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fix: address settings-related hydration issues using prehydrate#1952

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Adebesin-Cell wants to merge 6 commits intonpmx-dev:mainfrom
Adebesin-Cell:fix/hydration
Open

fix: address settings-related hydration issues using prehydrate#1952
Adebesin-Cell wants to merge 6 commits intonpmx-dev:mainfrom
Adebesin-Cell:fix/hydration

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@Adebesin-Cell
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@Adebesin-Cell Adebesin-Cell commented Mar 5, 2026

This is an attempt to fix a sudden flash and weird page display behavior, as seen here

Screen.Recording.2026-03-05.at.22.32.44.mov

The fix swaps useLocalStorage for useState (SSR-safe), paired with a localStorage sync after mount. During hydration, server and client agree on the same default values.

  • Replaced useLocalStorage with useState + post-mount localStorage sync in useSettings

Closes #1948

AFTER FIX:

Screen.Recording.2026-03-05.at.22.32.58.mov

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coderabbitai bot commented Mar 5, 2026

📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

Refactors the useSettings composable to replace an SSR-unsafe useLocalStorage singleton with a useState-backed, hydration-safe approach. Adds normaliseSettings and readFromLocalStorage helpers, a syncInitialized guard, client-side eager read/apply after mount, and a deep watch to persist changes to localStorage. Changes the public API: useSettings() now returns { settings: Ref<AppSettings> }. Also updates prehydration to set dataset.searchProvider = 'npm' when the stored searchProvider is 'npm'.

Possibly related PRs

Suggested reviewers

  • danielroe
  • ghostdevv
  • serhalp
🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 3
✅ Passed checks (3 passed)
Check name Status Explanation
Linked Issues check ✅ Passed The PR successfully addresses issue #1948 by implementing SSR-safe settings handling and prehydration patches to prevent hydration mismatches and flashing.
Out of Scope Changes check ✅ Passed All changes are directly related to resolving the hydration issues described in #1948; no out-of-scope modifications detected.
Description check ✅ Passed The pull request description clearly explains the hydration issue being fixed, references the related issue #1948, includes before/after demonstration videos, and accurately describes the technical solution implemented.

✏️ Tip: You can configure your own custom pre-merge checks in the settings.

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Actionable comments posted: 1

🧹 Nitpick comments (1)
app/composables/useSettings.ts (1)

77-88: Add explicit normalisation after merging persisted settings.

The merge preserves stale/legacy values as-is. Please normalise constrained fields (for example searchProvider, sidebar.collapsed, and numeric config bounds) before returning, so invalid old payloads cannot leak into runtime state.

♻️ Suggested hardening
+function normaliseSettings(input: AppSettings): AppSettings {
+  return {
+    ...input,
+    searchProvider: input.searchProvider === 'npm' ? 'npm' : 'algolia',
+    sidebar: {
+      ...input.sidebar,
+      collapsed: Array.isArray(input.sidebar?.collapsed)
+        ? input.sidebar.collapsed.filter((v): v is string => typeof v === 'string')
+        : [],
+    },
+  }
+}
+
 function readFromLocalStorage(): AppSettings {
   try {
     const raw = localStorage.getItem(STORAGE_KEY)
     if (raw) {
       const stored = JSON.parse(raw)
-      return {
+      return normaliseSettings({
         ...DEFAULT_SETTINGS,
         ...stored,
         connector: { ...DEFAULT_SETTINGS.connector, ...stored.connector },
         sidebar: { ...DEFAULT_SETTINGS.sidebar, ...stored.sidebar },
         chartFilter: { ...DEFAULT_SETTINGS.chartFilter, ...stored.chartFilter },
-      }
+      })
     }
   } catch {}
   return { ...DEFAULT_SETTINGS }
 }

Based on learnings: "defu only fills in null/undefined keys, so a stale persisted value survives the merge unchanged. Normalisation/migration of stale stored values must be done explicitly after hydration, not via defu defaults."


ℹ️ Review info
⚙️ Run configuration

Configuration used: Organization UI

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro

Run ID: fb8c5219-621a-43fb-9a9f-661ca5a5dd57

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between 58da597 and 70eb969.

