02-appkit-build

name	02-appkit-build
description	Build full-stack UI and backend features on a Databricks AppKit project from a PRD or feature spec. Covers SQL query design, type generation, React frontend with AppKit UI components, backend plugin wiring, and distinctive visual design. Use when asked to implement a UI, build features from a PRD, create pages or dashboards, add components, develop the frontend/backend of an existing AppKit app, build with mock data, or use static data for visual prototyping. Triggers on "build UI", "implement PRD", "create dashboard", "add page", "build features", "implement design", "create components", "build app from PRD", "develop frontend", "mock data", "static data", "two-phase data".
license	Apache-2.0
compatibility	Requires an existing AppKit project scaffolded via 01-appkit-scaffold skill, Node.js v22+, Databricks CLI >= 0.295.0
clients	["ide_cli","genie_code"]
bundle_resource	apps
deploy_verb	apps_deploy
deploy_note	Building features is **source editing** (`.sql` queries, `server/server.ts`, `client/src/**`) — fully client-agnostic; the same files are written on both clients. Deploy is delegated to `03-appkit-deploy`. The local toolchain steps are an **IDE convenience**: `npm run typegen`, `npm run dev`, `npx tsc --noEmit`, `npm run build`, and the `http://localhost:8000` checks have **no Genie Code equivalent** (no local Node) — on Genie Code typegen/tsc/build run **server-side on deploy**; write UI against the SQL schema + the appkit-ui docs and verify on the deployed app. `npx @databricks/appkit docs` is IDE-only (WebFetch on Genie Code). `databricks apps validate` is skipped on Genie Code (hard-blocked) — rely on `bundle validate` + server-side build logs.
coverage	full
metadata	{"author":"prashanth subrahmanyam","version":"1.1.0","domain":"apps","role":"build","standalone":false,"last_verified":"2026-06-02","volatility":"medium","upstream_sources":[]}

Build Features on Databricks AppKit

Implement full-stack UI and backend features on an already-scaffolded AppKit project, driven by a PRD or feature spec.

When to Use

• Implementing a PRD or feature spec on an existing AppKit project
• Building pages, dashboards, or components with @databricks/appkit-ui
• Adding SQL queries and wiring them to type-safe React hooks
• Creating a visually distinctive, production-grade frontend

Not for scaffolding. Use 01-appkit-scaffold to create a new project first. Not for adding plugins. Use 04-appkit-plugin-add to register new plugins.

---

Before You Begin

Working in Genie Code (client routing)

This skill is source editing — designing SQL queries, writing server/server.ts, and building React under client/src/. All of that is identical on both clients; only the local-toolchain gates differ:

IDE/CLI (as written)	Genie Code substitution
npm run typegen (generates client/src/appKitTypes.d.ts)	no local Node — typegen runs server-side on deploy. Write UI against the .sql -- @param annotations + the appkit-ui docs; the generated types land at deploy/build time
npm run dev / http://localhost:8000 checks (Step 6)	no local dev server — verify UI/queries on the deployed app (browser, or the OAuth-session test in 03-appkit-deploy)
npx tsc --noEmit (Step 4b) / npm run build	no local typecheck — npm/npx/tsc cannot resolve @databricks/appkit-ui without node_modules. The platform builds server-side on deploy, but TS errors do NOT come back through databricks apps logs <name> (OAuth error from compute) — they appear only at <app-url>/logz in a browser. The one viable static pre-flight is the import-specifier regex gate in the 99-deploy_databricks_app.genie-code.md fork (Step 2b) — run it before deploy
npx @databricks/appkit docs …	npx absent (P9) — WebFetch https://databricks.github.io/appkit/
ls node_modules/@databricks/appkit-ui/…	no local node_modules — consult the appkit-ui docs (WebFetch) instead
databricks apps validate --profile $PROFILE (checklist)	hard-blocked on Genie Code — skip; rely on bundle validate (runDatabricksCli, omit --profile) + server-side build logs per 03-appkit-deploy / 07-appkit-chat-history Step 9

Edit files in your workshop project — paths are relative to the top-level app dir $APP_ROOT (= <artifact_root>/<app_name>; on Genie Code, under /Workspace/Users/<your-email>/vibe-coding-workshop/<app_name> — your git-cloned workshop project, NOT the .assistant/skills copy), never /tmp. See skills/genie-code-environment for the full manifest.

