Frontend Development Guidelines

Purpose

Comprehensive guide for modern React development, emphasizing Suspense-based data fetching, lazy loading, proper file organization, and performance optimization.

When to Use This Skill

• Creating new components or pages
• Building new features
• Fetching data with TanStack Query
• Setting up routing with TanStack Router
• Styling components with MUI v7
• Performance optimization
• Organizing frontend code
• TypeScript best practices

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Quick Start

New Component Checklist

Creating a component? Follow this checklist:

• Use React.FC<Props> pattern with TypeScript
• Lazy load if heavy component: React.lazy(() => import())
• Wrap in <SuspenseLoader> for loading states
• Use useSuspenseQuery for data fetching
• Import aliases: @/, ~types, ~components, ~features
• Styles: Inline if <100 lines, separate file if >100 lines
• Use useCallback for event handlers passed to children
• Default export at bottom
• No early returns with loading spinners
• Use useMuiSnackbar for user notifications

New Feature Checklist

Creating a feature? Set up this structure:

• Create features/{feature-name}/ directory
• Create subdirectories: api/, components/, hooks/, helpers/, types/
• Create API service file: api/{feature}Api.ts
• Set up TypeScript types in types/
• Create route in routes/{feature-name}/index.tsx
• Lazy load feature components
• Use Suspense boundaries
• Export public API from feature index.ts

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Import Aliases Quick Reference

Alias	Resolves To	Example
@/	src/	import { apiClient } from '@/lib/apiClient'
~types	src/types	import type { User } from '~types/user'
~components	src/components	import { SuspenseLoader } from '~components/SuspenseLoader'
~features	src/features	import { authApi } from '~features/auth'

Defined in: vite.config.ts lines 180-185

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Common Imports Cheatsheet

// React & Lazy Loading
import React, { useState, useCallback, useMemo } from 'react';
const Heavy = React.lazy(() => import('./Heavy'));

// MUI Components
import { Box, Paper, Typography, Button, Grid } from '@mui/material';
import type { SxProps, Theme } from '@mui/material';

// TanStack Query (Suspense)
import { useSuspenseQuery, useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';

// TanStack Router
import { createFileRoute } from '@tanstack/react-router';

// Project Components
import { SuspenseLoader } from '~components/SuspenseLoader';

// Hooks
import { useAuth } from '@/hooks/useAuth';
import { useMuiSnackbar } from '@/hooks/useMuiSnackbar';

// Types
import type { Post } from '~types/post';

---

Topic Guides

🎨 Component Patterns

Modern React components use:

• React.FC<Props> for type safety
• React.lazy() for code splitting
• SuspenseLoader for loading states
• Named const + default export pattern

Key Concepts:

• Lazy load heavy components (DataGrid, charts, editors)
• Always wrap lazy components in Suspense
• Use SuspenseLoader component (with fade animation)
• Component structure: Props → Hooks → Handlers → Render → Export

📖 Complete Guide: resources/component-patterns.md

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📊 Data Fetching

PRIMARY PATTERN: useSuspenseQuery

• Use with Suspense boundaries
• Cache-first strategy (check grid cache before API)
• Replaces isLoading checks
• Type-safe with generics

API Service Layer:

• Create features/{feature}/api/{feature}Api.ts
• Use apiClient axios instance
• Centralized methods per feature
• Route format: /form/route (NOT /api/form/route)

📖 Complete Guide: resources/data-fetching.md

---

📁 File Organization

features/ vs components/:

• features/: Domain-specific (posts, comments, auth)
• components/: Truly reusable (SuspenseLoader, CustomAppBar)

Feature Subdirectories:

features/
  my-feature/
    api/          # API service layer
    components/   # Feature components
    hooks/        # Custom hooks
    helpers/      # Utility functions
    types/        # TypeScript types

📖 Complete Guide: resources/file-organization.md

---

🎨 Styling

Inline vs Separate:

