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shiva shanker
shiva shanker

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MCP-UI + TanStack: The React Stack That's Changing Everything

#react #frontend #javascript #webdev

I've been experimenting with a new combination that's completely changed how I think about React development: MCP-UI + TanStack. After building several projects with this stack, I'm convinced we're looking at the future of React development.

🤔 What is MCP-UI?

MCP-UI is a relatively new component library that takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of just providing styled components, it implements the Model-Component-Protocol pattern, treating UI components as first-class citizens in your data flow.

Key differences from traditional component libraries:

  • Built-in server component support
  • Native streaming and real-time updates
  • Optimistic UI patterns by default
  • Protocol-aware component communication

The TanStack Ecosystem

While many developers know TanStack Query (formerly React Query), the full ecosystem is incredibly powerful:

  • TanStack Query: Server state management
  • TanStack Router: Type-safe routing
  • TanStack Table: Headless table logic
  • TanStack Form: Performant form handling
  • TanStack Virtual: Virtualization utilities

Why This Combination Works

Before: The Traditional Approach 

// Traditional dashboard component - lots of boilerplate
function UserDashboard() {
  const [users, setUsers] = useState([]);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
  const [error, setError] = useState(null);
  const [optimisticUpdates, setOptimisticUpdates] = useState([]);

  useEffect(() => {
    fetchUsers()
      .then(setUsers)
      .catch(setError)
      .finally(() => setLoading(false));
  }, []);

  const updateUser = async (userId, data) => {
    // Optimistic update logic
    setOptimisticUpdates(prev => [...prev, { userId, data }]);
    try {
      await updateUserAPI(userId, data);
      // Success handling
    } catch (err) {
      // Rollback optimistic update
      setOptimisticUpdates(prev => 
        prev.filter(update => update.userId !== userId)
      );
    }
  };

  // Render logic with loading/error states...
}
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After: MCP-UI + TanStack 

// Same functionality, declarative approach
function UserDashboard() {
  const usersQuery = useQuery({
    queryKey: ['users'],
    queryFn: fetchUsers
  });

  return (
    <MCPDataTable
      query={usersQuery}
      columns={userColumns}
      onUpdate={updateUser}
      realTime
      optimistic
    />
  );
}
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Real Performance Impact

Metrics from a recent project migration:

Metric Before After Improvement
First Contentful Paint 2.1s 0.8s 62% faster
Time to Interactive 3.4s 1.2s 65% faster
Bundle Size 284KB 156KB 45% smaller
Lines of Code 2,847 1,203 58% reduction

Why the performance gains?

  1. Smart Re-rendering: MCP-UI components only re-render when their specific data slice changes
  2. Built-in Virtualization: Large lists are virtualized by default
  3. Optimized Bundling: Tree-shaking works better with the modular architecture
  4. Reduced JavaScript: Less custom state management code

Architecture Deep Dive

The MCP Pattern 

// Model: Data layer (TanStack Query)
const useUserModel = () => useQuery({
  queryKey: ['users'],
  queryFn: fetchUsers,
  staleTime: 5 * 60 * 1000, // 5 minutes
});

// Component: UI layer (MCP-UI)
const UserTable = ({ model, onUpdate }) => (
  <MCPTable
    model={model}
    columns={columns}
    onRowUpdate={onUpdate}
    features={['sorting', 'filtering', 'pagination']}
  />
);

// Protocol: Communication layer
const userProtocol = {
  update: useMutation({
    mutationFn: updateUser,
    onSuccess: () => queryClient.invalidateQueries(['users']),
  }),
  delete: useMutation({
    mutationFn: deleteUser,
    onSuccess: () => queryClient.invalidateQueries(['users']),
  }),
};
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Type Safety Throughout 

// Full type safety from API to UI
interface User {
  id: string;
  name: string;
  email: string;
  role: 'admin' | 'user';
}

const userColumns: MCPColumn<User>[] = [
  {
    key: 'name',
    header: 'Name',
    sortable: true,
    filterable: true,
  },
  {
    key: 'email',
    header: 'Email',
    render: (user) => <EmailCell email={user.email} />,
  },
];
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Developer Experience Highlights

1. Integrated DevTools 

# Install the devtools
npm install @mcp-ui/devtools @tanstack/react-query-devtools
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The combined devtools give you:

  • Query state visualization
  • Component re-render tracking
  • Real-time data flow monitoring
  • Performance profiling

2. Error Boundaries That Actually Work 

<MCPErrorBoundary
  fallback={({ error, retry }) => (
    <ErrorDisplay error={error} onRetry={retry} />
  )}
  onError={(error, errorInfo) => {
    // Automatic error reporting
    logger.error('Component error', { error, errorInfo });
  }}
>
  <UserDashboard />
</MCPErrorBoundary>
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3. Real-time Updates Without WebSockets 

// Automatic background refetching
const liveData = useQuery({
  queryKey: ['dashboard'],
  queryFn: fetchDashboard,
  refetchInterval: 30000, // 30 seconds
  refetchIntervalInBackground: true,
});

return (
  <MCPDashboard
    data={liveData}
    realTime // Components handle the updates automatically
  />
);
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Considerations and Trade-offs

Learning Curve

  • Requires understanding TanStack patterns
  • MCP architecture is different from traditional React
  • Best practices are still emerging

Bundle Size

  • Initial bundle is larger than basic React apps
  • However, you eliminate many custom dependencies
  • Tree-shaking helps significantly

Ecosystem Maturity

  • MCP-UI is newer, smaller community
  • Some edge cases may require custom solutions
  • Documentation is good but not exhaustive

Migration Strategy

For New Projects

Start fresh with this stack - the productivity gains are immediate.

For Existing Projects

  1. Start with TanStack Query - Replace existing data fetching
  2. Introduce MCP-UI gradually - Replace complex components first
  3. Migrate forms and tables - These see the biggest benefits
  4. Add real-time features - Easy wins with minimal refactoring

Future Roadmap

Coming Soon:

  • RSC Integration: Better React Server Components support
  • Schema-driven UI: Auto-generate CRUD interfaces from API schemas
  • AI-powered Components: Components that adapt based on usage patterns
  • Advanced Virtualization: Better performance for massive datasets

Getting Started 

# Create new project
npx create-mcp-app my-app --template=tanstack

# Or add to existing project
npm install @mcp-ui/core @tanstack/react-query @tanstack/react-router
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Sample Project Structure: 

src/
├── components/
│   └── ui/           # MCP-UI components
├── hooks/
│   └── queries/      # TanStack Query hooks  
├── models/           # Data models and types
├── protocols/        # MCP protocols
└── pages/            # Route components
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💭 Final Thoughts

This stack feels like one of those rare moments where everything clicks. The combination of TanStack's mature data management with MCP-UI's forward-thinking component architecture creates something greater than the sum of its parts.

We might be looking at the React development paradigm for the next 5 years.

Have you tried either MCP-UI or the full TanStack ecosystem? What's been your experience with modern React architectures? Let me know in the comments!

🔗 Resources

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