| name | frontend-component |
| description | Next.js 16+ uses App Router with Server Components by default. Client Components are only used when interactivity is needed (hooks, event handlers, browser APIs). |
Frontend Component Skill
Purpose: Guidance for creating Next.js components following server/client patterns and existing component structures.
Overview
Next.js 16+ uses App Router with Server Components by default. Client Components are only used when interactivity is needed (hooks, event handlers, browser APIs).
Server vs Client Components
Server Components (Default)
When to Use:
- Pages and layouts
- Static content
- Data fetching from API (when possible)
- SEO-optimized content
Pattern:
import { Metadata } from "next";
export const metadata: Metadata = {
title: "Page Title",
};
export default function PageComponent() {
return <div>Static content</div>;
}
Example: frontend/app/layout.tsx, frontend/app/page.tsx
Client Components (When Needed)
When to Use:
- Interactive elements (buttons, forms, inputs)
- Event handlers (onClick, onChange, etc.)
- React hooks (useState, useEffect, useRouter, etc.)
- Browser APIs (localStorage, window, document, etc.)
- Real-time updates
- Drag and drop functionality
Pattern:
"use client";
import { useState, useEffect } from "react";
import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
interface ComponentProps {
prop1: string;
prop2?: number;
}
export default function ComponentName({ prop1, prop2 }: ComponentProps) {
const router = useRouter();
const [state, setState] = useState("");
useEffect(() => {
}, []);
return <div>{/* Component JSX */}</div>;
}
Example: frontend/components/ProtectedRoute.tsx, frontend/app/signup/page.tsx
Component Structure Template
"use client";
import { useState, useEffect } from "react";
import { ComponentType } from "@/types";
import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
interface ComponentProps {
prop1: string;
prop2?: number;
className?: string;
}
export default function ComponentName({ prop1, prop2, className }: ComponentProps) {
const [state, setState] = useState("");
useEffect(() => {
}, []);
const handleClick = () => {
};
return (
<div className={cn("base-classes", className)}>
{/* Component content */}
</div>
);
}
Specific Component Patterns
1. ProtectedRoute Pattern
From: frontend/components/ProtectedRoute.tsx
"use client";
import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
import { isAuthenticated } from "@/lib/auth";
import LoadingSpinner from "./LoadingSpinner";
interface ProtectedRouteProps {
children: React.ReactNode;
}
export default function ProtectedRoute({ children }: ProtectedRouteProps) {
const router = useRouter();
const [isAuthorized, setIsAuthorized] = useState(false);
const [isChecking, setIsChecking] = useState(true);
useEffect(() => {
async function checkAuth() {
try {
const authenticated = await isAuthenticated();
if (!authenticated) {
const currentPath = window.location.pathname;
if (currentPath !== "/signin") {
.(, currentPath);
}
router.();
} {
();
}
} (error) {
.(, error);
router.();
} {
();
}
}
();
}, [router]);
(isChecking) {
(
);
}
(!isAuthorized) {
;
}
;
}
Pattern:
- Check authentication on mount
- Show loading spinner during check
- Store intended destination in sessionStorage
- Redirect to
/signin if not authenticated
- Only render children if authorized
2. LoadingSpinner Pattern
From: frontend/components/LoadingSpinner.tsx
interface LoadingSpinnerProps {
size?: "small" | "medium" | "large";
color?: string;
label?: string;
}
export default function LoadingSpinner({
size = "medium",
color = "blue",
label = "Loading...",
}: LoadingSpinnerProps) {
const sizeClasses = {
small: "w-4 h-4 border-2",
medium: "w-8 h-8 border-3",
large: "w-12 h-12 border-4",
};
const colorClasses = {
blue: "border-blue-600 border-t-transparent",
gray: "border-gray-600 border-t-transparent",
