devtools.fm: Developer Tools, Open Source, Software Development François Best
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Sep 2, 2025 François Best, a freelance software engineer from the French Alps and creator of Nuqs, dives into the intricacies of URL state management in React. He discusses how Nuqs addresses challenges like link rot and the need for type safety. The conversation also touches on the impact of privacy and security in development, especially post-Cambridge Analytica. François highlights the balance between functionality and security in app design while exploring innovative features that streamline rendering and data handling.
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DIY Dovetail App Sparked Nux
- François built a dovetail joint calculator and wanted to transfer designs via URL to avoid servers and dusty laptops.
- That experiment drove Nux's need for typed values and resilient URL syncing.
URL Updates Need Time Safety
- URL updates must be time-aware because browsers rate-limit history updates and behave differently.
- Nux queues and throttles updates to prevent crashes and adapt to browser timing differences.
Keep URL As Eventual Source Of Truth
- Treat the URL as the eventual source of truth: read from it, but update state optimistically locally.
- Keep a fast in-memory value while queuing the slower URL write to preserve UI responsiveness.