React Typescript

Quick Reference

When to Use This Skill

Use for React TypeScript integration:

• Typing component props and children
• Handling events with proper types
• Building generic reusable components
• Creating type-safe context and hooks
• Using utility types for prop manipulation
• Implementing polymorphic components

For React basics: see react-fundamentals-19

---

React with TypeScript

Component Props

Basic Props Types

// Inline props type
function Greeting({ name, age }: { name: string; age: number }) {
  return <p>Hello {name}, you are {age} years old</p>;
}

// Interface for props
interface UserCardProps {
  name: string;
  email: string;
  avatar?: string;  // Optional prop
  role: 'admin' | 'user' | 'guest';  // Union type
}

function UserCard({ name, email, avatar, role }: UserCardProps) {
  return (
    <div className="user-card">
      {avatar && <img src={avatar} alt={name} />}
      <h3>{name}</h3>
      <p>{email}</p>
      <span className={`badge-${role}`}>{role}</span>
    </div>
  );
}

// Type alias
type ButtonVariant = 'primary' | 'secondary' | 'danger';
type ButtonSize = 'sm' | 'md' | 'lg';

type ButtonProps = {
  variant?: ButtonVariant;
  size?: ButtonSize;
  children: React.ReactNode;
  onClick?: () => void;
};

function Button({ variant = 'primary', size = 'md', children, onClick }: ButtonProps) {
  return (
    <button className={`btn btn-${variant} btn-${size}`} onClick={onClick}>
      {children}
    </button>
  );
}

Children Props

import { ReactNode, PropsWithChildren } from 'react';

// Using ReactNode
interface CardProps {
  title: string;
  children: ReactNode;
}

function Card({ title, children }: CardProps) {
  return (
    <div className="card">
      <h2>{title}</h2>
      {children}
    </div>
  );
}

// Using PropsWithChildren
type ContainerProps = PropsWithChildren<{
  className?: string;
}>;

function Container({ className, children }: ContainerProps) {
  return <div className={className}>{children}</div>;
}

// Render prop children
interface DataFetcherProps<T> {
  url: string;
  children: (data: T, loading: boolean) => ReactNode;
}

function DataFetcher<T>({ url, children }: DataFetcherProps<T>) {
  const [data, setData] = useState<T | null>(null);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
  // ... fetch logic
  return <>{children(data as T, loading)}</>;
}

Extending HTML Element Props

import { ButtonHTMLAttributes, InputHTMLAttributes, forwardRef } from 'react';

// Extend button props
interface CustomButtonProps extends ButtonHTMLAttributes<HTMLButtonElement> {
  variant?: 'primary' | 'secondary';
  isLoading?: boolean;
}

const CustomButton = forwardRef<HTMLButtonElement, CustomButtonProps>(
  ({ variant = 'primary', isLoading, children, className, disabled, ...props }, ref) => {
    return (
      <button
        ref={ref}
        className={`btn btn-${variant} ${className || ''}`}
        disabled={disabled || isLoading}
        {...props}
      >
        {isLoading ? 'Loading...' : children}
      </button>
    );
  }
);

CustomButton.displayName = 'CustomButton';

// Extend input props
interface TextInputProps extends Omit<InputHTMLAttributes<HTMLInputElement>, 'size'> {
  label: string;
  error?: string;
  size?: 'sm' | 'md' | 'lg';
}

const TextInput = forwardRef<HTMLInputElement, TextInputProps>(
  ({ label, error, size = 'md', className, ...props }, ref) => {
    return (
      <div className="form-field">
        <label>{label}</label>
        <input
          ref={ref}
          className={`input input-${size} ${error ? 'input-error' : ''} ${className || ''}`}
          {...props}
        />
        {error && <span className="error-message">{error}</span>}
      </div>
    );
  }
);

TextInput.displayName = 'TextInput';

Polymorphic Components

import { ElementType, ComponentPropsWithoutRef, ReactNode } from 'react';

type PolymorphicProps<E extends ElementType> = {
  as?: E;
  children: ReactNode;
} & Omit<ComponentPropsWithoutRef<E>, 'as' | 'children'>;

function Box<E extends ElementType = 'div'>({
  as,
  children,
  ...props
}: PolymorphicProps<E>) {
  const Component = as || 'div';
  return <Component {...props}>{children}</Component>;
}

// Usage
function App() {
  return (
    <>
      <Box>Default div</Box>
      <Box as="section" className="section">Section element</Box>
      <Box as="a" href="/about">Link element</Box>
      <Box as="button" onClick={() => console.log('clicked')}>Button</Box>
    </>
  );
}

