, supports draft mutations via Mutative, and minimizes re-renders by tracking only accessed values.

When to use

• Building React applications needing global state without Context/Providers
• Fine-grained reactivity where components re-render only when accessed values change
• Complex nested state updates requiring immutable patterns with mutable syntax
• Sharing state between components without prop drilling

Core API patterns

String key access: [value, setter]

Use when you need both the value and a setter function for updates.

import { createSignalStore } from 'react-synapse';

const { useStore } = createSignalStore({ count: 0, user: null });

function Counter() {
  const [count, setCount] = useStore('count');

  return (
    <button => setCount(c => c + 1)}>
      Count: {count}
    </button>
  );
}

Selector for derived state: value

Use when you only need to read values, especially computed/derived values.

function CartSummary() {
  const total = useStore(s => s.items.reduce((sum, item) => sum + item.price, 0));
  const itemCount = useStore(s => s.items.length);

  return <div>{itemCount} items - ${total}</div>;
}

Draft mutations for updates

Use draft mutations for nested object/array updates. Mutative handles immutability internally.

function UserProfile() {
  const [user, setUser] = useStore('user');

  const updateName = (name) => {
    setUser(draft => {
      draft.profile.name = name;
    });
  };

  const addTodo = (text) => {
    setUser(draft => {
      draft.todos.push({ id: Date.now(), text, completed: false });
    });
  };

  return (
    <input
      value={user.profile.name}
      => updateName(e.target.value)}
    />
  );
}

Rules

✅ DO

• Use string keys for local component state

  const [count, setCount] = useStore('count');
  

• Use selector functions for read-only/derived values

  const total = useStore(s => s.price * s.qty);
  

• Use draft mutations for nested updates

  setUser(draft => { draft.name = 'Jane'; });
  

• Create store at module level (not in components)

  // store.js - create once at module level
  export const { useStore } = createSignalStore({ ... });
  

• Clear store between tests

  import { globalStore } from 'react-synapse';
  beforeEach(() => globalStore.clearStore());
  

❌ DON'T

• Don't use React Context or Providers - not needed with react-synapse

• Don't destructure the store object - loses reactivity

  const [store] = useStore('store');
  const { user } = store; // ❌ Loses reactivity
  

• Don't call useStore without arguments - throws error

  const state = useStore(); // ❌ Error
  

• Don't mutate state directly - always use setters

  const [user, setUser] = useStore('user');
  user.name = 'Jane'; // ❌ Direct mutation
  

• Don't create stores inside components - creates new store on each render

Examples

Example 1: Todo List with Filter

// store.js
import { createSignalStore } from 'react-synapse';

export const { useStore } = createSignalStore({
  todos: [],
  filter: 'all' // 'all' | 'active' | 'completed'
});

// TodoList.jsx
import { useStore } from './store';

function TodoList() {
  const [todos, setTodos] = useStore('todos');
  const [filter, setFilter] = useStore('filter');

  const addTodo = (text) => {
    setTodos(draft => {
      draft.push({ id: Date.now(), text, completed: false });
    });
  };

  const toggleTodo = (id) => {
    setTodos(draft => {
      const todo = draft.find(t => t.id === id);
      if (todo) todo.completed = !todo.completed;
    });
  };

  const filtered = todos.filter(t => {
    if (filter === 'active') return !t.completed;
    if (filter === 'completed') return t.completed;
    return true;
  });

  return (
    <div>
      <div>
        {['all', 'active', 'completed'].map(f => (
          <button key={f} => setFilter(f)}>{f}</button>
        ))}
      </div>
      <ul>
        {filtered.map(todo => (
          <li
            key={todo.id}
            => toggleTodo(todo.id)}
            style={{ textDecoration: todo.completed ? 'line-through' : 'none' }}
          >
            {todo.text}
          </li>
        ))}
      </ul>
    </div>
  );
}

Example 2: Shopping Cart with Derived State

// store.js
import { createSignalStore } from 'react-synapse';

export const { store, useStore } = createSignalStore({
  items: [],
  coupon: null
});

// Cart.jsx
import { useStore } from './store';

function Cart() {
  const [items, setItems] = useStore('items');
  const [coupon, setCoupon] = useStore('coupon');

  // Derived values via selectors
  const subtotal = useStore(s => s.items.reduce((sum, i) => sum + i.price * i.qty, 0));
  const discount = useStore(s => s.coupon ? s.subtotal * s.coupon.discount : 0);
  const total = subtotal - discount;

  const addItem = (item) => {
    setItems(draft => {
      const existing = draft.find(i => i.id === item.id);
      if (existing) {
        existing.qty += 1;
      } else {
        draft.push({ ...item, qty: 1 });
      }
    });
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <ul>
        {items.map(item => (
          <li key={item.id}>{item.name} x {item.qty} - ${item.price * item.qty}</li>
        ))}
      </ul>
      <p>Subtotal: ${subtotal.toFixed(2)}</p>
      {coupon && <p>Discount: -${discount.toFixed(2)}</p>}
      <p>Total: ${total.toFixed(2)}</p>
    </div>
  );
}

Example 3: Multi-Component State Sharing

// store.js
export const { useStore } = createSignalStore({
  messages: [],
  currentUser: { name: 'Guest' }
});

// ChatInput.jsx
import { useStore } from './store';

export function ChatInput() {
  const [messages, setMessages] = useStore('messages');
  const [currentUser] = useStore('currentUser');

  const sendMessage = (text) => {
    setMessages(draft => {
      draft.push({ id: Date.now(), text, sender: currentUser.name });
    });
  };

  return (
    <input
      placeholder="Type a message..."
      => {
        if (e.key === 'Enter' && e.target.value.trim()) {
          sendMessage(e.target.value);
          e.target.value = '';
        }
      }}
    />
  );
}

// MessageList.jsx
import { useStore } from './store';

export function MessageList() {
  const [messages] = useStore('messages');
  const [currentUser] = useStore('currentUser');

  return (
    <div>
      {messages.map(msg => (
        <div key={msg.id} className={msg.sender === currentUser.name ? 'own' : 'other'}>
          <strong>{msg.sender}:</strong> {msg.text}
        </div>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}

// App.jsx - No providers needed!
import { ChatInput } from './ChatInput';
import { MessageList } from './MessageList';

function App() {
  return (
    <div>
      <MessageList />
      <ChatInput />
    </div>
  );
}

Quick reference

Module exports

// Main - everything
import { createSignalStore, useReactive, computed, effect } from 'react-synapse';

// Store only
import { createSignalStore, globalStore } from 'react-synapse/store';

// Signals only
import { useReactive, computed, effect, signal } from 'react-synapse/signals';

// Mutative (draft mutations)
import { create } from 'react-synapse/mutative';