RefContext Performance Optimization

Comprehensive performance patterns and optimization techniques for 60fps+ interactions.

Prerequisites

Before implementing performance patterns, ensure proper RefContext setup:

import { createRefContext } from '@context-action/react';

Required Setup: Review RefContext Setup for:

• Performance Domain RefContext creation
• Provider composition patterns
• Lazy initialization techniques
• Service and worker management

Type Definitions: Use pre-defined types from setup:

• PerformanceRefs - Canvas, worker, WASM module refs
• WorkerRefs - Background processing workers
• WASMRefs - WebAssembly module refs

Overview

RefContext performance patterns focus on achieving consistent 60fps performance through hardware acceleration, efficient DOM manipulation, and zero React re-renders.

Performance Architecture

Zero Re-render Philosophy

The RefContext pattern introduces a performance-first layer that bypasses React's rendering cycle entirely for DOM manipulation:

[User Interaction] → [Direct DOM Manipulation] → [Hardware Acceleration] → [60fps Updates]
                               ↓
                         [No React Re-renders]

Performance Comparison

Approach	React Re-renders	Performance	Memory	Complexity
useState	Every update	~30fps	High GC	Simple
useRef	Manual checks	~45fps	Medium	Medium
RefContext	Zero	60fps+	Low	Optimized

Performance Optimization Areas

🎨 Canvas Optimization

Real-world case study of solving Canvas interaction lag with immediate visual feedback patterns.

→ Try Live Demo

Key Techniques:

• Immediate visual feedback bypassing React state updates
• Dual-canvas architecture for optimal rendering
• Elimination of unnecessary redraws during mouse interactions
• 80-90% performance improvement in Canvas applications

⚡ Hardware Acceleration

GPU-accelerated DOM manipulation patterns for smooth, high-performance interactions.

Key Techniques:

• GPU-accelerated transforms with translate3d()
• Efficient GPU layer management
• Hardware-accelerated animations and transitions
• Batch GPU operations for optimal performance

🧠 Memory Optimization

Memory-efficient patterns and techniques for optimal RefContext performance.

Key Techniques:

• Object pooling for frequent ref operations
• Memory leak detection and prevention
• Efficient event handling and cleanup
• Garbage collection optimization patterns

Performance Monitoring and Best Practices

Built-in Performance Tools

RefContext includes built-in performance monitoring capabilities using setup-defined types:

// Performance monitoring with PerformanceRefs setup
function usePerformanceMonitoring() {
  const canvas = usePerformanceRef('canvas');
  const worker = usePerformanceRef('worker');
  const wasmModule = usePerformanceRef('wasmModule');
  
  useEffect(() => {
    if (canvas.target) {
      // Enable built-in FPS monitoring
      canvas.target.setAttribute('data-perf-monitor', 'true');
    }
    
    // Monitor worker performance
    if (worker.target) {
      worker.target.postMessage({ type: 'ENABLE_MONITORING' });
    }
  }, [canvas, worker]);
}

Performance Checklist

Before Optimization:

• [ ] Profile current performance bottlenecks
• [ ] Identify high-frequency operations
• [ ] Measure baseline FPS and memory usage
• [ ] Check for unnecessary React re-renders

During Optimization:

• [ ] Apply appropriate performance pattern
• [ ] Use hardware acceleration where possible
• [ ] Implement efficient memory management
• [ ] Monitor performance metrics in real-time

After Optimization:

• [ ] Validate performance improvements
• [ ] Check for memory leaks
• [ ] Test across different devices
• [ ] Document optimization decisions

When to Use Performance Patterns

Choose the right optimization approach based on your use case:

🎨 Canvas & Graphics

Use Canvas Optimization for:

• Real-time drawing applications
• Interactive data visualizations
• Game interfaces
• SVG manipulation

⚡ Hardware Acceleration

Use Hardware Acceleration for:

• Smooth animations and transitions
• Mouse/touch tracking
• Drag & drop interactions
• High-frequency DOM updates

🧠 Memory Management

Use Memory Optimization for:

• Large-scale applications
• Dynamic content generation
• Long-running applications
• Mobile optimization