Optional upstream checks (skip if latency-constrained or the last_verified date above is < 30 days old):

1. Databricks Apps skill (source of truth for AppKit workflow): Fetch the latest from https://github.com/databricks/databricks-agent-skills/tree/main/skills/databricks-apps If accessible, check the "Breaking Changes" and "New Patterns" sections.

2. Anthropic frontend-design skill (inspiration for design quality): Fetch the latest from https://github.com/anthropics/skills/blob/main/skills/frontend-design/SKILL.md Skim for new aesthetic examples. Skip if latency-constrained.

Additional live docs (always prefer over bundled references):

npx @databricks/appkit docs              # documentation index
npx @databricks/appkit docs "<query>"    # specific topic

Key upstream doc pages:

• LLM guardrails: https://databricks.github.io/appkit/docs/development/llm-guide
• Type generation: https://databricks.github.io/appkit/docs/development/type-generation
• UI components: https://databricks.github.io/appkit/docs/api/appkit-ui/
• Configuration: https://databricks.github.io/appkit/docs/configuration
• Architecture: https://databricks.github.io/appkit/docs/architecture

The bundled references below are fallbacks when live docs cannot be reached.

Workshop Mode (blank app): If you are following the AppKit+Lakebase workshop (Scaffold, Build & Test step) and scaffolded a blank app without plugins, skip Step 2 (SQL Queries) and the analytics() plugin references in Step 4. Use static mock data arrays instead of useAnalyticsQuery. The backend only needs server() — no analytics() plugin. All SQL/typegen sections are not applicable until the Lakebase plugin is added in the Wire Lakebase Backend step.

---

Architecture Overview

AppKit is a TypeScript full-stack framework with two packages:

• @databricks/appkit — backend: Express server, plugin system, SQL query execution, caching, telemetry
• @databricks/appkit-ui — frontend: React hooks (useAnalyticsQuery), UI primitives (Shadcn/Radix), data visualization (ECharts)

client/src/App.tsx  →  useAnalyticsQuery("key", params)  →  server/server.ts  →  config/queries/key.sql  →  SQL Warehouse

---

Step 1: Read the PRD

Before writing any code, thoroughly understand:

• User personas and their needs
• Key user journeys (focus on Happy Path first)
• Core features and requirements
• Data requirements — what tables/queries will the UI need?

---

Step 2: Plan and Create SQL Queries

Create .sql files in config/queries/. Each file becomes a query key.

-- config/queries/active_users.sql
-- @param startDate DATE
-- @param endDate DATE
SELECT user_id, email, last_login
FROM catalog.schema.users
WHERE last_login BETWEEN :startDate AND :endDate
ORDER BY last_login DESC

Rules:

• Use :paramName placeholders — NEVER construct SQL strings dynamically
• Annotate params with -- @param name TYPE (types: STRING, NUMERIC, BOOLEAN, DATE, TIMESTAMP)
• :workspaceId is auto-injected by the server — do NOT annotate it
• queryKey.sql runs as service principal; queryKey.obo.sql runs as user

Then generate types:

npm run typegen

Do NOT write UI code until types are generated. Read client/src/appKitTypes.d.ts to see available query types.

---

Step 3: Design the UI

Before coding components, commit to a design direction. READ references/design-quality.md for detailed guidelines.

