How Declarative Custom Elements (DCE) Could Improve Web Components

In a previous article, I wrote about the state of SSR for Web Components. Since then, I have received many questions about when we will see Declarative Custom Elements (DCEs). Teams are looking for ways to eliminate JavaScript requirements for presentational components, address FOUC, and simplify SSR solutions. Current Challenges with Web Components As the adoption of web components continues to grow, teams encounter challenges with their client-side-only nature. Components require JavaScript for initial rendering, which can lead to Flash of Unstyled Content (FOUC). Server-side rendering implementations require framework-specific integrations and are often complex. Even purely presentational components need JavaScript to bootstrap their markup and styles. Requires JavaScript Even for purely presentational components that consist only of markup and CSS, JavaScript is required to bootstrap the component definition. Flash of Unstyled Content A frequently cited issue with web components is