Quick Performance Wins

// Essential performance optimizations using PerformanceRefs setup
function useQuickPerformanceWins() {
  const canvas = usePerformanceRef('canvas');
  const worker = usePerformanceRef('worker');
  
  useEffect(() => {
    if (!canvas.target) return;
    
    // 1. Hardware acceleration for canvas
    canvas.target.style.willChange = 'transform';
    canvas.target.style.transform = 'translate3d(0, 0, 0)';
    
    // 2. Optimize for compositing
    canvas.target.style.backfaceVisibility = 'hidden';
    
    // 3. Enable GPU acceleration
    const ctx = canvas.target.getContext('2d', { alpha: false });
    if (ctx) {
      ctx.imageSmoothingEnabled = false; // For crisp pixel art
    }
    
    // 4. Cleanup on unmount
    return () => {
      if (canvas.target) {
        canvas.target.style.willChange = 'auto';
      }
      if (worker.target) {
        worker.target.terminate();
      }
    };
  }, [canvas, worker]);
}

Advanced Performance Patterns

Multi-Domain Performance Setup

// Using multi-domain refs from setup for comprehensive performance optimization
function useAdvancedPerformanceSetup() {
  // Performance domain refs
  const canvas = usePerformanceRef('canvas');
  const worker = usePerformanceRef('worker');
  const wasmModule = usePerformanceRef('wasmModule');
  
  // Worker domain refs
  const dataWorker = useWorkerRef('dataProcessingWorker');
  const imageWorker = useWorkerRef('imageProcessingWorker');
  
  useEffect(() => {
    // Initialize performance-critical canvas
    if (canvas.target && !worker.target) {
      // Create dedicated rendering worker
      const renderWorker = new Worker('/workers/canvas-renderer.js');
      worker.setRef(renderWorker);
      
      // Setup offscreen canvas for worker
      const offscreen = canvas.target.transferControlToOffscreen();
      renderWorker.postMessage({ canvas: offscreen }, [offscreen]);
    }
    
    // Initialize WebAssembly for heavy computations
    if (!wasmModule.target) {
      import('/wasm/performance-module.wasm').then(module => {
        wasmModule.setRef(module.instance);
      });
    }
    
    // Cleanup
    return () => {
      worker.target?.terminate();
      dataWorker.target?.terminate();
      imageWorker.target?.terminate();
    };
  }, [canvas, worker, wasmModule, dataWorker, imageWorker]);
  
  return {
    canvas: canvas.target,
    isReady: !!(canvas.target && worker.target && wasmModule.target)
  };
}

Performance Monitoring with Setup Types

// Comprehensive performance monitoring using setup patterns
function usePerformanceAnalytics() {
  const canvas = usePerformanceRef('canvas');
  const worker = usePerformanceRef('worker');
  const [metrics, setMetrics] = useState({
    fps: 0,
    renderTime: 0,
    memoryUsage: 0
  });
  
  useEffect(() => {
    if (!canvas.target || !worker.target) return;
    
    let animationId: number;
    let lastTime = 0;
    let frameCount = 0;
    
    const measurePerformance = (currentTime: number) => {
      frameCount++;
      
      if (currentTime - lastTime >= 1000) {
        const fps = frameCount;
        frameCount = 0;
        lastTime = currentTime;
        
        // Measure memory usage
        const memoryInfo = (performance as any).memory;
        const memoryUsage = memoryInfo?.usedJSHeapSize || 0;
        
        setMetrics(prev => ({
          ...prev,
          fps,
          memoryUsage: memoryUsage / 1024 / 1024 // MB
        }));
        
        // Send metrics to worker for analysis
        worker.target!.postMessage({
          type: 'PERFORMANCE_METRICS',
          metrics: { fps, memoryUsage }
        });
      }
      
      animationId = requestAnimationFrame(measurePerformance);
    };
    
    animationId = requestAnimationFrame(measurePerformance);
    
    return () => {
      if (animationId) {
        cancelAnimationFrame(animationId);
      }
    };
  }, [canvas, worker]);
  
  return metrics;
}