[ForwardJS] React + X: Best Practices for Reusable UI Components

React is awesome but even good frameworks don’t prevent you from writing bad code. This talk will focus on some key principles for writing reusable UI components that will make them fun to use and keep your co-workers from going crazy.

React components are also very portable, allowing them to be used in various frameworks and build systems. The second half of this talk will focus on how to package and distribute reusable UI components so they can be used in a variety of project setups.

This talk was given at ForwardJS (https://forwardjs.com/) on March 1st, 2017.

Transcript

1. 1 React plus X Mars Jullian Senior UI Engineer Best practices for reusable UI components.
2. 2 Why build a UI component library? • Breaking out of the monolith —> new repos for teams / products —> different frameworks & build systems. Brand & UX consistency —> Share & maintain the design & functionality across codebases easily.
3. 3 Why build a UI component library? • Breaking out of the monolith —> new repos for teams / products —> different frameworks & build systems. • Brand & UX consistency —> Share & maintain the design & functionality across codebases easily.
4. 4 Hi, I’m Mars. Senior Software Engineer @ I like reusable UI components.
5. 5 React & Reusable UI components • JSX / no templates —> less files per component • Markup a function of state & props —> UI components can be independent of data source but still have full control over interactions. • Easily ported into different frameworks
6. 6 React & Reusable UI components • JSX / no templates —> less files per component • Markup a function of state & props —> UI components can be independent of data source but still have full control over interactions. • Easily ported into different frameworks
7. 7 React & Reusable UI components • JSX / no templates —> less files per component • Markup a function of state & props —> UI components can be independent of data source but still have full control over interactions. • Easily ported into different frameworks
8. 8 Reusable UI components should be… …self-sufficient …easy to integrate with
9. 9 Reusable UI components should be… …self-sufficient …easy to integrate with
12. 12 Reusable UI components should be… …self-sufficient …easy to integrate with
13. 13 Self-sufficiency: Don’t worry about data. const Bob = React.createClass({ propTypes: { tabs: React.PropTypes.arrayOf( React.PropTypes.shape({ key: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, displayName: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, content: React.PropTypes.oneOfType({ React.PropTypes.func, React.PropTypes.node }).isRequired }) ), // ... more props } }); data / content not part of component state, should come from parent application
14. Self-sufficiency: Enough state to be useful. handleTabClick(selectedTab) { this.setState({ selectedTab }); this.props.tabEvents.onClick(selectedTab); }, renderTabContent(isOverview) { const currentTab = this.state.selectedTab; const tab = _.find(this.props.tabs, { key: currentTab }); const tabContent = tab.content; return _.isFunction(tabContent) ? tabContent() : tabContent; }, keep track of currently selected tab 14
15. 15 Self-sufficiency: Enough state to be useful. handleTabClick(selectedTab) { this.setState({ selectedTab }); this.props.tabEvents.onClick(selectedTab); }, renderTabContent(isOverview) { const currentTab = this.state.selectedTab; const tab = _.find(this.props.tabs, { key: currentTab }); const tabContent = tab.content; return _.isFunction(tabContent) ? tabContent() : tabContent; }, knowing which tab is currently selected, means you know what application data / content to render
16. 16 Self-sufficiency: Enough state to be useful. handleTabClick(selectedTab) { this.setState({ selectedTab }); this.props.tabEvents.onClick(selectedTab); }, renderTabContent(isOverview) { const currentTab = this.state.selectedTab; const tab = _.find(this.props.tabs, { key: currentTab }); const tabContent = tab.content; return _.isFunction(tabContent) ? tabContent() : tabContent; }, let parent application know that UI state has changed
17. 17 Self-sufficiency: State initialization. const Bob = React.createClass({ propTypes: { selectedTab: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([ React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.oneOf([ TAB_OVERVIEW ]) ]) } }, componentWillReceiveProps() { // does nothing } }); parent application can initialize component in a certain state
18. 18 const Bob = React.createClass({ propTypes: { selectedTab: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([ React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.oneOf([ TAB_OVERVIEW ]) ]) } }, componentWillReceiveProps() { // does nothing } }); …but selected tab cannot be overridden in subsequent updates Self-sufficiency: State initialization.
19. 19 Reusable UI components should be… …self-sufficient …easy to integrate with
