Deprecate devServer.reactHot()

[sapegin]

1. There are several open issues and PRs: #56, #131.
2. It’s not generic, works only for React.
3. It’s only one of possible hot reload solutions for React.
4. None of them are actively maintained.
5. The need for it is overvalued in my opinion, default webpack hot reload is good enough.
6. It was always broken in 1.0

// test-app/webpack.config.babel.js
 const developmentConfig = () => group([
   sourceMaps(),
   devServer(),
+  devServer.reactHot(),
   devServer.proxy({
     '/api/*': { target: 'http://localhost:4000' }
   }),

→

ERROR in   Error: Child compilation failed:
  Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'react-hot' in '/Users/sapegin/webpack-blocks/test-app'
  BREAKING CHANGE: It's no longer allowed to omit the '-loader' suffix when using loaders.
                   You need to specify 'react-hot-loader' instead of 'react-hot',
                   see https://webpack.js.org/guides/migrating/#automatic-loader-module-name-extension-removed:

[andywer]

Since it has been broken in 1.0 anyway, we might as well remove it directly. Might or might not provide a devServer.reactHot function that just throws an error with a meaningful message.

Opinions?

[sapegin]

I’m fine with both: removing or deprecating ;-)

[andywer]

As I think about it... Having a devServer.reactHot function that just throws would only be useful if we already had an alternative to use instead.

[sapegin]

What kind of alternative do you mean? A third-party block?

[andywer]

Yeah, something else (a new block) to take care of the job. Only then it would make real sense to have a custom error message (could then point to the new block).

[sapegin]

The I’d just remove it entirely ;-) I think it should be a third-party block if anyone would want to maintain it.

Do we have any other opinions here?

[vlad-zhukov]

Just remove it. It's simple enough to setup react-hot-loader manually on top of dev server or hot middleware.

@sapegin

5 .The need for it is overvalued in my opinion, default webpack hot reload is good enough.

I disagree, hot reloading is super useful.

[sapegin]

@vlad-zhukov I’d say vanilla webpack hot reload is super useful. React hot reload is not that useful in its current state ;-)

[vlad-zhukov]

It replaces the page content without reloading the page. Think of a complicated page, that does multiple requests and requires some actions from a user (e.g. a form). How the possibility to develop such page without a need to do all that stuff all over again is not useful? Also if you have css in js, it reloads styles too!

[sapegin]

I know what it does, I used to use it for quite a long time ;-) Vanilla hot reload works fine with styles and isolated component development is much better solution for developing complex components.

Anyway it’s so opinionated, there’s no point in arguing — use what works for your, your team and your project.

And let’s remove it from webpack-blocks if no one disagrees on that?