---
title: MARKLESS_STATE_STALE_LOCAL_WRITE
description: "An event handler writes a plain variable that the markup reads, so the page never changes."
sidebar: { hidden: true }
search: { keywords: ["STATE_STALE_LOCAL_WRITE","state stale local write","markless error"] }
pagination: false
---

**Error** from the compiler, while it builds your `.tsrx` files.

## What happened

A handler changes a plain `let`, and the markup shows that variable. The markup reads it only once, when the page first renders, so the click changes nothing on screen.

Markless prints the message, the reason, and a suggestion:

```text
MARKLESS_STATE_STALE_LOCAL_WRITE: Cannot write to "<target>" from a handler because the template reads the component local "<name>" only during initial render.
Component bodies run for initial render only. Template reads re-render after events only when they subscribe through state(), so this handler write would leave the UI stale after resume.
Move "<name>" into state(), then write <name>++ so Markless can serialize the cell and update subscribed DOM.
https://markless.dev/errors/MARKLESS_STATE_STALE_LOCAL_WRITE
```

Words in angle brackets change from case to case.

## How to fix it

Wrap the value in `state()`. Then the page updates every time the handler writes it.

```tsrx
let count = state(0);

<button onClick={() => count++}>{count}</button>
```

## Where it comes from

`@markless/compiler` raises this code. Source:

- [packages/compiler/src/passes/state-lowering.ts](https://github.com/compiled-run/markless/blob/main/packages/compiler/src/passes/state-lowering.ts)

Read [how to read a Markless error](/tooling/diagnostics), or go back to [all error codes](/errors).