Storybook Stories

This skill enforces consistent Storybook story creation patterns across the application. It ensures that all components have proper documentation, interactive examples, and follow the established project structure.

<critical_component_usage> MANDATORY: Always Use Base UI Components from @compozy/ui

CRITICAL REQUIREMENTS:

✅ ALWAYS import components from @compozy/ui package (packages/ui)
✅ ALWAYS use existing base UI components instead of creating new ones from scratch
✅ ALWAYS follow design system rules from @.cursor/rules/react.mdc and @.cursor/rules/shadcn.mdc
✅ ALWAYS use design tokens (e.g., bg-background, text-foreground, border-border) instead of explicit colors
❌ NEVER create components from scratch when a base component exists in @compozy/ui
❌ NEVER use explicit color values (e.g., bg-white, text-black) - always use design tokens
❌ NEVER duplicate component logic - compose from base components

Available Base Components: All components from packages/ui/src/components are available via @compozy/ui:

Button, Card, Dialog, Input, Select, Badge, Avatar, Accordion, Alert, etc.
See packages/ui/src/index.ts for complete list of exports

Design System Rules:

Follow React best practices: @.cursor/rules/react.mdc
Follow Shadcn UI patterns: @.cursor/rules/shadcn.mdc
Use design tokens for theming: bg-background, text-foreground, border-border, etc. </critical_component_usage>

Instructions

File Location & Naming
- Place story files in a stories/ folder within the same category folder as the component.
- Example: src/components/base/accordion.tsx -> src/components/base/stories/accordion.stories.tsx.
Component Imports
- MANDATORY: Import base UI components from @compozy/ui
- Use: import { Button, Card, Dialog } from "@compozy/ui";
- Only import custom/domain-specific components from local files
- Check packages/ui/src/index.ts to see available components before creating new ones
Meta Configuration
- Title should follow the directory structure: components/custom/ComponentName or components/ui/ComponentName.
- Include component in the meta object.
- Set parameters.layout to "centered" by default.
- Add parameters.docs.description.component to describe the component.
- Use decorators if the component requires a specific container width or context.
- MANDATORY: Use explicit type annotation: const meta: Meta<typeof Component> = { ... }
Story Definition
- Define a helper type: type Story = StoryObj<typeof meta>;.
- Export stories as named constants (PascalCase).
- Always add JSDoc comments above each story export; these appear in the Storybook UI.
- Use the Default story as the primary example.
- MANDATORY: All stories must include args property, even if empty: args: {}
- Keep it concise: Create only essential stories (2-5 max per component). Avoid over-engineering with excessive variations or complex scenarios.
Render vs Args
- Use render functions for compound components (like Accordion, Dialog, Select) that require children composition.
- Use args for simple components (like Button, Badge) where props define the variation.
- MANDATORY: Even when using render, include args: {} property
Design System Compliance
- ALWAYS use design tokens for colors: bg-background, text-foreground, border-border
- NEVER use explicit colors: bg-white, text-black, border-gray-200
- Follow accessibility guidelines from @.cursor/rules/shadcn.mdc
- Use semantic HTML elements and proper ARIA attributes

Example Template

Using Base UI Components from @compozy/ui

import type { Meta, StoryObj } from "@storybook/react";
import { Button, Card, CardHeader, CardTitle, CardContent } from "@compozy/ui";
import { MyCustomComponent } from "./my-custom-component";

const meta: Meta<typeof MyCustomComponent> = {
  title: "components/custom/MyCustomComponent",
  component: MyCustomComponent,
  parameters: {
    layout: "centered",
    docs: {
      description: {
        component: "A custom component that composes base UI components from @compozy/ui.",
      },
    },
  },
  // Optional decorator using design tokens
  decorators: [
    Story => (
      <div className="w-[400px] p-4 bg-background border border-border rounded-lg">
        <Story />
      </div>
    ),
  ],
};

export default meta;
type Story = StoryObj<typeof meta>;

/**
 * Default usage showing the standard behavior
 * Uses base Button and Card components from @compozy/ui
 */
export const Default: Story = {
  args: {},
  render: () => (
    <Card>
      <CardHeader>
        <CardTitle>My Custom Component</CardTitle>
      </CardHeader>
      <CardContent>
        <MyCustomComponent>
          <Button variant="default">Action</Button>
        </MyCustomComponent>
      </CardContent>
    </Card>
  ),
};

/**
 * Variation with specific props
 * All styling uses design tokens (bg-background, text-foreground, etc.)
 */
export const WithVariant: Story = {
  args: {},
  render: () => (
    <div className="bg-card border border-border rounded-lg p-4">
      <MyCustomComponent variant="secondary">
        <Button variant="outline">Secondary Action</Button>
      </MyCustomComponent>
    </div>
  ),
};

Story for Base UI Component (from @compozy/ui)

import type { Meta, StoryObj } from "@storybook/react";
import { Button } from "@compozy/ui";

const meta: Meta<typeof Button> = {
  title: "components/ui/Button",
  component: Button,
  parameters: {
    layout: "centered",
    docs: {
      description: {
        component: "A button component with multiple variants and sizes.",
      },
    },
  },
};

export default meta;
type Story = StoryObj<typeof meta>;

/**
 * Default button with standard styling
 */
export const Default: Story = {
  args: {
    children: "Button",
    variant: "default",
    size: "default",
  },
};

