@spred/core

Spred

Simple and fast JavaScript reactive programming library.

• Small. 2 KB minified and gzipped. No dependencies
• Fast. No unnecessary calculations and excellent performance
• Simple. Small API and autotracking of dependencies
• Well typed. Written in TypeScript

API Reference

Basic Example

import { signal, batch } from '@spred/core';

const formatter = new Intl.DateTimeFormat('en-GB');

const name = signal('Paul');
const instrument = signal('bass');
const birthday = signal('1942-06-18');

const formattedBirthday = signal((get) =>
  formatter.format(new Date(get(birthday)))
);

const greeting = signal(
  (get) =>
    `Hello. My name is ${get(name)}, I play ${get(instrument)} ` +
    `and I was born on ${get(formattedBirthday)}.`
);

greeting.subscribe(console.log);
// > Hello. My name is Paul, I play bass and I was born on 18/06/1942.

batch(() => {
  name.set('Ringo');
  instrument.set('drums');
  birthday.set('1940-07-07');
});
// > Hello. My name is Ringo, I play drums and I was born on 07/07/1940.

All examples on StackBlitz

Installation

npm install @spred/core --save

Signals

Signal is the basic reactive primitive of the library. A signal stores a value and notifies its subscribers when it changes. To create a writable signal you should call the signal function with an initial value that is not a function.

import { signal, on } from '@spred/core';

const counter = signal(0);

You can get the current value of a signal by the value field.

console.log(counter.value);
// > 0

To set a new value of a writable signal, you should call the set method with the new value.

counter.set(1);
console.log(counter.value);
// > 1

A call of the signal function with a function argument creates a computed signal. That signal tracks the dependencies accessed by the passed getter and recalculates its own value when the dependencies change. The return value of the passed computation function must depend only on other signals accessed by the getter.

const doubleCounter = signal((get) => get(counter) * 2);
console.log(doubleCounter.value);
// > 2

Signal value updates can be subscribed to using the subscribe method. The second argument of the method specifies whether the function should be called immediately after subscribing, and defaults to true. The method returns the unsubscribe function.

const unsub = doubleCounter.subscribe((value) =>
  console.log('Double value is ' + value)
);
// > Double value is 2

counter.set(2);
// > Double value is 4

unsub();
counter.set(3);
// Nothing

console.log(doubleCounter.value);
// > 6

You can also subscribe to signal value updates without immediately executing the subscriber using the on function, which is a shorthand for someSignal.subscribe(someFn, false).

on(doubleCounter, (value) => console.log('Double value is ' + value));
// Nothing

counter.set(4);
// > Double value is 8

Computed signals initialize their values lazily. That means that the calculation function triggers only when the signal has at least one subscriber or dependent signal with a subscriber.

Batching Updates

Writable signal updates are immediate and synchronous.

import { signal, batch, on, action } from '@spred/core';

const a = signal(0);
const b = signal(0);
const sum = signal((get) => get(a) + get(b));

sum.subscribe((s) => console.log('a + b = ' + s));
// > a + b = 0

a.set(1);
// > a + b = 1

b.set(1);
// > a + b = 2

You can commit several updates as a single transaction using the batch function.

batch(() => {
  a.set(2);
  b.set(2);
});
// > a + b = 4

You can also wrap your function in action to batch the updates made during its execution.

const act = action(() => {
  a.set(3);
  b.set(3);
});

act();
// > a + b = 6

All updates made inside subscribers and computations are batched too.

const trigger = signal(0);

on(trigger, () => {
  a.set(4);
  b.set(4);
});

trigger.set(1);
// > a + b = 8

Change Detection

By default, all signals trigger their dependents and subscribers only if their value changes.

import { signal } from '@spred/core';

const counter = signal(0);
const doubleCounter = signal((get) => get(counter) * 2);

const unsub = doubleCounter.subscribe((value) =>
  console.log('Double value is ' + value)
);
// > Double value is 0

counter.set(0);
// Nothing

counter.set(1);
// > Double value is 2

unsub();

Signals use Object.is to compare values, but you can set custom equality function in signal options.

const obj = signal(
  { value: 1 },
  {
    equal(a, b) {
      return a.value === (b && b.value);
    },
  }
);

obj.subscribe((obj) => console.log('Object value is ' + obj.value));
// > Object value is 1

obj.set({ value: 1 });
// Nothing

obj.set({ value: 2 });
// > Object value is 2

NONE is a special constant indicating no result. Computed signals start as NONE until the first successful evaluation. Returning NONE from a computation skips the update and doesn’t notify subscribers, so it can be used for filtering.

import { signal, NONE } from '@spred/core';

const counter = signal(0);
const oddCounter = signal((get) => {
  const value = get(counter);
  return value % 2 ? value : NONE;
});

oddCounter.subscribe((value) => {
  if (value === NONE) console.log('No odd value yet');
  else console.log('Odd value is ' + value);
});
// > No odd value yet

counter.set(1);
// > Odd value is 1

counter.set(2);
// Nothing

counter.set(3);
// > Odd value is 3

Effects

effect calls the passed function immediately and every time its dependencies change.

import { signal, effect, batch } from '@spred/core';

const a = signal('Hello');
const b = signal('World');

const dispose = effect((get) => {
  console.log(`${get(a)} ${get(b)}!`);
});
// > Hello World!

batch(() => {
  a.set('Foo');
  b.set('Bar');
});
// > Foo Bar!

dispose();
a.set('Hello');
// Nothing

Under the hood, the effect is simply a computed signal that becomes active at the moment of creation.

Lifecycle Hooks

Every signal has lifecycle hooks whose handlers can be set in the signal options.

• onCreate - the signal is created;
• onActivate - the signal becomes active (has at least one subscriber or dependent signal with a subscriber);
• onDeactivate - the signal becomes inactive (doesn't have any subscriber or dependent signal with a subscriber);
• onUpdate - the signal updates its value;
• onCleanup - the signal value is going to be computed or the signal becomes inactive;
• onException - an unhandled exception occurs during the signal computation.

Example on StackBlitz

Integration

Svelte

Spred signals implement Svelte store contract so you don't need any additional package to use them in Svelte apps.

Example on StackBlitz

React

Use the spred-react package.

Example on StackBlitz

References

Big thanks for inspiration to

• cellx
• effector
• SolidJS
• Vue 3
• nanostores
• $mol
• preact
• act

Changelog

0.41.4 (2025-08-12)

Bug Fixes

• fix setting value of inactive writable signal with getInitialValue option (27645db)

Docs

• update docs (6d7c784)