React Components

Quick Guide: Tiered components (Primitives -> Components -> Patterns -> Templates). React 19: pass ref as a prop directly (no forwardRef needed). Expose className prop for styling flexibility. Use useActionState for forms, useOptimistic for instant feedback, use() for conditional promise/context reading. Ref callbacks can return cleanup functions.

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<critical_requirements>

CRITICAL: Before Using This Skill

All code must follow project conventions in CLAUDE.md (kebab-case, named exports, import ordering, import type, named constants)

(You MUST pass ref as a regular prop in React 19 - forwardRef is deprecated)

(You MUST expose className prop on ALL reusable components for customization)

(You MUST use useActionState for form submissions with pending/error state)

(You MUST call useFormStatus from a child component inside <form>, NOT in the component that renders the form)

</critical_requirements>

---

Auto-detection: React 19, components, hooks, use(), useActionState, useFormStatus, useOptimistic, Actions, ref as prop, ref cleanup, forwardRef migration, component variants, error boundary

When to use:

• Building React components with type-safe props
• Migrating from forwardRef to React 19 ref-as-prop
• Handling form submissions with React 19 Actions API
• Creating custom hooks for reusable logic
• Implementing error boundaries with retry

When NOT to use:

• Simple one-off components without variants (skip variant abstractions)
• Static content without interactivity

Key patterns covered:

• Component architecture tiers and variant props
• React 19 ref as prop (replaces forwardRef)
• React 19 hooks: use(), useActionState, useFormStatus, useOptimistic
• Ref callback cleanup functions
• Error boundaries with retry and custom fallbacks
• Custom hooks (pagination, debounce, localStorage)
• Event handler naming conventions

---

Philosophy

React components follow a tiered architecture from low-level primitives to high-level templates. Components should be composable, type-safe, and expose necessary customization points (className, refs). Use variant abstractions only when components have multiple variant dimensions to avoid over-engineering. React is styling-agnostic -- apply styles via the className prop.

React 19 Changes: forwardRef is deprecated -- pass ref as a regular prop directly. New hooks (use(), useActionState, useFormStatus, useOptimistic) simplify data fetching and form handling with the Actions API. Ref callbacks can return cleanup functions, eliminating the need for separate useEffect cleanup.

---

Core Patterns

Pattern 1: Component Architecture Tiers

Components are organized in a tiered hierarchy:

1. Primitives (src/primitives/) - Low-level building blocks (skeleton)
2. Components (src/components/) - Reusable UI (button, switch, select)
3. Patterns (src/patterns/) - Composed patterns (feature, navigation)
4. Templates (src/templates/) - Page layouts (frame)

// React 19: ref as a regular prop, no forwardRef needed
export type ButtonProps = React.ComponentProps<"button"> & {
  variant?: "default" | "ghost" | "link";
  size?: "default" | "large" | "icon";
  asChild?: boolean;
  ref?: React.Ref<HTMLButtonElement>;
};

export function Button({ variant = "default", size = "default", className, ref, ...props }: ButtonProps) {
  return <button className={className} data-variant={variant} data-size={size} ref={ref} {...props} />;
}

Why good: ref as regular prop eliminates forwardRef boilerplate, className enables external styling, data-attributes enable CSS selectors for variants

See examples/core.md for complete component examples with good/bad comparisons.

---

Pattern 2: Component Variant Props

Components with 2+ visual dimensions (variant, size) should expose type-safe variant props via TypeScript unions. Use data-* attributes so any styling solution can target them.

export type AlertVariant = "info" | "warning" | "error" | "success";

export function Alert({ variant = "info", className, ref, ...props }: AlertProps) {
  return <div ref={ref} className={className} data-variant={variant} {...props} />;
}

When not to use: Components with a single visual style -- skip variant abstraction.

See examples/core.md for variant props with good/bad examples.

---

Pattern 3: Event Handler Naming

• handle prefix for internal handlers: handleSubmit, handleNameChange
• on prefix for callback props: onClick, onSubmit
• Type events explicitly: FormEvent<HTMLFormElement>, ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>

const handleSubmit = (e: FormEvent<HTMLFormElement>) => {
  e.preventDefault();
};

const handleNameChange = (e: ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
  setName(e.target.value);
};

See examples/core.md for full event handler examples.

---

Pattern 4: Custom Hooks

Extract reusable logic into custom hooks following the use prefix convention.

• usePagination - Pagination state and navigation
• useDebounce - Debounce values for search inputs
• useLocalStorage - Type-safe localStorage persistence with SSR safety

See examples/hooks.md for complete implementations.

---

Pattern 5: Error Boundaries with Retry

Error boundaries catch render errors and provide retry capability. Place them around feature sections, not just the root.

// Key interface -- accepts custom fallback and error callback
interface Props {
  children: ReactNode;
  fallback?: (error: Error, reset: () => void) => ReactNode;
  onError?: (error: Error, errorInfo: ErrorInfo) => void;
}

Limitation: Error boundaries do not catch event handler errors, async errors, or SSR errors -- use try/catch for those.

See examples/error-boundaries.md for full implementation.

---

Pattern 6: useActionState for Form Submissions

Skip if your framework provides its own server-side form handling (Server Actions) — use that instead.

