# Frontend Knowledge
## Component Design
Do not write everything in one file. Always split components.
Required splits:
- Has its own state → Must split
- JSX over 50 lines → Split
- Reusable → Split
- Multiple responsibilities → Split
- Independent section within page → Split
| Criteria | Judgment |
|----------|----------|
| Component over 200 lines | Consider splitting |
| Component over 300 lines | REJECT |
| Display and logic mixed | Consider separation |
| Props drilling (3+ levels) | Consider state management |
| Component with multiple responsibilities | REJECT |
Good Component:
- Single responsibility: Does one thing well
- Self-contained: Dependencies are clear
- Testable: Side effects are isolated
Component Classification:
| Type | Responsibility | Example |
|------|----------------|---------|
| Container | Data fetching, state management | `UserListContainer` |
| Presentational | Display only | `UserCard` |
| Layout | Arrangement, structure | `PageLayout`, `Grid` |
| Utility | Common functionality | `ErrorBoundary`, `Portal` |
Directory Structure:
```
features/{feature-name}/
├── components/
│ ├── {feature}-view.tsx # Main view (composes children)
│ ├── {sub-component}.tsx # Sub-components
│ └── index.ts
├── hooks/
├── types.ts
└── index.ts
```
## State Management
Child components do not modify their own state. They bubble events to parent, and parent manipulates state.
```tsx
// ❌ Child modifies its own state
const ChildBad = ({ initialValue }: { initialValue: string }) => {
const [value, setValue] = useState(initialValue)
return setValue(e.target.value)} />
}
// ✅ Parent manages state, child notifies via callback
const ChildGood = ({ value, onChange }: { value: string; onChange: (v: string) => void }) => {
return onChange(e.target.value)} />
}
const Parent = () => {
const [value, setValue] = useState('')
return
}
```
Exception (OK for child to have local state):
- UI-only temporary state (hover, focus, animation)
- Completely local state that doesn't need to be communicated to parent
| Criteria | Judgment |
|----------|----------|
| Unnecessary global state | Consider localizing |
| Same state managed in multiple places | Needs normalization |
| State changes from child to parent (reverse data flow) | REJECT |
| API response stored as-is in state | Consider normalization |
| Inappropriate useEffect dependencies | REJECT |
State Placement Guidelines:
| State Nature | Recommended Placement |
|--------------|----------------------|
| Temporary UI state (modal open/close, etc.) | Local (useState) |
| Form input values | Local or form library |
| Shared across multiple components | Context or state management library |
| Server data cache | Data fetching library (TanStack Query, etc.) |
## Data Fetching
API calls are made in root (View) components and passed to children via props.
```tsx
// ✅ CORRECT - Fetch at root, pass to children
const OrderDetailView = () => {
const { data: order, isLoading, error } = useGetOrder(orderId)
const { data: items } = useListOrderItems(orderId)
if (isLoading) return
if (error) return
return (
)
}
// ❌ WRONG - Child fetches its own data
const OrderSummary = ({ orderId }) => {
const { data: order } = useGetOrder(orderId)
// ...
}
```
When UI state changes affect parameters (week switching, filters, etc.):
Manage state at View level and pass callbacks to components.
```tsx
// ✅ CORRECT - State managed at View level
const ScheduleView = () => {
const [currentWeek, setCurrentWeek] = useState(startOfWeek(new Date()))
const { data } = useListSchedules({
from: format(currentWeek, 'yyyy-MM-dd'),
to: format(endOfWeek(currentWeek), 'yyyy-MM-dd'),
})
return (
)
}
// ❌ WRONG - Component manages state + data fetching
const WeeklyCalendar = ({ facilityId }) => {
const [currentWeek, setCurrentWeek] = useState(...)
const { data } = useListSchedules({ facilityId, from, to })
// ...
}
```
Exceptions (component-level fetching allowed):
| Case | Reason |
|------|--------|
| Infinite scroll | Depends on scroll position (internal UI state) |
| Search autocomplete | Real-time search based on input value |
| Independent widget | Notification badge, weather, etc. Completely unrelated to parent data |
| Real-time updates | WebSocket/Polling auto-updates |
| Modal detail fetch | Fetch additional data only when opened |
Decision criteria: "Is there no point in parent managing this / Does it not affect parent?"
| Criteria | Judgment |
|----------|----------|
| Direct fetch in component | Separate to Container layer |
| No error handling | REJECT |
| Loading state not handled | REJECT |
| No cancellation handling | Warning |
| N+1 query-like fetching | REJECT |
## Shared Components and Abstraction
Common UI patterns should be shared components. Copy-paste of inline styles is prohibited.
```tsx
// ❌ WRONG - Copy-pasted inline styles
// ✅ CORRECT - Use shared component
```
Patterns to make shared components:
- Icon buttons (close, edit, delete, etc.)