📒 Files selected for processing (2)
  • app/composables/useSettings.ts
  • app/utils/prehydrate.ts

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Actionable comments posted: 1


ℹ️ Review info
⚙️ Run configuration

Configuration used: Organization UI

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro

Run ID: 93b45d3c-a3c6-4c57-94fb-0ffc36ea4eea

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between 70eb969 and 5da2e86.

📒 Files selected for processing (1)
  • app/composables/useSettings.ts

Comment on lines +90 to +105
function readFromLocalStorage(): AppSettings {
try {
const raw = localStorage.getItem(STORAGE_KEY)
if (raw) {
const stored = JSON.parse(raw)
return normaliseSettings({
...DEFAULT_SETTINGS,
...stored,
connector: { ...DEFAULT_SETTINGS.connector, ...stored.connector },
sidebar: { ...DEFAULT_SETTINGS.sidebar, ...stored.sidebar },
chartFilter: { ...DEFAULT_SETTINGS.chartFilter, ...stored.chartFilter },
})
}
} catch {}
return { ...DEFAULT_SETTINGS }
}
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⚠️ Potential issue | 🟡 Minor

🧩 Analysis chain

🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

echo "=== DEFAULT_SETTINGS definition ==="
rg -n "DEFAULT_SETTINGS\s*=" app/composables/useSettings.ts -A 15

echo -e "\n=== normaliseSettings function ==="
rg -n "normaliseSettings" app/composables/useSettings.ts -B 2 -A 10

echo -e "\n=== Full readFromLocalStorage function ==="
sed -n '90,106p' app/composables/useSettings.ts

echo -e "\n=== useState initialisation ==="
sed -n '117,125p' app/composables/useSettings.ts

echo -e "\n=== CollapsibleSection.vue mutation ==="
rg -n "sidebar\.collapsed\s*=" app/components/CollapsibleSection.vue -B 3 -A 3

Repository: npmx-dev/npmx.dev

Length of output: 96


🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

echo "=== Locating useSettings.ts ==="
fd "useSettings" --type f

echo -e "\n=== Locating CollapsibleSection.vue ==="
fd "CollapsibleSection" --type f

echo -e "\n=== Repository structure ==="
ls -la | head -20

Repository: npmx-dev/npmx.dev

Length of output: 1437


🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

echo "=== Full useSettings.ts content (checking size first) ==="
wc -l app/composables/useSettings.ts

echo -e "\n=== useSettings.ts - relevant sections ==="
cat -n app/composables/useSettings.ts

Repository: npmx-dev/npmx.dev

Length of output: 9614


🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

echo "=== CollapsibleSection.vue full content ==="
wc -l app/components/CollapsibleSection.vue

echo -e "\n=== CollapsibleSection.vue ==="
cat -n app/components/CollapsibleSection.vue

echo -e "\n=== Search for sidebar.collapsed mutations across codebase ==="
rg "sidebar\.collapsed" app --type=ts --type=vue -n

Repository: npmx-dev/npmx.dev

Length of output: 4904


🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

echo "=== Search for sidebar.collapsed mutations across codebase ==="
rg "sidebar\.collapsed" app -n

echo -e "\n=== Check if normaliseSettings creates new objects ==="
sed -n '77,88p' app/composables/useSettings.ts

Repository: npmx-dev/npmx.dev

Length of output: 1095


🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

echo "=== Verify mutations happen after hydration, not during ==="
rg "watch\|computed\|watcher" app/composables/useSettings.ts -n -A 2

echo -e "\n=== Check if any code path prevents the settings.value replacement ==="
sed -n '107,155p' app/composables/useSettings.ts

echo -e "\n=== Verify normaliseSettings creates independent objects ==="
python3 << 'EOF'
# Verify the flow logic
print("Flow analysis:")
print("1. readFromLocalStorage() with localStorage data:")
print("   - Creates NEW nested objects via spread")
print("   - Passes to normaliseSettings()")
print("   - normaliseSettings() creates NEW sidebar object")
print("   - Result: NO shared refs to DEFAULT_SETTINGS")
print()
print("2. readFromLocalStorage() without localStorage:")
print("   - Returns { ...DEFAULT_SETTINGS }")
print("   - Result: SHARED refs to DEFAULT_SETTINGS")
print()
print("3. useState init:")
print("   - Creates { ...DEFAULT_SETTINGS }")
print("   - Result: SHARED refs to DEFAULT_SETTINGS")
print()
print("4. After hydration:")
print("   - settings.value = stored (lines 134/137)")
print("   - Replaces the shallow copy completely")
print()
print("Risk window: During hydration, before lines 134/137")
print("But mutation handlers (like toggle) only run after hydration")
EOF