Event Handlers

Common Event Types

import {
  ChangeEvent,
  FormEvent,
  MouseEvent,
  KeyboardEvent,
  FocusEvent,
  DragEvent,
} from 'react';

function EventExamples() {
  // Input change
  const handleInputChange = (e: ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
    console.log(e.target.value);
  };

  // Select change
  const handleSelectChange = (e: ChangeEvent<HTMLSelectElement>) => {
    console.log(e.target.value);
  };

  // Form submit
  const handleSubmit = (e: FormEvent<HTMLFormElement>) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    const formData = new FormData(e.currentTarget);
    console.log(Object.fromEntries(formData));
  };

  // Button click
  const handleClick = (e: MouseEvent<HTMLButtonElement>) => {
    console.log(e.clientX, e.clientY);
  };

  // Keyboard
  const handleKeyDown = (e: KeyboardEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
    if (e.key === 'Enter') {
      console.log('Enter pressed');
    }
  };

  // Focus
  const handleFocus = (e: FocusEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
    console.log('Focused:', e.target.name);
  };

  // Drag
  const handleDragStart = (e: DragEvent<HTMLDivElement>) => {
    e.dataTransfer.setData('text/plain', 'dragging');
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      <input onChange={handleInputChange} onKeyDown={handleKeyDown} onFocus={handleFocus} />
      <select onChange={handleSelectChange}>
        <option value="1">Option 1</option>
      </select>
      <div draggable onDragStart={handleDragStart}>Drag me</div>
      <button onClick={handleClick}>Submit</button>
    </form>
  );
}

Event Handler Props

interface FormFieldProps {
  onChange: (value: string) => void;
  onBlur?: () => void;
}

function FormField({ onChange, onBlur }: FormFieldProps) {
  const handleChange = (e: ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
    onChange(e.target.value);
  };

  return <input onChange={handleChange} onBlur={onBlur} />;
}

// Generic event handler
interface ListItemProps<T> {
  item: T;
  onSelect: (item: T) => void;
  onDelete?: (item: T) => void;
}

function ListItem<T extends { id: string; name: string }>({
  item,
  onSelect,
  onDelete,
}: ListItemProps<T>) {
  return (
    <li>
      <span onClick={() => onSelect(item)}>{item.name}</span>
      {onDelete && <button onClick={() => onDelete(item)}>Delete</button>}
    </li>
  );
}

Hooks with TypeScript

useState

import { useState } from 'react';

// Inferred type
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);  // number

// Explicit type
const [user, setUser] = useState<User | null>(null);

// Union types
type Status = 'idle' | 'loading' | 'success' | 'error';
const [status, setStatus] = useState<Status>('idle');

// Complex state
interface FormState {
  name: string;
  email: string;
  errors: Record<string, string>;
}

const [form, setForm] = useState<FormState>({
  name: '',
  email: '',
  errors: {},
});

// Update partial state
setForm(prev => ({ ...prev, name: 'John' }));

useReducer

import { useReducer, Reducer } from 'react';

// State and action types
interface CounterState {
  count: number;
  step: number;
}

type CounterAction =
  | { type: 'increment' }
  | { type: 'decrement' }
  | { type: 'reset' }
  | { type: 'setStep'; payload: number };

// Reducer function
const counterReducer: Reducer<CounterState, CounterAction> = (state, action) => {
  switch (action.type) {
    case 'increment':
      return { ...state, count: state.count + state.step };
    case 'decrement':
      return { ...state, count: state.count - state.step };
    case 'reset':
      return { ...state, count: 0 };
    case 'setStep':
      return { ...state, step: action.payload };
    default:
      return state;
  }
};

function Counter() {
  const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(counterReducer, { count: 0, step: 1 });

  return (
    <div>
      <p>Count: {state.count}</p>
      <button onClick={() => dispatch({ type: 'increment' })}>+</button>
      <button onClick={() => dispatch({ type: 'decrement' })}>-</button>
      <button onClick={() => dispatch({ type: 'setStep', payload: 5 })}>Set Step to 5</button>
    </div>
  );
}

useRef

import { useRef, useEffect } from 'react';

function RefExamples() {
  // DOM element ref
  const inputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
  const canvasRef = useRef<HTMLCanvasElement>(null);

  // Mutable value ref
  const countRef = useRef<number>(0);
  const timerRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | null>(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    // Focus input on mount
    inputRef.current?.focus();

    // Access canvas context
    const ctx = canvasRef.current?.getContext('2d');
    if (ctx) {
      ctx.fillRect(0, 0, 100, 100);
    }