• <100 lines: Inline const styles: Record<string, SxProps<Theme>>

• 100 lines: Separate .styles.ts file

Primary Method:

• Use sx prop for MUI components
• Type-safe with SxProps<Theme>
• Theme access: (theme) => theme.palette.primary.main

MUI v7 Grid:

<Grid size={{ xs: 12, md: 6 }}>  // ✅ v7 syntax
<Grid xs={12} md={6}>             // ❌ Old syntax

📖 Complete Guide: resources/styling-guide.md

---

🛣️ Routing

TanStack Router - Folder-Based:

• Directory: routes/my-route/index.tsx
• Lazy load components
• Use createFileRoute
• Breadcrumb data in loader

Example:

import { createFileRoute } from '@tanstack/react-router';
import { lazy } from 'react';

const MyPage = lazy(() => import('@/features/my-feature/components/MyPage'));

export const Route = createFileRoute('/my-route/')({
    component: MyPage,
    loader: () => ({ crumb: 'My Route' }),
});

📖 Complete Guide: resources/routing-guide.md

---

⏳ Loading & Error States

CRITICAL RULE: No Early Returns

// ❌ NEVER - Causes layout shift
if (isLoading) {
    return <LoadingSpinner />;
}

// ✅ ALWAYS - Consistent layout
<SuspenseLoader>
    <Content />
</SuspenseLoader>

Why: Prevents Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), better UX

Error Handling:

• Use useMuiSnackbar for user feedback
• NEVER react-toastify
• TanStack Query onError callbacks

📖 Complete Guide: resources/loading-and-error-states.md

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⚡ Performance

Optimization Patterns:

• useMemo: Expensive computations (filter, sort, map)
• useCallback: Event handlers passed to children
• React.memo: Expensive components
• Debounced search (300-500ms)
• Memory leak prevention (cleanup in useEffect)

📖 Complete Guide: resources/performance.md

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📘 TypeScript

Standards:

• Strict mode, no any type
• Explicit return types on functions
• Type imports: import type { User } from '~types/user'
• Component prop interfaces with JSDoc

📖 Complete Guide: resources/typescript-standards.md

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🔧 Common Patterns

Covered Topics:

• React Hook Form with Zod validation
• DataGrid wrapper contracts
• Dialog component standards
• useAuth hook for current user
• Mutation patterns with cache invalidation

📖 Complete Guide: resources/common-patterns.md

---

📚 Complete Examples

Full working examples:

• Modern component with all patterns
• Complete feature structure
• API service layer
• Route with lazy loading
• Suspense + useSuspenseQuery
• Form with validation