white: "border-white border-t-transparent",
};
const spinnerClass = `${sizeClasses[size]} ${
colorClasses[color as keyof typeof colorClasses] || colorClasses.blue
} rounded-full animate-spin`;
return (
<div
className="flex items-center justify-center"
role="status"
aria-label={label}
aria-live="polite"
>
{label}
);
}
Pattern:
- Multiple sizes (small, medium, large)
- Multiple colors (blue, gray, white)
- Accessibility labels (
role="status", aria-label, aria-live)
- Screen reader text with
sr-only class
3. Form Handling Pattern
From: frontend/app/signup/page.tsx
"use client";
import { useState } from "react";
import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
import { api } from "@/lib/api";
import { isValidEmail, getPasswordStrength } from "@/lib/utils";
export default function SignupPage() {
const router = useRouter();
const [formData, setFormData] = useState({
name: "",
email: "",
password: "",
});
const [errors, setErrors] = useState<Record<string, string>>({});
const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
const [apiError, setApiError] = useState("");
const validateForm = (): boolean => {
const newErrors: Record<string, string> = {};
if (!formData.name.trim()) {
newErrors.name = "Name is required";
}
(!formData..()) {
newErrors. = ;
} (!(formData.)) {
newErrors. = ;
}
(newErrors);
.(newErrors). === ;
};
= () => {
e.();
();
(!()) {
;
}
();
{
response = api.(formData);
(response.) {
router.();
} {
(response. || );
}
} (: ) {
(error. || );
} {
();
}
};
= () => {
{ name, value } = e.;
( ({ ...prev, [name]: value }));
(errors[name]) {
( ({ ...prev, [name]: }));
}
};
(
);
}
Pattern:
- Separate state for form data, errors, loading, API errors
- Validation function that returns boolean
- Clear errors on input change
- Loading state during submission
- Try-catch for error handling
- Redirect on success
4. ToastNotification Pattern
From: frontend/components/ToastNotification.tsx
"use client";
import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
import { ToastMessage, ToastType } from "@/types";
export function useToast() {
const [toasts, setToasts] = useState<ToastMessage[]>([]);
const showToast = (type: ToastType, message: string, duration?: number) => {
const id = `toast-${Date.now()}-${Math.random()}`;
const newToast: ToastMessage = {
id,
type,
message,
duration,
};
setToasts((prev) => [...prev, newToast]);
};
const dismissToast = (id: string) => {
setToasts((prev) => prev.filter((toast) => toast.id !== id));
};
return {
toasts,
showToast,
dismissToast,
success: () => (, message, duration),
: (, message, duration),
};
}
Pattern:
- Custom hook for toast management
- Auto-dismiss with duration
- Stack multiple toasts
- Helper methods (success, error, warning, info)
Tailwind CSS Patterns
1. Utility Classes Only
<div className="flex items-center justify-center gap-4 p-6 bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md">
Pattern: Use Tailwind utility classes, no inline styles
2. Conditional Classes with cn() Utility
import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
<div className={cn(
"base-classes",
condition && "conditional-classes",
className // Allow prop override
)}>
Pattern: Use cn() from @/lib/utils for conditional classes
3. Dark Mode Support
<div className="bg-white dark:bg-gray-800 text-gray-900 dark:text-white">
Pattern: Use dark: prefix for dark mode styles
4. Responsive Design
<div className="w-full sm:w-1/2 md:w-1/3 lg:w-1/4">
Pattern: Use breakpoint prefixes (sm:, md:, lg:, xl:)
Accessibility Patterns (WCAG 2.1 AA)
1. ARIA Labels
<button aria-label="Close dialog">×</button>
<div role="status" aria-live="polite" aria-label="Loading...">
Pattern: Always provide aria-label for icon-only buttons
2. Semantic HTML
<nav>
<ul>
<li><a href="/">Home</a></li>
</ul>
</nav>
Pattern: Use semantic HTML elements (nav, main, section, article, etc.)