Repository: npmx-dev/npmx.dev

Length of output: 120


🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

echo "=== Full sync section in useSettings.ts ==="
sed -n '118,150p' app/composables/useSettings.ts

echo -e "\n=== Check watchers/event handlers in CollapsibleSection.vue ==="
sed -n '40,62p' app/components/CollapsibleSection.vue

echo -e "\n=== Trace: Does shallow copy ever get mutated directly? ==="
echo "Looking for in-place array mutations on settings.value.sidebar.collapsed..."
rg "sidebar\.collapsed\.(push|pop|splice|shift)" app

Repository: npmx-dev/npmx.dev

Length of output: 1984


🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

echo "=== Confirm: Does app:mounted hook fire before or after interactive code? ==="
echo "Checking Nuxt documentation expectations and SSR/hydration lifecycle..."
echo ""
echo "Vue/Nuxt SSR hydration lifecycle:"
echo "1. Server renders initial HTML with default values"
echo "2. Client loads, hydrates with same defaults"
echo "3. app:mounted hook fires"
echo "4. After mount, event listeners become active"
echo ""
echo "So toggle() event handler CANNOT fire before app:mounted hook"
echo "Therefore, settings.value = stored (line 134) executes BEFORE any toggle() calls"
echo ""
echo "=== Verify normaliseSettings in successful localStorage path ==="
sed -n '90,105p' app/composables/useSettings.ts | head -20

Repository: npmx-dev/npmx.dev

Length of output: 1149


Use deep copies or factory functions for default settings initialisation.

Lines 104 and 119 create shallow copies of DEFAULT_SETTINGS, leaving nested objects (connector, sidebar, chartFilter) with shared references. Whilst the current hydration strategy replaces these copies via app:mounted before mutation handlers execute, this design is unnecessarily fragile and depends on strict sequencing of the lifecycle.

The fallback path in readFromLocalStorage() (when localStorage is empty or errors) is particularly vulnerable. A dedicated factory function would ensure all code paths consistently create independent default instances, improving defensive robustness.

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codecov bot commented Mar 5, 2026

Codecov Report

❌ Patch coverage is 88.88889% with 3 lines in your changes missing coverage. Please review.
✅ All tests successful. No failed tests found.

Files with missing lines Patch % Lines
app/composables/useSettings.ts 88.88% 3 Missing ⚠️

📢 Thoughts on this report? Let us know!

Comment on lines +124 to +128
// Read localStorage eagerly but apply after mount to prevent hydration
// mismatch. During hydration, useState provides server-matching defaults.
// After mount, we swap in the user's actual preferences from localStorage.
// Uses nuxtApp.hook('app:mounted') instead of onMounted so it works even
// when useSettings() is first called from a plugin (no component context).
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I don't think this is the right fix. right now, with onPrehydrate, in many cases we're able to reflect the user's preferences immediately without any flash after mounting.

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Hmm, good point. What approach do you think we could look toward here?

I tried a few iterations but was only able to get satisfactory results using the useState + localStorage pattern. Though I can see some flashes (related to client-side sorting, I believe)

The core issue is that useLocalStorage from VueUse causes hydration mismatches because the server renders with defaults while the client initializes with stored values immediately. Cos right now, when we load https://npmx.dev/~antfu on page load with npm registry as a setting.

The onPrehydrate script handles the visual/DOM side (accent color, background theme, collapsed sections), but the reactive state still needs to reconcile somehow.

Open to suggestions if you have a different pattern in mind, I might be missing something in the Nuxt hydration lifecycle that could help here.

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address settings related hydration issues using prehydrate

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