React Router's Exciting Update: RSC Support, New Governance & 3 Powerful Modes

React Router, now under Shopify's wing, continues to evolve. A major development is its integration with React Server Components (RSC), enabling full-stack server-side rendering (SSR) capabilities. This goes beyond simple single-page applications (SPAs) and offers a significant performance boost.

The team has introduced three distinct modes of operation:

1. Declarative Mode: The familiar React Router v5 API you know and love.
2. Framework Mode: Leverages Remix features for enhanced functionality (opt-in).
3. Data Mode: A powerful API for connecting routing and data fetching, offering framework-agnostic flexibility and crucial for RSC implementation. This is especially beneficial for handling the data exchange between client and server in RSC apps.

Moreover, React Router has adopted an open governance model, encouraging community contributions and ensuring a vibrant future for the project.

RSC Support: Previously, RSC implementation required Next.js or custom solutions. React Router provides built-in RSC support through its new APIs and templates, making it more accessible.

The project's evolution encompasses not just code improvements but also a shift in community participation. The new governance model ensures a collaborative development process.

This approach provides developers with "Lego pieces", allowing customization and integration with existing tools without forcing a specific framework.