Shopify just abandoned Polaris for React 🫣

Is Polaris cooked?

We've been developing apps for Shopify for over 10 years, and our CEO and lead developer talk about Shopify's most recent change: they're deprecating Polaris for React and moving to Polaris Web Components! This is a massive change for developers who have built thousands of apps on the React-based system since Polaris was first announced.

🔧 What's Changing:

Polaris is moving away from React-specific components
New web components work across any JavaScript framework
No more import statements for Polaris components
Scripts now load from Shopify's CDN instead of bundling

💭 Key Topics Discussed:

Implications for TypeScript developers
How versioning and updates will work
Potential breaking changes and production concerns
Bundle size and performance considerations
The shift from batteries-included to primitive components
Why framework-agnostic matters for the ecosystem

⚖️ Pros & Cons:
✅ Works with React, Vue, Svelte, and other frameworks
✅ No more importing individual components
✅ Simplified setup process
⚠️ TypeScript devs still need to install type definitions
⚠️ Less control over versioning
⚠️ Potential for unexpected breaking changes in production
⚠️ More primitive components require more assembly

🎯 Our Take:
While there's short-term pain in migrating, we believe this is a positive direction for Shopify's developer ecosystem. The framework-agnostic approach opens doors for more developers and keeps the platform from becoming legacy.

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Chapter Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction: Polaris Deprecation Announcement
00:51 - No More Import Statements: First Impressions
01:31 - Framework Agnostic: The Big Picture
01:57 - TypeScript Implications and Type Definitions
03:02 - Versioning Concerns: Breaking Changes Risk
03:46 - App Bridge and Production Bug History
04:30 - Unifying Components Under One Roof
05:22 - Batteries Included vs. Primitives Approach
06:14 - Bundle Size and Performance Considerations
07:03 - Handling Script Loading and Page Flicker
07:47 - Implementation: Where Does the Script Go?
08:11 - Is This a Positive Change? A Developer Perspective
09:03 - Supporting Multiple Frameworks: Svelte, Vue, Remix
09:31 - The Mental Shift for React Developers
10:41 - Custom Styling Concerns with Auto-Updates
11:35 - Timeline: When Was This Announced?
12:20 - Shopify's Rapid Change Philosophy
13:14 - Short-Term Pain vs. Long-Term Benefits
14:05 - Migration Strategy: Piece by Piece Approach
14:49 - Closing Thoughts and Encouraging Community Discussion