📖 Complete Guide: resources/complete-examples.md

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Navigation Guide

Need to...	Read this resource
Create a component	component-patterns.md
Fetch data	data-fetching.md
Organize files/folders	file-organization.md
Style components	styling-guide.md
Set up routing	routing-guide.md
Handle loading/errors	loading-and-error-states.md
Optimize performance	performance.md
TypeScript types	typescript-standards.md
Forms/Auth/DataGrid	common-patterns.md
See full examples	how to use frontend-dev-guidelines CursorClaude CodeClineCodexWindsurfGooseGitHub CopilotVS CodeGemini CLIKiloOpencodeKimi CLIRoo ClineAiderContinueZedBolt.newLovablev0Replit AgentSweepSmol DeveloperDevinCavemanAmpAntigravity How to use frontend-dev-guidelines on Cursor AI-first code editor with Composer 1 Prerequisites Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements: ›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine ›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with node --version) ›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add frontend-dev-guidelines 2 Execute installation command Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation: $npx skills add https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --skill frontend-dev-guidelinescopy The skills CLI fetches frontend-dev-guidelines from GitHub repository davila7/claude-code-templates and configures it for Cursor. 3 Select Cursor when prompted The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor: ◆ Which agents do you want to install to? │ │ ── Universal (.agents/skills) ── always included ──── │ • Amp │ • Antigravity │ • Cline │ • Codex │ ●Cursor(selected) │ • Cursor │ • Windsurf 4 Verify installation Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location: .cursor/skills/frontend-dev-guidelines Reload or restart Cursor to activate frontend-dev-guidelines. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /frontend-dev-guidelines) or your agent's skill management interface. ⚠ Security & Verification Notice We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use. Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment. Additional Resources ›View source code on GitHub›Skills CLI documentation›Learn more about Cursor›What are agent skills? List & Monetize Your Skill Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning GET_STARTED → Use Cases▌ Task Automation & Efficiency Automate repetitive workflows and reduce manual effort Example Generate reports, summarize documents, draft communications ✓ Save 3-5 hours per week on routine tasks Knowledge Enhancement Learn new skills, understand complex topics, get expert guidance Example Explain concepts, provide examples, suggest learning resources ✓ Accelerate learning and skill development by 2x Quality Improvement Enhance output quality through reviews, suggestions, and refinements Example Review drafts, suggest improvements, catch errors ✓ Improve work quality by 30-40% with less effort Implementation Guide▌ Prerequisites ›Claude Desktop or compatible AI client with skill support ›Clear understanding of task or problem to solve ›Willingness to iterate and refine outputs Time Estimate 15-45 minutes depending on use case complexity Installation Steps 1.Install skill using provided installation command 2.Test with simple use case relevant to your work 3.Evaluate output quality and relevance 4.Iterate on prompts to improve results 5.Integrate into regular workflow if valuable Common Pitfalls ⚠Expecting perfect results without iteration ⚠Not providing enough context in prompts ⚠Using skill for tasks outside its intended scope ⚠Accepting outputs without review and validation Best Practices▌ ✓ Do +Start with clear, specific prompts +Provide relevant context and constraints +Review and refine all outputs before using +Iterate to improve output quality +Document successful prompt patterns ✗ Don't −Don't use without understanding skill limitations −Don't skip validation of outputs −Don't share sensitive information in prompts −Don't expect skill to replace human judgment 💡 Pro Tips ★Be specific about desired format and style ★Ask for multiple options to choose from ★Request explanations to understand reasoning ★Combine AI efficiency with human expertise When to Use This▌ ✓ Use When Use when skill capabilities match your task, clear ROI on time saved, and you can validate outputs. Best for repetitive tasks, learning, and quality improvement. ✗ Avoid When Avoid when task requires deep expertise you can't validate, involves sensitive decisions, or when learning process is more valuable than speed of completion. Learning Path▌ 1Familiarize yourself with skill capabilities and limitations 2Start with low-risk, non-critical tasks 3Progress to more complex and valuable use cases 4Build expertise through regular use and experimentation Discussion Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews) post comment No comments yet — start the thread. general reviews Ratings 4.8★★★★★34 reviews ★★★★★Neel Chawla· Dec 24, 2024 We added frontend-dev-guidelines from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront. ★★★★★Kofi Bhatia· Dec 24, 2024 Keeps context tight: frontend-dev-guidelines is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc. ★★★★★Ama Okafor· Dec 4, 2024 Registry listing for frontend-dev-guidelines matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown. ★★★★★Rahul Santra· Nov 27, 2024 I recommend frontend-dev-guidelines for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area. ★★★★★Yuki Verma· Nov 23, 2024 I recommend frontend-dev-guidelines for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area. ★★★★★Chinedu Ndlovu· Nov 23, 2024 frontend-dev-guidelines fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos. ★★★★★Chinedu Farah· Nov 15, 2024 frontend-dev-guidelines reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility. ★★★★★Dev Torres· Nov 15, 2024 frontend-dev-guidelines has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills. ★★★★★Pratham Ware· Oct 18, 2024 Useful defaults in frontend-dev-guidelines — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows. ★★★★★Hassan Harris· Oct 14, 2024 Useful defaults in frontend-dev-guidelines — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows. showing 1-10 of 34 prev1 / 4next bookmarkshare