Key principles:

• Choose a bold aesthetic direction — not generic AI aesthetics
• Use AppKit UI primitives (@databricks/appkit-ui) as the foundation, then layer distinctive styling on top
• Plan the page layout, component hierarchy, and navigation flow
• Pay special attention to the "CSS Variables → Components" section — it prevents the most common styling anti-pattern

---

Step 4: Build the Backend

First action: Open server/server.ts. The scaffold may generate createApp({...}).catch(console.error) — this must be replaced. Replace the file contents with:

import { createApp, server, analytics } from "@databricks/appkit";

await createApp({
  plugins: [server(), analytics()],
});

Verify the file uses await createApp() before proceeding. Do not leave .catch(console.error).

For non-query APIs (writes, ML endpoints, custom logic), extend the server:

const appkit = await createApp({
  plugins: [server({ autoStart: false }), analytics()],
});

appkit.server.extend((app) => {
  app.post("/api/custom-action", (req, res) => { /* ... */ });
});

await appkit.server.start();

NEVER use tRPC or custom routes for SELECT queries — always use SQL files in config/queries/.

---

Step 4b: TypeScript Validation Gate

You MUST run npx tsc --noEmit and fix all errors before proceeding to Step 5. TypeScript errors in the backend will cascade to the frontend build and cause deploy failures. Fix them now while the scope is small.

---

Step 5: Build the Frontend

Implement components in client/src/. Start with App.tsx.

Two-Phase Data Pattern

Build the UI in two phases so you get immediate visual feedback before SQL queries are wired up.

Scaffold step — Static data for immediate visual feedback:

Use the data prop on AppKit data components (charts, tables) with representative sample data. This lets you build and iterate on the UI visually before wiring up live query-driven data.

<BarChart
  data={[
    { month: "Jan", revenue: 4200 },
    { month: "Feb", revenue: 5100 },
    { month: "Mar", revenue: 3800 },
  ]}
  xKey="month"
  yKey="revenue"
/>

Even with static data, add loading/error/empty branches so components are ready for the query-driven swap:

const properties = MOCK_PROPERTIES; // Will become API response
const loading = false;              // Will become true during fetch
const error: string | null = null;  // Will capture API errors

if (loading) return <Skeleton className="h-64 w-full" />;
if (error) return <div className="text-destructive">{error}</div>;
if (!properties.length) return <EmptyState />;

Later — Swap to query-driven data (final state):

Once SQL files exist in config/queries/ and npm run typegen has generated types, replace static data with queryKey + params:

import { useAnalyticsQuery } from "@databricks/appkit-ui/react";
import { sql } from "@databricks/appkit-ui/js";

function RevenueChart() {
  const params = useMemo(() => ({
    year: sql.number(2025),
  }), []);

  const { data, loading, error } = useAnalyticsQuery("monthly_revenue", params);

  if (loading) return <Skeleton className="h-32 w-full" />;
  if (error) return <div className="text-destructive">{error}</div>;
  if (!data?.length) return <div className="text-muted-foreground">No data</div>;

  return <BarChart data={data} xKey="month" yKey="revenue" />;
}

All static demo data must be replaced with query-driven data before declaring the build complete.

Hard Rules

GATE: Read references/llm-guardrails.md before writing any code in this step. Violations of these rules cause runtime bugs and deployment failures. Key rules (not a substitute for reading the file):