3. Keyboard Navigation
<button
onClick={handleClick}
onKeyDown={(e) => {
if (e.key === "Enter" || e.key === " ") {
handleClick();
}
}}
>
Pattern: Ensure keyboard accessibility for all interactive elements
4. Screen Reader Text
<span className="sr-only">Loading content</span>
Pattern: Use sr-only class for screen reader-only text
5. Focus Management
<input
autoFocus
className="focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500"
/>
Pattern: Always provide visible focus indicators
File Naming Conventions
- Pages: kebab-case (e.g.,
signup.tsx, signin.tsx)
- Components: PascalCase (e.g.,
TaskList.tsx, TaskItem.tsx)
- Layouts:
layout.tsx
- Error Pages:
error.tsx, not-found.tsx
Constitution Requirements
- FR-033: Next.js 16+ App Router structure ✅
- FR-034: Server components default, client when needed ✅
- FR-035: Error boundaries ✅
- FR-036: WCAG 2.1 AA compliance ✅
- FR-037: TypeScript strict mode ✅
- FR-038: Prettier formatting ✅
- FR-039: ESLint rules ✅
References
- Specification:
specs/002-frontend-todo-app/spec.md - Component specifications
- Existing Components:
frontend/components/*.tsx - Component examples
- Existing Pages:
frontend/app/*.tsx - Page examples
Advanced Component Patterns
1. Drag and Drop Pattern (Phase 7 - T065)
Library: @dnd-kit/core
"use client";
import { DndContext, closestCenter, KeyboardSensor, PointerSensor, useSensor, useSensors } from "@dnd-kit/core";
import { SortableContext, sortableKeyboardCoordinates, useSortable, verticalListSortingStrategy } from "@dnd-kit/sortable";
export default function SortableTaskList({ tasks, onReorder }: Props) {
const sensors = useSensors(
useSensor(PointerSensor),
useSensor(KeyboardSensor, {
coordinateGetter: sortableKeyboardCoordinates,
})
);
const handleDragEnd = (event: DragEndEvent) => {
const { active, over } = event;
if (over && active.id !== over.id) {
onReorder(active.id, over.id);
}
};
return (
<DndContext sensors={sensors} collisionDetection={closestCenter} onDragEnd={handleDragEnd}>
<SortableContext items= => t.id)} strategy={verticalListSortingStrategy}>
{tasks.map(task => (
))}
);
}
Pattern: Use @dnd-kit/core for drag and drop, handle reorder on drag end
2. Undo/Redo Pattern (Phase 7 - T066)
"use client";
import { useReducer } from "react";
interface HistoryState<T> {
past: T[];
present: T;
future: T[];
}
function historyReducer<T>(state: HistoryState<T>, action: { type: string; newPresent?: T }): HistoryState<T> {
const { past, present, future } = state;
switch (action.type) {
case "UNDO":
if (past.length === 0) return state;
return {
past: past.slice(0, past.length - 1),
present: past[past.length - 1],
future: [present, ...future],
};
case "REDO":
if (future.length === 0) return state;
return {
past: [...past, present],
present: future[0],
future: future.slice(1),
};
case "SET":
(action. === present) state;
{
: [...past, present],
: action.!,
: [],
};
:
state;
}
}
useHistory<T>(: T) {
[state, dispatch] = (historyReducer, {
: [],
: initialPresent,
: [],
});
= () => ({ : });
= () => ({ : });
= () => ({ : , newPresent });
{ : state., set, undo, redo, : state.. > , : state.. > };
}
Pattern: Use useReducer with history pattern for undo/redo functionality
3. Real-time Updates with Polling (Phase 7 - T067)
"use client";
import { useEffect, useRef } from "react";
export function usePolling(callback: () => Promise<void>, interval: number = 5000) {
const intervalRef = useRef<NodeJS.Timeout | null>(null);
useEffect(() => {
const poll = async () => {
try {
await callback();
} catch (error) {
console.error("Polling error:", error);
}
};
poll();
intervalRef.current = setInterval(poll, interval);
return () => {
if (intervalRef.current) {
clearInterval(intervalRef.current);
}
};
}, [callback, interval]);
}
Pattern: Use setInterval for polling, cleanup on unmount, handle errors gracefully
4. Inline Editing Pattern (Phase 7 - T068)
"use client";
import { useState } from "react";
export default function InlineEditable({ value, onSave }: Props) {
const [isEditing, setIsEditing] = useState(false);
const [editValue, setEditValue] = useState(value);
const handleSave = () => {
onSave(editValue);
setIsEditing(false);
};
const handleCancel = () => {
setEditValue(value);
setIsEditing(false);
};
if (isEditing) {
return (
<input
value={editValue}
onChange={(e) => setEditValue(e.target.value)}
onBlur={handleSave}
onKeyDown={(e) => {
if (e.key === "Enter") handleSave();
if (e.key === "Escape") handleCancel();
}}
autoFocus
/>
);
}
return (
<span onClick={() => setIsEditing(true)} className="cursor-pointer">
{value}
</span>
);
}
Pattern: Toggle edit mode, save on blur/Enter, cancel on Escape
5. Performance Optimization Patterns (Phase 8 - T072)
Code Splitting with next/dynamic
import dynamic from "next/dynamic";
