site-template/docs/envs.md

Below is a conceptual Markdown table that contrasts different ways to use React and Astro together—covering client-side, server-side rendering (SSR), and embedding components. It also includes notes about Vite configurations and plugins you might need.

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Environment / Approach	Description	SSR vs. Client	Integration Steps	Vite / Plugin Considerations
1. Astro + React (Client-side Only)	Using React components within your Astro project, rendered exclusively on the client.	- Client: The browser executes the JavaScript. - SSR: The components are not rendered by the server; only HTML placeholders or minimal stubs are served.	1. Install @astrojs/react. 2. Import and register your React component in your .astro file. 3. Use the client:load, client:idle, or client:visible directives for client hydration.	- Vite config: Astro automatically configures Vite for React by default when @astrojs/react is installed. - Plugins: The official @astrojs/react plugin handles bundling, transpilation, and client hydration.
2. Astro + React (SSR)	Using Astro’s server-side rendering (experimental or through a hosting platform that supports SSR) to render React components on the server before sending HTML to the client.	- Client: The component can then hydrate on the client if needed (otherwise it remains static, but pre-rendered from SSR). - SSR: React components are rendered by Astro’s SSR.	1. Configure SSR in your astro.config.mjs or with your hosting provider’s settings. 2. Make sure @astrojs/react is installed and your SSR environment is set up. 3. Use SSR-friendly APIs (avoid browser-only globals in server code).	- Vite config: May need additional SSR config if your framework or deployment environment has special needs. - Plugins: Typically the same @astrojs/react plugin, but ensure any external SSR plugins are compatible (e.g. for styling or data-fetching).
3. React Inside an Astro Component	An .astro file that includes smaller React components inline, e.g., embedding <ReactComponent /> inside Astro’s templating syntax. This is the most common scenario in Astro projects.	- Client: If the component is client-hydrated, it becomes interactive in the browser. - SSR: If Astro is set for SSR, the component is pre-rendered on the server.	1. Create a .astro component. 2. Import React components, e.g. import MyButton from '../components/MyButton.jsx'. 3. Embed <MyButton client:load /> or use another hydration directive.	- Vite config: Generally works out-of-the-box with @astrojs/react. - Plugins: Additional React-friendly Vite or Babel plugins can be added in your astro.config.mjs or in a separate config if needed.
4. Astro Component inside React	Less common scenario. You’d have a React application and want to render an Astro component within that React tree. Typically, you’d compile Astro into static output or use the Astro server output as an API (SSR).	- Client: If you bundle Astro components as static output, there’s no direct hydration for “Astro markup” inside React unless you embed them as iframes or separate routes. - SSR: Potentially possible, but complicated.	1. Static approach: Build Astro pages/components to static HTML and embed via <iframe> or fetch the rendered content. 2. SSR approach: Build an Astro SSR server and fetch rendered HTML from it. 3. Integrating “live” Astro code directly in React bundlers is not straightforward.	- Vite config: React’s Vite config typically doesn’t parse .astro files. You may need custom integration or a multi-app approach. - Plugins: No out-of-the-box solution for Astro inside React. Consider separate builds or direct HTML consumption.
5. Full React App with some Astro Pages	A primarily React-based project, but certain pages or partial content is rendered by Astro (e.g., for static site generation or for speed).	- Client: React runs as usual. If Astro pages are served as static HTML, no direct hydration from Astro’s side unless specifically set up. - SSR: Varies based on hosting approach.	1. Create a separate Astro project (or folder) for static pages. 2. Configure your build/deployment to serve Astro pages separately. 3. Link between React app and Astro-generated routes, passing data if necessary.	- Vite config: Possibly need separate Vite configs for React and Astro or a shared monorepo approach. - Plugins: Use the standard React Vite plugin for the main app, and @astrojs/react (and others) for the Astro portion.

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Additional Notes

• SSR (Server-Side Rendering) vs. Client-Side:

  • Astro’s default behavior is static site generation (SSG). If you need SSR, you must enable Astro’s SSR mode (experimental or through a supported deployment target like Vercel, Netlify, etc.).
  • React can be mixed in for partial hydration, letting you deliver mostly static pages but with interactive “islands” of React.

• Vite Configuration:

  • When using React inside Astro, the official @astrojs/react integration handles most details.
  • If you have advanced needs (e.g., custom Babel transforms, PostCSS, or TypeScript paths), you can tweak Astro’s underlying Vite config in astro.config.mjs.
  • For embedding Astro in a larger React project, or vice versa, consider mono-repo patterns or separate builds. Typically, each framework is built with its own config or pipeline.

• Astro Components in a React Context:

  • Rendering .astro files “directly” inside a React build pipeline is not straightforward because React expects JavaScript/JSX while Astro components require the Astro compiler.
  • Typically, it’s more straightforward to create static exports (HTML) from Astro and consume them in a React app or route to them.

• Hydration Directives:

  • Astro’s special directives like client:load, client:idle, and client:visible determine when/how a React component hydrates on the client.
  • For SSR, if you want a component to remain static, do not add a client directive, and it will render in pure HTML.

Use the table and notes above to guide how you structure your Astro + React workflow, deciding whether your components render on the client, server, or a bit of both.