• SQL results return strings — useAnalyticsQuery may return all values as strings at runtime, even for numeric columns. Always coerce with Number() before arithmetic to avoid string concatenation bugs
• Always useMemo on query parameters — prevents infinite refetch loops. For parameterless queries (Record<string, never>), pass useMemo(() => ({}), [])
• Always handle loading/error/empty states — use Skeleton for loading
• Always use sql.* helpers for parameters (sql.date(), sql.string(), sql.number())
• Use import type for type-only imports when verbatimModuleSyntax is enabled
• Never invent APIs — only use documented exports from @databricks/appkit and @databricks/appkit-ui
• Never build SQL strings dynamically — use parameterized queries
• createApp() is async — always await it
• Wrap root with <TooltipProvider> — many AppKit components use tooltips internally; add this to App.tsx by default (imported from @databricks/appkit-ui/react, per the specifier rule below)
• AppKit import specifiers are exact:
  • Components/hooks: import { … } from "@databricks/appkit-ui/react" — never the bare @databricks/appkit-ui (the bare path has no React export and the build cannot resolve it).
  • Global stylesheet: @import "@databricks/appkit-ui/styles.css"; in client/src/index.css — never the extension-less @import "@databricks/appkit-ui/styles"; (the package only exports the .css path; the extension-less form is unresolvable). These two are the exact paths the scaffold ships.
• Preserve the scaffold — do NOT regenerate from memory. Edit client/src/App.tsx and client/src/index.css incrementally; never overwrite them with hand-authored versions. Regenerating these from memory is how the wrong (shorter) import specifiers get reintroduced. Likewise, keep the scaffold's client/src/ErrorBoundary.tsx — it is the only thing that surfaces a client-side runtime crash in the browser (a crash that otherwise deploys "green").
• Images: external CDN primary, deterministic onError fallback (mandatory). A generated mock has no realistic photo library to bundle, so external CDN hotlinks (Unsplash / Pexels) are the practical default src for realistic, use-case-varied imagery. But those requests are made by the user's browser and are routinely blocked by corporate/network egress — and the block is invisible at build time. So every <img> must carry a runtime onError handler that swaps src to an inline data-URI SVG placeholder (zero-network, embedded bytes — nothing to fetch or block), so a blocked CDN degrades to a clean placeholder instead of a blank/broken image: <img src={cdnUrl} onError={(e) => { e.currentTarget.src = DATA_URI_SVG_PLACEHOLDER; }} alt="…" />. When you actually have real images to ship, bundle them with the app (client/public/… or a Vite import) — served same-origin behind the OAuth gate, they render anywhere with no egress.
• No decorative controls that silently no-op. Every visible interactive control (filter, tab, date/guest picker, search box) must either function against the mock data OR be visibly marked as a later-phase placeholder (disabled, or a "coming soon" affordance). A control that looks live but does nothing reads as a broken app.

UI Components

AppKit UI components are Shadcn/Radix-based. Data charts are ECharts-based — use props (xKey, yKey, colors), NOT Recharts children.

Check the live docs for the latest component list:

npx @databricks/appkit docs "appkit-ui API reference"

Note: The docs search matches section headings only. Searching for a component name like "DataTable" may fail. Use the full doc path for specific components:

npx @databricks/appkit docs "./docs/api/appkit-ui/data/DataTable.md"

Chart Components Quick Reference

Available chart components from @databricks/appkit-ui:

Component	Key Props	Use Case
BarChart	xKey, yKey, colors, height, title	Categorical comparison
LineChart	xKey, yKey, colors, height	Trends over time
AreaChart	xKey, yKey, colors, height	Volume trends
PieChart	nameKey, valueKey, colors	Part-of-whole
DonutChart	nameKey, valueKey, colors	Part-of-whole (with center)
ScatterChart	xKey, yKey, colors	Correlation

All accept either data (static array) for the scaffold step or queryKey + parameters for query-driven mode.

For the full list with all props, inspect the type definitions:

ls node_modules/@databricks/appkit-ui/dist/charts/

Routing

The scaffold generates react-router v7 with createBrowserRouter. For multi-page apps, set up routing in App.tsx:

• createBrowserRouter — define routes with path and element
• <Outlet /> — render child routes inside a layout component
• <NavLink> — navigation links with active state styling
• useParams() — read URL parameters (e.g. /orders/:id)
• useNavigate() — programmatic navigation

import { createBrowserRouter, RouterProvider, NavLink, Outlet } from "react-router";

const router = createBrowserRouter([
  {
    path: "/",
    element: <Layout />,
    children: [
      { index: true, element: <Dashboard /> },
      { path: "orders", element: <Orders /> },
      { path: "orders/:id", element: <OrderDetail /> },
    ],
  },
]);

function Layout() {
  return (
    <div>
      <nav>
        <NavLink to="/">Dashboard</NavLink>
        <NavLink to="/orders">Orders</NavLink>
      </nav>
      <Outlet />
    </div>
  );
}

