Lazy Loading

Lazy loading is a software design pattern that delays the initialization or loading of resources until they are actually needed, rather than loading them upfront. It is commonly used in web development, mobile apps, and databases to improve performance by reducing initial load times and memory usage. This technique helps optimize applications by loading data, images, or components on-demand as users interact with the interface.

Also known as: Deferred Loading, On-Demand Loading, Lazy Initialization, Lazy Load, Lazy Fetch

Why learn Lazy Loading?

Developers should use lazy loading when building applications with large datasets, media-heavy content, or complex user interfaces to enhance performance and user experience. It is particularly useful in web development for loading images, videos, or JavaScript modules only when they become visible in the viewport, reducing bandwidth and speeding up page loads. In mobile apps, lazy loading can minimize memory consumption by loading data as users scroll, making it essential for efficient resource management.

Learning Resources

• docs: MDN Web Docs: Lazy Loading
• tutorial: Google Developers: Lazy Loading Images and Video
• docs: React Documentation: Code Splitting
• video: YouTube: Lazy Loading Explained
• tutorial: FreeCodeCamp: Lazy Loading Tutorial