const TaskStatistics = dynamic(() => import("@/components/TaskStatistics"), {
loading: () => <LoadingSpinner />,
ssr: false,
});
const TaskDetailModal = dynamic(() => import("@/components/TaskDetailModal"), {
loading: () => <LoadingSpinner />,
});
Pattern: Use next/dynamic for code splitting, provide loading fallback
Image Optimization
import Image from "next/image";
<Image
src="/image.jpg"
alt="Description"
width={500}
height={300}
loading="lazy"
placeholder="blur"
/>
Pattern: Use Next.js Image component for automatic optimization
6. Error Boundary Pattern (Phase 8 - T074)
"use client";
import React, { Component, ErrorInfo, ReactNode } from "react";
interface Props {
children: ReactNode;
fallback?: ReactNode;
}
interface State {
hasError: boolean;
error?: Error;
}
export default class ErrorBoundary extends Component<Props, State> {
constructor(props: Props) {
super(props);
this.state = { hasError: false };
}
static getDerivedStateFromError(error: Error): Partial<State> {
return { hasError: true, error };
}
componentDidCatch(error: Error, errorInfo: ErrorInfo): void {
.(, error, errorInfo);
}
() {
(..) {
(
.. || (
)
);
}
..;
}
}
Pattern: Class component, catch errors, provide fallback UI, log errors
7. PWA Patterns (Phase 8 - T069, T070, T071)
Service Worker Setup
if ("serviceWorker" in navigator) {
window.addEventListener("load", () => {
navigator.serviceWorker
.register("/sw.js")
.then((registration) => {
console.log("SW registered:", registration);
})
.catch((error) => {
console.error("SW registration failed:", error);
});
});
}
Pattern: Register service worker on page load, handle registration errors
IndexedDB for Offline Storage
import { openDB, DBSchema, IDBPDatabase } from "idb";
interface TaskDB extends DBSchema {
tasks: {
key: number;
value: Task;
indexes: { "by-user-id": string };
};
}
export async function getDB(): Promise<IDBPDatabase<TaskDB>> {
return openDB<TaskDB>("todo-db", 1, {
upgrade(db) {
const taskStore = db.createObjectStore("tasks", { keyPath: "id" });
taskStore.createIndex("by-user-id", "user_id");
},
});
}
export async function saveTaskOffline(task: Task) {
const db = await getDB();
await db.put("tasks", task);
}
export (): <[]> {
db = ();
db.(, , userId);
}
Pattern: Use idb library for IndexedDB, create stores and indexes, handle offline data
Offline Sync Mechanism
export async function syncOfflineChanges(userId: string) {
const db = await getDB();
const offlineTasks = await db.getAllFromIndex("tasks", "by-user-id", userId);
for (const task of offlineTasks) {
if (task.syncStatus === "pending") {
try {
await api.createTask(userId, task);
await db.put("tasks", { ...task, syncStatus: "synced" });
} catch (error) {
console.error("Sync failed for task:", task.id, error);
}
}
}
}
window.addEventListener("online", () => {
syncOfflineChanges(currentUserId);
});
Pattern: Track sync status, sync on connection restore, handle sync errors
8. Caching Strategies (Phase 8 - T073)
const cache = new Map<string, { data: any; timestamp: number }>();
const CACHE_DURATION = 5 * 60 * 1000;
export async function getCachedData<T>(key: string, fetcher: () => Promise<T>): Promise<T> {
const cached = cache.get(key);
if (cached && Date.now() - cached.timestamp < CACHE_DURATION) {
return cached.data;
}
const data = await fetcher();
cache.set(key, { data, timestamp: Date.now() });
return data;
}
Pattern: Use Map for in-memory cache, check expiration, update cache on fetch
9. Error Logging and Tracking (Phase 8 - T075)
export function logError(error: Error, context?: Record<string, any>) {
console.error("Error:", error, context);
if (typeof window !== "undefined" && (window as any).Sentry) {
(window as any).Sentry.captureException(error, {
extra: context,
});
}
fetch("/api/log-error", {
method: "POST",
headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
body: JSON.stringify({
message: error.message,
stack: error.stack,
context,
timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
}),
}).catch((err) => console.(, err));
}
Pattern: Log to console, send to error tracking service, include context
Common Patterns Summary
- ✅ Use Server Components by default
- ✅ Add
"use client" only when needed
- ✅ Use TypeScript interfaces for props
- ✅ Use
cn() utility for conditional classes
- ✅ Always include accessibility attributes
- ✅ Use semantic HTML elements
- ✅ Provide loading states
- ✅ Handle errors gracefully
- ✅ Use Tailwind utility classes
- ✅ Support dark mode with
dark: prefix
- ✅ Use
@dnd-kit/core for drag and drop
- ✅ Use
useReducer for undo/redo
- ✅ Use
setInterval for polling with cleanup
- ✅ Use
next/dynamic for code splitting
- ✅ Use ErrorBoundary for error handling
- ✅ Use IndexedDB for offline storage
- ✅ Sync offline changes on connection restore
- ✅ Cache API responses with expiration
- ✅ Log errors to tracking service