20. 20 const Bob = React.createClass({ propTypes: { cover: React.PropTypes.element.isRequired, title: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([ React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.element ]).isRequired, description: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, tabs: React.PropTypes.arrayOf( React.PropTypes.shape({ key: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, displayName: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, content: React.PropTypes.oneOfType({ React.PropTypes.func, React.PropTypes.node }).isRequired }) ), tabEvents: React.PropTypes.shape({ onClick: React.PropTypes.func }), selectedTab: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([ React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.oneOf([ TAB_OVERVIEW ]) ]) } }); Ease of integration: Self-documentation.
22. 22 const Bob = React.createClass({ propTypes: { cover: React.PropTypes.element.isRequired, title: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([ React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.element ]).isRequired, description: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, tabs: React.PropTypes.arrayOf( React.PropTypes.shape({ key: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, displayName: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, content: React.PropTypes.oneOfType({ React.PropTypes.func, React.PropTypes.node }).isRequired }) ), tabEvents: React.PropTypes.shape({ onClick: React.PropTypes.func }), selectedTab: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([ React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.oneOf([ TAB_OVERVIEW ]) ]) } }); Ease of integration: Self-documentation. specify what types of props component expects
23. 23 const Bob = React.createClass({ propTypes: { cover: React.PropTypes.element.isRequired, title: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([ React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.element ]).isRequired, description: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, tabs: React.PropTypes.arrayOf( React.PropTypes.shape({ key: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, displayName: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, content: React.PropTypes.oneOfType({ React.PropTypes.func, React.PropTypes.node }).isRequired }) ), tabEvents: React.PropTypes.shape({ onClick: React.PropTypes.func }), selectedTab: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([ React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.oneOf([ TAB_OVERVIEW ]) ]) } }); Ease of integration: Self-documentation. specify which props are required for component to behave as expected
24. 24 const Bob = React.createClass({ propTypes: { cover: React.PropTypes.element.isRequired, title: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([ React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.element ]).isRequired, description: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, tabs: React.PropTypes.arrayOf( React.PropTypes.shape({ key: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, displayName: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, content: React.PropTypes.oneOfType({ React.PropTypes.func, React.PropTypes.node }).isRequired }) ), tabEvents: React.PropTypes.shape({ onClick: React.PropTypes.func }), selectedTab: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([ React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.oneOf([ TAB_OVERVIEW ]) ]) } }); Ease of integration: Self-documentation. specify that component expects tabs, and exactly what the tabs should look like
25. 25 const Bob = React.createClass({ propTypes: { cover: React.PropTypes.element.isRequired, title: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([ React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.element ]).isRequired, description: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, tabs: React.PropTypes.arrayOf( React.PropTypes.shape({ key: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, displayName: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, content: React.PropTypes.oneOfType({ React.PropTypes.func, React.PropTypes.node }).isRequired }) ), tabEvents: React.PropTypes.shape({ onClick: React.PropTypes.func }), selectedTab: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([ React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.oneOf([ TAB_OVERVIEW ]) ]) } }); Ease of integration: Self-documentation.
26. 26 Ease of integration: Self-documentation. npm install gulp-react-docs
27. 27 title: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([ React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.element ]).isRequired, // titleLogoSrc: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, // titleString: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired Ease of integration: Fewer props.
