/react-dev

name: react-dev
version: 1.0.0
description: This skill should be used when building React components with TypeScript, typing hooks, handling events, or when React TypeScript, React 19, Server Components are mentioned. Covers type-safe patterns for React 18-19 including generic components, proper event typing, and routing integration (TanStack Router, React Router).

React TypeScript

Type-safe React = compile-time guarantees = confident refactoring.

<when_to_use>

• Building typed React components
• Implementing generic components
• Typing event handlers, forms, refs
• Using React 19 features (Actions, Server Components, use())
• Router integration (TanStack Router, React Router)
• Custom hooks with proper typing

NOT for: non-React TypeScript, vanilla JS React

</when_to_use>

<react_19_changes>

React 19 breaking changes require migration. Key patterns:

**ref as prop** - forwardRef deprecated:

// React 19 - ref as regular prop
type ButtonProps = {
  ref?: React.Ref<HTMLButtonElement>;
} & React.ComponentPropsWithoutRef<'button'>;

function Button({ ref, children, ...props }: ButtonProps) {
  return <button ref={ref} {...props}>{children}</button>;
}

**useActionState** - replaces useFormState:

import { useActionState } from 'react';

type FormState = { errors?: string[]; success?: boolean };

function Form() {
  const [state, formAction, isPending] = useActionState(submitAction, {});
  return <form action={formAction}>...</form>;
}

**use()** - unwraps promises/context:

function UserProfile({ userPromise }: { userPromise: Promise<User> }) {
  const user = use(userPromise); // Suspends until resolved
  return <div>{user.name}</div>;
}

See [react-19-patterns.md](references/react-19-patterns.md) for useOptimistic, useTransition, migration checklist.

</react_19_changes>

<component_patterns>

**Props** - extend native elements:

type ButtonProps = {
  variant: 'primary' | 'secondary';
} & React.ComponentPropsWithoutRef<'button'>;

function Button({ variant, children, ...props }: ButtonProps) {
  return <button className={variant} {...props}>{children}</button>;
}

**Children typing**:

type Props = {
  children: React.ReactNode;          // Anything renderable
  icon: React.ReactElement;           // Single element
  render: (data: T) => React.ReactNode;  // Render prop
};

**Discriminated unions** for variant props:

type ButtonProps =
  | { variant: 'link'; href: string }
  | { variant: 'button'; onClick: () => void };

function Button(props: ButtonProps) {
  if (props.variant === 'link') {
    return <a href={props.href}>Link</a>;
  }
  return <button onClick={props.onClick}>Button</button>;
}

</component_patterns>

<event_handlers>

Use specific event types for accurate target typing:

// Mouse
function handleClick(e: React.MouseEvent<HTMLButtonElement>) {
  e.currentTarget.disabled = true;
}

// Form
function handleSubmit(e: React.FormEvent<HTMLFormElement>) {
  e.preventDefault();
  const formData = new FormData(e.currentTarget);
}

// Input
function handleChange(e: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) {
  console.log(e.target.value);
}

// Keyboard
function handleKeyDown(e: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLInputElement>) {
  if (e.key === 'Enter') e.currentTarget.blur();
}

See [event-handlers.md](references/event-handlers.md) for focus, drag, clipboard, touch, wheel events.

</event_handlers>

<hooks_typing>

**useState** - explicit for unions/null:

const [user, setUser] = useState<User | null>(null);
const [status, setStatus] = useState<'idle' | 'loading'>('idle');

**useRef** - null for DOM, value for mutable:

const inputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);  // DOM - use ?.
const countRef = useRef<number>(0);               // Mutable - direct access

**useReducer** - discriminated unions for actions:

type Action =
  | { type: 'increment' }
  | { type: 'set'; payload: number };

function reducer(state: State, action: Action): State {
  switch (action.type) {
    case 'set': return { ...state, count: action.payload };
    default: return state;
  }
}

**Custom hooks** - tuple returns with as const:

function useToggle(initial = false) {
  const [value, setValue] = useState(initial);
  const toggle = () => setValue(v => !v);
  return [value, toggle] as const;
}

**useContext** - null guard pattern:

const UserContext = createContext<User | null>(null);

function useUser() {
  const user = useContext(UserContext);
  if (!user) throw new Error('useUser outside UserProvider');
  return user;
}

See [hooks.md](references/hooks.md) for useCallback, useMemo, useImperativeHandle, useSyncExternalStore.

</hooks_typing>

<generic_components>

Generic components infer types from props - no manual annotations at call site.

**Pattern** - keyof T for column keys, render props for custom rendering:

type Column<T> = {
  key: keyof T;
  header: string;
  render?: (value: T[keyof T], item: T) => React.ReactNode;
};

type TableProps<T> = {
  data: T[];
  columns: Column<T>[];
  keyExtractor: (item: T) => string | number;
};

function Table<T>({ data, columns, keyExtractor }: TableProps<T>) {
  return (
    <table>
      <thead>
        <tr>{columns.map(col => <th key={String(col.key)}>{col.header}</th>)}</tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        {data.map(item => (
          <tr key={keyExtractor(item)}>
            {columns.map(col => (
              <td key={String(col.key)}>
                {col.render ? col.render(item[col.key], item) : String(item[col.key])}
              </td>
            ))}
          </tr>
        ))}
      </tbody>
    </table>
  );
}

**Constrained generics** for required properties:

type HasId = { id: string | number };

function List<T extends HasId>({ items }: { items: T[] }) {
  return <ul>{items.map(item => <l