/**
 * All variants using design tokens
 */
export const AllVariants: Story = {
  args: {},
  render: () => (
    <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-4 bg-background p-4 rounded-lg">
      <Button variant="default">Default</Button>
      <Button variant="secondary">Secondary</Button>
      <Button variant="outline">Outline</Button>
      <Button variant="ghost">Ghost</Button>
      <Button variant="muted">Muted</Button>
    </div>
  ),
};

Best Practices

Conciseness & Simplicity

✅ DO: Create only essential stories that demonstrate core functionality
✅ DO: Use minimal, realistic examples that show the component's purpose
✅ DO: Focus on one concept per story
❌ DON'T: Create excessive variations that don't add value
❌ DON'T: Over-engineer with complex mock data or elaborate scenarios
❌ DON'T: Create stories for every possible prop combination
❌ DON'T: Add unnecessary decorators or wrappers unless required

Story Count Guidelines:

Simple components (Button, Badge): 2-3 stories max (Default + 1-2 key variations)
Medium components (Card, Dialog): 3-4 stories max (Default + key use cases)
Complex components: 4-5 stories max (Default + essential scenarios)
Never create more than 5 stories per component unless absolutely necessary

Component Usage

Base Components First: Always check @compozy/ui for existing components before creating new ones
Composition Over Creation: Compose complex components from base UI components
Compound Components: Always demonstrate the full structure (Parent + Children) when using compound components from @compozy/ui
Design Tokens: Always use design tokens (bg-background, text-foreground, etc.) instead of explicit colors

Story Structure

Mock Data: Keep mock data minimal and realistic - only include what's necessary to demonstrate the component
Interactivity: For components like Accordion or Dialog, ensure the render function sets up the component in a way that allows interaction (e.g., not force-controlled unless necessary)
Cleanliness: Remove unused imports and generic "template" comments
Type Safety: Always use explicit type annotation for meta: const meta: Meta<typeof Component>
Args Property: Always include args: {} in all stories, even when using custom render functions
One Story Per Concept: Each story should demonstrate one clear use case or variation, not multiple concepts

Design System Compliance

Follow React Rules: Adhere to patterns in @.cursor/rules/react.mdc
Follow Shadcn Rules: Adhere to patterns in @.cursor/rules/shadcn.mdc
Accessibility: Use semantic HTML and proper ARIA attributes
Theme Support: All stories should work in both light and dark themes using design tokens

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Creating components from scratch when base components exist:

// ❌ BAD: Creating a button from scratch
export const Bad: Story = {
  render: () => <button className="bg-blue-500 text-white px-4 py-2 rounded">Click me</button>,
};

// ✅ GOOD: Using base Button from @compozy/ui
import { Button } from "@compozy/ui";
export const Good: Story = {
  args: {},
  render: () => <Button variant="default">Click me</Button>,
};

❌ Using explicit colors instead of design tokens:

// ❌ BAD: Using explicit colors
<div className="bg-white text-black border-gray-200">

// ✅ GOOD: Using design tokens
<div className="bg-background text-foreground border-border">

❌ Missing args property:

// ❌ BAD: Missing args property
export const Bad: Story = {
  render: () => <Button>Click</Button>,
};

// ✅ GOOD: Including args property
export const Good: Story = {
  args: {},
  render: () => <Button>Click</Button>,
};

❌ Missing explicit type annotation:

// ❌ BAD: Type inference
const meta = {
  title: "Components/Button",
  component: Button,
} satisfies Meta<typeof Button>;

// ✅ GOOD: Explicit type annotation
const meta: Meta<typeof Button> = {
  title: "Components/Button",
  component: Button,
};

❌ Over-engineering stories with unnecessary examples:

// ❌ BAD: Too many stories with similar variations
export const Default: Story = { ... };
export const WithIcon: Story = { ... };
export const WithIconLeft: Story = { ... };
export const WithIconRight: Story = { ... };
export const WithLongText: Story = { ... };
export const WithShortText: Story = { ... };
export const Disabled: Story = { ... };
export const Loading: Story = { ... };
export const WithTooltip: Story = { ... };
export const InCard: Story = { ... };
export const InDialog: Story = { ... };
// ... 10+ stories for a simple button

// ✅ GOOD: Concise, focused stories
export const Default: Story = {
  args: {
    children: "Button",
    variant: "default",
  },
};

export const Variants: Story = {
  args: {},
  render: () => (
    <div className="flex gap-2">
      <Button variant="default">Default</Button>
      <Button variant="secondary">Secondary</Button>
      <Button variant="outline">Outline</Button>
    </div>
  ),
};

export const Disabled: Story = {
  args: {
    children: "Disabled",
    disabled: true,
  },
};
// Only 3 stories covering essential use cases

❌ Over-complicated mock data or scenarios:

// ❌ BAD: Unnecessarily complex mock data
const mockUsers = [
  { id: "1", name: "John Doe", email: "john@example.com", role: "admin", avatar: "...", lastLogin: "...", permissions: [...], metadata: {...} },
  { id: "2", name: "Jane Smith", email: "jane@example.com", role: "user", avatar: "...", lastLogin: "...", permissions: [...], metadata: {...} },
  // ... 10 more users with full data
];

// ✅ GOOD: Minimal, realistic data
const mockUsers = [
  { id: "1", name: "John Doe", email: "john@example.com" },
  { id: "2", name: "Jane Smith", email: "jane@example.com" },
];

storybook-stories