29. 29 title: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([ React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.element ]).isRequired, // titleLogoSrc: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired, // titleString: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired Ease of integration: Fewer props. one flexible prop vs. two differently named props
30. 30 const TabNav = React.createClass({ propTypes: { tabs: React.PropTypes.arrayOf( React.PropTypes.shape({ // ...tab shape }) ), // hideTabs: React.PropTypes.bool }, render() { if (!this.props.tabs || !this.props.tabs.length) { return null; } // ... } }); Ease of integration: Fewer props.
32. 32 const TabNav = React.createClass({ propTypes: { tabs: React.PropTypes.arrayOf( React.PropTypes.shape({ // ...tab shape }) ), // hideTabs: React.PropTypes.bool }, render() { if (!this.props.tabs || !this.props.tabs.length) { return null; } // ... } }); Ease of integration: Fewer props. decouple props by intelligently rendering tabs, instead of adding a hideTabs prop
33. 33 handleTabClick(selectedTab) { this.setState({ selectedTab }); this.props.tabEvents.onClick(selectedTab); }, renderTab(tab) { return ( <div className='tab-wrapper' onClick={ () => this.handleTabClick(tab.name) } > { tab.name } </div> ); }, Ease of integration: Remove backdoors. good
34. 34 renderTab(tab) { return ( <div className='tab-wrapper' { ...this.props.tabEvents } > { tab.name } </div> ); }, Ease of integration: Remove backdoors. backdoor into React div elements. BAD!
35. 35 Ease of integration: Fill container element. margin border padding position - - - - - - - - - - - - just this your component
36. 36 Ease of integration: Publish assets intelligently. …support as many build systems and developments environments as possible…
37. 37 Ease of integration: Publish assets intelligently. Bob dist components Bob.js TabNav.js styles _tabNav.less bob.less bob.css dist.js src components Bob.jsx TabNav.jsx styles _tabNav.less bob.less dist.js CHANGELOG.md gulpfile.js package.json README.md publish components to a package manager… …and a CDN
38. 38 Ease of integration: Publish assets intelligently. Bob dist components Bob.js TabNav.js styles _tabNav.less bob.less bob.css dist.js src components Bob.jsx TabNav.jsx styles _tabNav.less bob.less dist.js CHANGELOG.md gulpfile.js package.json README.md make sure components are versioned
39. 39 Ease of integration: Publish assets intelligently. Bob dist components Bob.js TabNav.js styles _tabNav.less bob.less bob.css dist.js src components Bob.jsx TabNav.jsx styles _tabNav.less bob.less dist.js CHANGELOG.md gulpfile.js package.json README.md Bob dist components Bob.js TabNav.js styles _tabNav.less bob.less bob.css dist.js src components Bob.jsx TabNav.jsx styles _tabNav.less bob.less dist.js CHANGELOG.md gulpfile.js package.json README.md transpile ES6 & JSX into ES5 & JS
40. 40 Ease of integration: Publish assets intelligently. Bob dist components Bob.js TabNav.js styles _tabNav.less bob.less bob.css dist.js src components Bob.jsx TabNav.jsx styles _tabNav.less bob.less dist.js CHANGELOG.md gulpfile.js package.json README.md Bob dist components Bob.js TabNav.js styles _tabNav.less bob.less bob.css dist.js src components Bob.jsx TabNav.jsx styles _tabNav.less bob.less dist.js CHANGELOG.md gulpfile.js package.json README.md pre-process stylesheets to replace relative asset URL’s with absolute URL’s (e.g. fonts and images)
41. 41 Ease of integration: Publish assets intelligently. Bob dist components Bob.js TabNav.js styles _tabNav.less bob.less bob.css dist.js src components Bob.jsx TabNav.jsx styles _tabNav.less bob.less dist.js CHANGELOG.md gulpfile.js package.json README.md Bob dist components Bob.js TabNav.js styles _tabNav.less bob.less bob.css dist.js src components Bob.jsx TabNav.jsx styles _tabNav.less bob.less dist.js CHANGELOG.md gulpfile.js package.json README.md compile .less into .css
42. 42 Ease of integration: Publish assets intelligently. Bob dist components Bob.js TabNav.js styles _tabNav.less bob.less bob.css dist.js src components Bob.jsx TabNav.jsx styles _tabNav.less bob.less dist.js CHANGELOG.md gulpfile.js package.json README.md Bob dist components Bob.js TabNav.js styles _tabNav.less bob.less bob.css dist.js src components Bob.jsx TabNav.jsx styles _tabNav.less bob.less dist.js CHANGELOG.md gulpfile.js package.json README.md compile JS into one file
43. 43 Ease of integration: Publish assets intelligently. // Bob/src/dist.js gets compiled (without dependencies) // into Bob/dist/dist.js const Bob = require('./components/Bob.jsx'); window.YOUR_NAMESPACE = window.YOUR_NAMESPACE || {}; window.YOUR_NAMESPACE.Bob = Bob; supports teams loading code via CDN
44. 44 Ease of integration: Publish assets intelligently. • Publish assets to multiple locations • Version components • Transpile JavaScript • Pre-process styles • Compile styles and JavaScript
45. 45 Reusable UI components should be… …self-sufficient …easy to integrate with
47. 47 Thanks, I’m @marsjosephine. Senior Software Engineer @ I like reusable UI components.