- Loading/error displays
- Status badges
- Tab switching
- Label + value display (detail screens)
- Search input
- Color legends
Avoid over-generalization:
```tsx
// ❌ WRONG - Forcing stepper variant into IconButton
export const iconButtonVariants = cva('...', {
variants: {
variant: {
default: '...',
outlined: '...', // ← Stepper-specific, not used elsewhere
},
size: {
medium: 'p-2',
stepper: 'w-8 h-8', // ← Only used with outlined
},
},
})
// ✅ CORRECT - Purpose-specific component
export function StepperButton(props) {
return (
)
}
```
Signs to make separate components:
- Implicit constraints like "this variant is always with this size"
- Added variant is clearly different from original component's purpose
- Props specification becomes complex on the usage side
### Theme Differences and Design Tokens
When you need different visuals with the same functional components, manage it with design tokens + theme scope.
Principles:
- Define color, spacing, radius, shadow, and typography as tokens (CSS variables)
- Apply role/page-specific differences by overriding tokens in a theme scope (e.g. `.consumer-theme`, `.admin-theme`)
- Do not hardcode hex colors (`#xxxxxx`) in feature components
- Keep logic differences (API/state) separate from visual differences (tokens)
```css
/* tokens.css */
:root {
--color-bg-page: #f3f4f6;
--color-surface: #ffffff;
--color-text-primary: #1f2937;
--color-border: #d1d5db;
--color-accent: #2563eb;
}
.consumer-theme {
--color-bg-page: #f7f8fa;
--color-accent: #4daca1;
}
```
```tsx
// same component, different look by scope
```
Operational rules:
- Implement shared UI primitives (Button/Card/Input/Tabs) using tokens only
- In feature views, use theme-common utility classes (e.g. `surface`, `title`, `chip`) to avoid duplicated styling logic
- For a new theme, follow: "add tokens -> override by scope -> reuse existing components"
Review checklist:
- No copy-pasted hardcoded colors/spacings
- No duplicated components per theme for the same UI behavior
- No API/state-management changes made solely for visual adjustments
Anti-patterns:
- Creating `ButtonConsumer`, `ButtonAdmin` for styling only
- Hardcoding colors in each feature component
- Changing response shaping logic when only the theme changed
## Abstraction Level Evaluation
**Conditional branch bloat detection:**
| Pattern | Judgment |
|---------|----------|
| Same conditional in 3+ places | Extract to shared component → **REJECT** |
| Props-based branching with 5+ types | Consider component split |
| Nested ternaries in render | Early return or component separation → **REJECT** |
| Type-based render branching | Consider polymorphic components |
**Abstraction level mismatch detection:**
| Pattern | Problem | Fix |
|---------|---------|-----|
| Data fetching logic mixed in JSX | Hard to read | Extract to custom hook |
| Business logic mixed in component | Responsibility violation | Separate to hooks/utils |
| Style calculation logic scattered | Hard to maintain | Extract to utility function |
| Same transformation in multiple places | DRY violation | Extract to common function |
Good abstraction examples:
```tsx
// ❌ Conditional bloat
function UserBadge({ user }) {
if (user.role === 'admin') {
return Admin
} else if (user.role === 'moderator') {
return Moderator
} else if (user.role === 'premium') {
return Premium
} else {
return User
}
}
// ✅ Abstracted with Map
const ROLE_CONFIG = {
admin: { label: 'Admin', className: 'bg-red-500' },
moderator: { label: 'Moderator', className: 'bg-yellow-500' },
premium: { label: 'Premium', className: 'bg-purple-500' },
default: { label: 'User', className: 'bg-gray-500' },
}
function UserBadge({ user }) {
const config = ROLE_CONFIG[user.role] ?? ROLE_CONFIG.default
return {config.label}
}
```
```tsx
// ❌ Mixed abstraction levels
function OrderList() {
const [orders, setOrders] = useState([])
useEffect(() => {
fetch('/api/orders')
.then(res => res.json())
.then(data => setOrders(data))
}, [])
return orders.map(order => (
{order.total.toLocaleString()} USD
))
}
// ✅ Aligned abstraction levels
function OrderList() {
const { data: orders } = useOrders() // Hide data fetching
return orders.map(order => (
))
}
```
## Frontend and Backend Separation of Concerns
### Display Format Responsibility
Backend returns "data", frontend converts to "display format".
```tsx
// ✅ Frontend: Convert to display format
export function formatPrice(amount: number): string {
return `$${amount.toLocaleString()}`
}
export function formatDate(date: Date): string {
return format(date, 'MMM d, yyyy')
}
```
| Criteria | Judgment |
|----------|----------|
| Backend returns display strings | Suggest design review |
| Same format logic copy-pasted | Unify to utility function |
| Inline formatting in component | Extract to function |
### Domain Logic Placement (Smart UI Elimination)
Domain logic (business rules) belongs in the backend. Frontend only displays and edits state.
