React Core Knowledge

Deep Knowledge: Use mcp__documentation__fetch_docs with technology: react for comprehensive documentation on hooks, components, and React patterns.

Component Patterns

Functional Components (Preferred)

function UserCard({ name, email }: UserCardProps) {
  return (
    <div className="card">
      <h2>{name}</h2>
      <p>{email}</p>
    </div>
  );
}

Props Typing

interface Props {
  title: string;
  count?: number;
  children: React.ReactNode;
  onClick: (id: string) => void;
}

Essential Hooks

Key Patterns

• Composition over inheritance
• Lift state up for shared state
• Props drilling → use Context or state library
• Controlled vs Uncontrolled inputs

Performance

• Use React.memo() for expensive pure components
• Memoize with useMemo/useCallback only when needed
• Use key prop correctly in lists
• Lazy load with React.lazy() + Suspense

Production Readiness

Security Best Practices

// NEVER use dangerouslySetInnerHTML with user input
// BAD
<div dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: userInput }} />

// GOOD - Sanitize with DOMPurify
import DOMPurify from 'dompurify';
<div dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: DOMPurify.sanitize(userInput) }} />

// Avoid exposing sensitive data in client-side state
// BAD
const [apiKey, setApiKey] = useState(process.env.API_KEY);

// GOOD - API keys should stay server-side
// Use API routes or server actions instead

// Validate all external URLs
const isValidUrl = (url: string) => {
  try {
    const parsed = new URL(url);
    return ['http:', 'https:'].includes(parsed.protocol);
  } catch {
    return false;
  }
};

Error Boundaries

import { ErrorBoundary } from 'react-error-boundary';

function ErrorFallback({ error, resetErrorBoundary }: FallbackProps) {
  return (
    <div role="alert">
      <p>Something went wrong:</p>
      <pre>{error.message}</pre>
      <button onClick={resetErrorBoundary}>Try again</button>
    </div>
  );
}

// Usage
<ErrorBoundary
  FallbackComponent={ErrorFallback}
  onReset={() => window.location.reload()}
  onError={(error, info) => {
    // Log to error reporting service
    logErrorToService(error, info);
  }}
>
  <App />
</ErrorBoundary>

Performance Optimization

// Code splitting with lazy loading
const Dashboard = lazy(() => import('./Dashboard'));

function App() {
  return (
    <Suspense fallback={<Skeleton />}>
      <Dashboard />
    </Suspense>
  );
}

// Memoization - use sparingly, only for expensive components
const ExpensiveList = memo(function ExpensiveList({ items }: Props) {
  return items.map(item => <ExpensiveItem key={item.id} {...item} />);
});

// Virtualization for large lists
import { FixedSizeList } from 'react-window';

function VirtualList({ items }: { items: Item[] }) {
  return (
    <FixedSizeList
      height={400}
      itemCount={items.length}
      itemSize={50}
      width="100%"
    >
      {({ index, style }) => (
        <div style={style}>{items[index].name}</div>
      )}
    </FixedSizeList>
  );
}

Accessibility (a11y)

// Use semantic HTML
<button onClick={handleClick}>Submit</button>  // NOT <div onClick>

// ARIA labels for icons/images
<button aria-label="Close dialog" onClick={onClose}>
  <XIcon />
</button>

// Focus management
const dialogRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
useEffect(() => {
  dialogRef.current?.focus();
}, [isOpen]);

// Keyboard navigation
const handleKeyDown = (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
  if (e.key === 'Escape') onClose();
  if (e.key === 'Tab') trapFocus(e);
};

Testing Setup

// Component testing with Testing Library
import { render, screen, userEvent } from '@testing-library/react';

test('submits form with user data', async () => {
  const onSubmit = vi.fn();
  render(<Form onSubmit={onSubmit} />);

  await userEvent.type(screen.getByLabelText(/email/i), 'test@example.com');
  await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /submit/i }));

  expect(onSubmit).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ email: 'test@example.com' });
});

Monitoring Metrics

Build & Bundle Optimization

// vite.config.ts
export default defineConfig({
  build: {
    rollupOptions: {
      output: {
        manualChunks: {
          vendor: ['react', 'react-dom'],
          ui: ['@radix-ui/react-dialog', '@radix-ui/react-dropdown'],
        },
      },
    },
    sourcemap: true,  // For error tracking in production
  },
});

Checklist

• Error boundaries wrapping critical sections
• No sensitive data in client state
• DOMPurify for any HTML rendering
• Lazy loading for route-based code splitting
• Virtualization for large lists (>100 items)
• Semantic HTML and ARIA labels
• Keyboard navigation support
• Core Web Vitals monitored
• Bundle size optimized (<200KB gzip)
• Source maps for production debugging
• Error reporting service integrated

When NOT to Use This Skill

• React 19 specific features (Actions, useActionState, use()) - Use react-19 skill instead
• Advanced performance optimization - Use react-performance skill instead
• Form handling patterns - Use react-forms or react-hook-form skills instead
• Routing - Use react-router skill instead
• Testing - Use react-testing skill instead
• Component design patterns - Use react-patterns skill instead

Anti-Patterns

Quick Troubleshooting

Reference Documentation

• Hooks Cheatsheet
• Component Patterns
• Deep: Hooks Guide
• Deep: Performance