ReactComponent is too tightly coupled to specific version of React

[MarcSkovMadsen]

I've been hit several times by the fact that the Panel ReactComponent uses a specific version of React. Currently 18.3.1.

• The specific version is not publicly documented.
• It's not explained that you will have to use React library versions compatible with the exact version of React Panel is providing
• If you import versions of React libraries that are not compatible with Panels version of React you get hard to understand error messages and need guidance from Philipp that versioning is the problem.
• There is a high risk that custom ReactComponent will only work for a narrow band of Panel versions because Panel will and should keep the react version updated. This makes these components hard to maintain.

Please remove the issues above.

[philippjfr]

The react version can be configured by declaring _react_version. Apart from improving documentation I'm not sure what you're suggesting.

[MarcSkovMadsen]

It is not clear to me if I can distribute a package using a React version not the same as the one the current version of Panel uses. And not the same version as some other ReactComponent extension version.

[philippjfr]

It is not clear to me if I can distribute a package using a React version not the same as the one the current version of Panel uses. And not the same version as some other ReactComponent extension version.

As I mentioned above, there is no such thing as the "version of React that Panel uses", the version is configurable on the component itself by setting the _react_version.

[MarcSkovMadsen]

Ok. Then we should document it. Because if extension developers do not set this value themselves their extension packages will only work for very specific versions of Panel.

[philippjfr]

Absolutely, it is documented as part of the compile and bundle how to guide now but should be made more prominent in the reference guide as well.