What is domain logic:
- Aggregate business rules (stock validation, price calculation, status transitions)
- Business constraint validation
- Invariant enforcement
Frontend responsibilities:
- Display state received from server
- Collect user input and send commands to backend
- Manage UI-only temporary state (focus, hover, modal open/close)
- Display format conversion (formatting, sorting, filtering)
| Criteria | Judgment |
|----------|----------|
| Price calculation/stock validation in frontend | Move to backend → **REJECT** |
| Status transition rules in frontend | Move to backend → **REJECT** |
| Business validation in frontend | Move to backend → **REJECT** |
| Recalculating server-computable values in frontend | Redundant → **REJECT** |
Good vs Bad Examples:
```tsx
// ❌ BAD - Business rules in frontend
function OrderForm({ order }: { order: Order }) {
const totalPrice = order.items.reduce((sum, item) =>
sum + item.price * item.quantity, 0
)
const canCheckout = totalPrice >= 100 && order.items.every(i => i.stock > 0)
return
}
// ✅ GOOD - Display state received from server
function OrderForm({ order }: { order: Order }) {
// totalPrice, canCheckout are received from server
return (
<>
{formatPrice(order.totalPrice)}
>
)
}
```
```tsx
// ❌ BAD - Status transition logic in frontend
function TaskCard({ task }: { task: Task }) {
const canStart = task.status === 'pending' && task.assignee !== null
const canComplete = task.status === 'in_progress' && /* complex conditions... */
return (
<>
>
)
}
// ✅ GOOD - Server returns allowed actions
function TaskCard({ task }: { task: Task }) {
// task.allowedActions = ['start', 'cancel'], etc., calculated by server
const canStart = task.allowedActions.includes('start')
const canComplete = task.allowedActions.includes('complete')
return (
<>
>
)
}
```
Exceptions (OK to have logic in frontend):
| Case | Reason |
|------|--------|
| UI-only validation | UX feedback like "required field", "max length" (must also validate on server) |
| Client-side filter/sort | Changing display order of lists received from server |
| Display condition branching | UI control like "show details if logged in" |
| Real-time feedback | Preview display during input |
Decision criteria: "Would the business break if this calculation differs from the server?"
- YES → Place in backend (domain logic)
- NO → OK in frontend (display logic)
## Performance
| Criteria | Judgment |
|----------|----------|
| Unnecessary re-renders | Needs optimization |
| Large lists without virtualization | Warning |
| Unoptimized images | Warning |
| Unused code in bundle | Check tree-shaking |
| Excessive memoization | Verify necessity |
Optimization Checklist:
- Are `React.memo` / `useMemo` / `useCallback` appropriate?
- Are large lists using virtual scroll?
- Is Code Splitting appropriate?
- Are images lazy loaded?
Anti-patterns:
```tsx
// ❌ New object every render
// ✅ Constant or useMemo
const style = useMemo(() => ({ color: 'red' }), []);
```
## Accessibility
| Criteria | Judgment |
|----------|----------|
| Interactive elements without keyboard support | REJECT |
| Images without alt attribute | REJECT |
| Form elements without labels | REJECT |
| Information conveyed by color only | REJECT |
| Missing focus management (modals, etc.) | REJECT |
Checklist:
- Using semantic HTML?
- Are ARIA attributes appropriate (not excessive)?
- Is keyboard navigation possible?
- Does it make sense with a screen reader?
- Is color contrast sufficient?
## TypeScript/Type Safety
| Criteria | Judgment |
|----------|----------|
| Use of `any` type | REJECT |
| Excessive type assertions (as) | Needs review |
| No Props type definition | REJECT |
| Inappropriate event handler types | Needs fix |
## Frontend Security
| Criteria | Judgment |
|----------|----------|
| dangerouslySetInnerHTML usage | Check XSS risk |
| Unsanitized user input | REJECT |
| Sensitive data stored in frontend | REJECT |
| CSRF token not used | Needs verification |
## Testability
| Criteria | Judgment |
|----------|----------|
| No data-testid, etc. | Warning |
| Structure difficult to test | Consider separation |
| Business logic embedded in UI | REJECT |
## Anti-pattern Detection
REJECT if found:
| Anti-pattern | Problem |
|--------------|---------|
| God Component | All features concentrated in one component |
| Prop Drilling | Deep props bucket brigade |
| Inline Styles abuse | Maintainability degradation |
| useEffect hell | Dependencies too complex |
| Premature Optimization | Unnecessary memoization |
| Magic Strings | Hardcoded strings |
| Hidden Dependencies | Child components with hidden API calls |
| Over-generalization | Components forced to be generic |