---

Step 6: Test Locally

npm run dev

Verify at http://localhost:8000:

• UI loads without console errors
• Navigation works across pages
• Data queries return results (loading → data flow)
• All interactive elements respond

Smoke Test Selectors

Update tests/smoke.spec.ts to use data-testid selectors instead of text/role selectors. Add data-testid attributes to the primary heading and at least one content element per page:

<h1 data-testid="hero-heading">Find your perfect stay</h1>

await expect(page.getByTestId('hero-heading')).toBeVisible();

Text and role selectors break when the UI adds duplicate content (e.g., a second heading with the same text). data-testid selectors are immune to copy changes and ARIA ambiguity.

---

Known Gotchas

Common runtime surprises that cause bugs or confusion:

Gotcha	Fix
SQL results return strings even for numeric columns	Coerce with Number() before arithmetic
useAnalyticsQuery params must be wrapped in useMemo	Unwrapped objects trigger infinite refetch loops
Parameterless queries generate Record<string, never>	Pass useMemo(() => ({}), [])
Charts are ECharts-based, not Recharts	Use props (xKey, yKey, colors) — not children (<XAxis>, <Bar>)
import type required with verbatimModuleSyntax	Separate type-only imports or build fails
Chart components accept both data (static) and queryKey (query-driven) props	Use data for scaffold-step static data, queryKey + params for query-driven mode
npx @databricks/appkit docs search matches section headings only	Use full doc path for specific component lookups
npm run dev triggers typegen via predev hook	TABLE_OR_VIEW_NOT_FOUND errors are expected if custom queries reference tables that don't exist yet. Not blocking.
getByText/getByRole matches multiple elements (Playwright strict mode)	Use data-testid selectors; add data-testid attributes to key elements during page creation
Escaped quotes in JSX attributes (placeholder='I\'m...') crash Vite/rolldown parser	Use double-quoted attributes or JSX expressions: placeholder={"I'm..."}
AppKit AST-grep linter blocks as any and as unknown as T	Avoid type assertions; use proper type imports or leave parameters untyped for inference. databricks apps validate runs these rules but npm run build does not
Radix <Select.Item>/<SelectItem> throws at runtime if value is an empty string	Never use value="" for an "all/any" option (it crashes the component when the menu opens). Use a non-empty sentinel and filter explicitly: <SelectItem value="all"> + if (filter !== "all") { … }.
<Card onClick={...}> without keyboard handlers	Wrap navigable cards in <Link> or add role="link", tabIndex={0}, onKeyDown. Required for WCAG 2.1 AA.

---

Pre-Finalization Checklist

Before declaring the build complete:

• SQL files exist in config/queries/ for every data need
• npm run typegen has been run after all SQL files are finalized
• All query parameters wrapped in useMemo
• Loading/error/empty states on every data component
• tests/smoke.spec.ts uses data-testid selectors (not text/role); key elements have data-testid attributes
• Static demo data renders correctly (swap to live data happens in the Wire Lakebase Backend step)
• npx tsc --noEmit passes with zero TypeScript errors (catches unused imports, missing types that block deployment)
• npm run dev runs cleanly at http://localhost:8000
• databricks apps validate --profile $PROFILE passes (catches strict-mode TS errors and smoke test regressions that npm run build alone misses)

---

What's Next: Deploying

Once local testing passes, deploy to Databricks Apps using the 03-appkit-deploy skill at @apps_lakebase/skills/03-appkit-deploy/SKILL.md. The calling prompt (02-deploy.md or 05-e2e-test.md) will set variables and invoke the skill.

See the AppKit App Management docs for advanced deploy options.

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See Also

• Authoritative upstream: databricks-agent-skills / databricks-apps — canonical Apps platform patterns this skill builds on.
• Frontend design reference: Anthropic frontend-design skill
• AppKit docs hub: databricks.github.io/appkit