Use useActionState for form submissions with automatic pending state and error handling. Replaces manual useState for loading/error.

import { useActionState } from "react";

async function updateProfile(prevState: string | null, formData: FormData) {
  try {
    await saveProfile({ name: formData.get("name") as string });
    return null;
  } catch {
    return "Failed to save profile";
  }
}

export function ProfileForm() {
  const [error, submitAction, isPending] = useActionState(updateProfile, null);

  return (
    <form action={submitAction}>
      <input type="text" name="name" disabled={isPending} />
      <button type="submit" disabled={isPending}>
        {isPending ? "Saving..." : "Save"}
      </button>
      {error && <p role="alert">{error}</p>}
    </form>
  );
}

Why good: hook manages pending and error state automatically, form action works with progressive enhancement, no manual useState for loading/error

See examples/react-19-hooks.md for extended examples with success state.

---

Pattern 7: useFormStatus for Submit Buttons

useFormStatus reads parent form's pending state without prop drilling. Must be called from a child component inside the <form>.

import { useFormStatus } from "react-dom";

function SubmitButton() {
  const { pending } = useFormStatus();
  return (
    <button type="submit" disabled={pending}>
      {pending ? "Submitting..." : "Submit"}
    </button>
  );
}

Gotcha: Calling useFormStatus in the component that renders <form> returns pending: false always -- it must be a descendant component.

See examples/react-19-hooks.md for reusable submit button patterns.

---

Pattern 8: useOptimistic for Instant UI Feedback

Show immediate UI updates while async operations complete. State automatically reverts if the request fails.

import { useOptimistic, startTransition } from "react";

const [optimisticItems, addOptimistic] = useOptimistic(
  items,
  (state, update: Item) => [...state, { ...update, pending: true }],
);

// In handler -- setter MUST be called inside startTransition:
startTransition(async () => {
  addOptimistic(newItem);
  await saveItem(newItem);
});

See examples/react-19-hooks.md for todo list and chat examples.

---

Pattern 9: use() Hook for Promises and Context

use() reads promises and context conditionally in render -- unlike useContext, it can be called after early returns.

import { use, Suspense } from "react";

function Comments({ commentsPromise }: { commentsPromise: Promise<Comment[]> }) {
  const comments = use(commentsPromise); // Suspends until resolved
  return <ul>{comments.map((c) => <li key={c.id}>{c.text}</li>)}</ul>;
}

// Wrap in Suspense boundary
<Suspense fallback={<p>Loading...</p>}>
  <Comments commentsPromise={fetchComments()} />
</Suspense>

Gotcha: use() cannot be called in try-catch blocks -- use Error Boundaries for rejected promise handling.

See examples/react-19-hooks.md for conditional context reading.

---

Pattern 10: Ref Callback Cleanup Functions

React 19 ref callbacks can return cleanup functions, replacing the need for separate useEffect cleanup.

function VideoPlayer({ src }: { src: string }) {
  return (
    <video
      ref={(video) => {
        if (!video) return;
        video.play();
        return () => {
          video.pause();
          video.currentTime = 0;
        };
      }}
      src={src}
    />
  );
}

Why good: cleanup runs automatically on unmount, no separate useEffect needed, simpler than useRef + useEffect combination

Note: With ref cleanup functions, TypeScript rejects non-null/undefined return values from ref callbacks. The callback is no longer called with null on unmount -- the cleanup function handles that.

See examples/react-19-hooks.md for IntersectionObserver cleanup example.

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Detailed Resources:

• examples/core.md - Component architecture, variants, event handlers
• examples/hooks.md - usePagination, useDebounce, useLocalStorage
• examples/react-19-hooks.md - useActionState, useFormStatus, useOptimistic, use(), ref cleanup
• examples/error-boundaries.md - Error boundary implementation and recovery
• reference.md - Decision frameworks, anti-patterns, checklists

---

<red_flags>

RED FLAGS

High Priority Issues:

• Using forwardRef in React 19 -- deprecated, pass ref as a regular prop
• Calling useFormStatus in the component that renders <form> -- will always return pending: false
• Using useState for form loading/error when useActionState exists -- unnecessary boilerplate
• Not exposing className prop on reusable components -- prevents external styling
• Calling use() inside try-catch blocks -- use Error Boundaries instead

Medium Priority Issues:

• Adding variant abstractions for components without multiple variant dimensions
• Using useCallback on every handler regardless of child memoization (premature optimization)
• Wrapping ref callbacks in useCallback when the React Compiler handles memoization automatically
• Generic event handler names (click, change) instead of descriptive names (handleNameChange)

Gotchas & Edge Cases:

• Ref cleanup functions: TypeScript rejects non-null/undefined returns from ref callbacks -- use the cleanup pattern explicitly
• useOptimistic state reverts automatically on failure -- no manual rollback needed
• use() can be called conditionally (after early returns), unlike useContext
• Error boundaries do not catch event handler errors, async errors, or SSR errors
• useCallback without memoized children adds overhead without benefit
• SSR requires typeof window !== "undefined" before accessing browser APIs

</red_flags>

---

<critical_reminders>

CRITICAL REMINDERS

All code must follow project conventions in CLAUDE.md

(You MUST pass ref as a regular prop in React 19 - forwardRef is deprecated)

(You MUST expose className prop on ALL reusable components for customization)

(You MUST use useActionState for form submissions with pending/error state)

(You MUST call useFormStatus from a child component inside <form>, NOT in the component that renders the form)

Failure to follow these rules will break component composition, form state management, and styling flexibility.

</critical_reminders>