    // Start timer
    timerRef.current = setInterval(() => {
      countRef.current += 1;
    }, 1000);

    return () => {
      if (timerRef.current) {
        clearInterval(timerRef.current);
      }
    };
  }, []);

  return (
    <div>
      <input ref={inputRef} />
      <canvas ref={canvasRef} />
    </div>
  );
}

useContext

import { createContext, useContext, useState, ReactNode } from 'react';

// Theme context
interface Theme {
  primary: string;
  secondary: string;
  mode: 'light' | 'dark';
}

interface ThemeContextType {
  theme: Theme;
  setTheme: (theme: Theme) => void;
  toggleMode: () => void;
}

const ThemeContext = createContext<ThemeContextType | null>(null);

// Provider
function ThemeProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
  const [theme, setTheme] = useState<Theme>({
    primary: '#007bff',
    secondary: '#6c757d',
    mode: 'light',
  });

  const toggleMode = () => {
    setTheme((prev) => ({
      ...prev,
      mode: prev.mode === 'light' ? 'dark' : 'light',
    }));
  };

  return (
    <ThemeContext.Provider value={{ theme, setTheme, toggleMode }}>
      {children}
    </ThemeContext.Provider>
  );
}

// Hook with type safety
function useTheme() {
  const context = useContext(ThemeContext);
  if (!context) {
    throw new Error('useTheme must be used within ThemeProvider');
  }
  return context;
}

// Usage
function ThemedButton() {
  const { theme, toggleMode } = useTheme();

  return (
    <button
      style={{ backgroundColor: theme.primary }}
      onClick={toggleMode}
    >
      Toggle {theme.mode === 'light' ? 'Dark' : 'Light'} Mode
    </button>
  );
}

Custom Hooks

import { useState, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react';

// Fetch hook with generics
interface UseFetchResult<T> {
  data: T | null;
  loading: boolean;
  error: Error | null;
  refetch: () => Promise<void>;
}

function useFetch<T>(url: string): UseFetchResult<T> {
  const [data, setData] = useState<T | null>(null);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
  const [error, setError] = useState<Error | null>(null);

  const fetchData = useCallback(async () => {
    setLoading(true);
    setError(null);
    try {
      const response = await fetch(url);
      if (!response.ok) {
        throw new Error(`HTTP error! status: ${response.status}`);
      }
      const result = await response.json();
      setData(result);
    } catch (err) {
      setError(err instanceof Error ? err : new Error('Unknown error'));
    } finally {
      setLoading(false);
    }
  }, [url]);

  useEffect(() => {
    fetchData();
  }, [fetchData]);

  return { data, loading, error, refetch: fetchData };
}

// Usage
interface User {
  id: number;
  name: string;
  email: string;
}

function UserProfile({ userId }: { userId: number }) {
  const { data: user, loading, error } = useFetch<User>(`/api/users/${userId}`);

  if (loading) return <div>Loading...</div>;
  if (error) return <div>Error: {error.message}</div>;
  if (!user) return <div>No user found</div>;

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>{user.name}</h1>
      <p>{user.email}</p>
    </div>
  );
}

Generic Components, Type Utilities & Type-Safe Context

Full code for generic components (List<T>, Select<T>, Table<T>), utility types (Partial, Pick, Omit, Record, Extract, Exclude, ComponentProps, ComponentPropsWithRef, ComponentPropsWithoutRef), discriminated unions for API states, inference / conditional types (infer, Awaited, PropsOf), and the type-safe Context factory pattern (createSafeContext) lives in references/generics-utilities-context.md. Load that reference when building reusable typed components, working with React's prop-type utilities, or wiring a strongly-typed Context provider.

Best Practices

React + TypeScript: Generics, Utilities, Context

Full code for generic component patterns, type utilities (PropsWithChildren, ComponentProps, etc.), and type-safe React Context. SKILL.md keeps props / event handlers / hooks; this reference has the advanced material.

Generic Components

Generic List

interface ListProps<T> {
  items: T[];
  renderItem: (item: T, index: number) => ReactNode;
  keyExtractor: (item: T) => string | number;
  emptyMessage?: string;
}

function List<T>({
  items,
  renderItem,
  keyExtractor,
  emptyMessage = 'No items',
}: ListProps<T>) {
  if (items.length === 0) {
    return <p>{emptyMessage}</p>;
  }

  return (
    <ul>
      {items.map((item, index) => (
        <li key={keyExtractor(item)}>{renderItem(item, index)}</li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  );
}

// Usage
interface Product {
  id: string;
  name: string;
  price: number;
}

function ProductList({ products }: { products: Product[] }) {
  return (
    <List
      items={products}
      keyExtractor={(product) => product.id}
      renderItem={(product) => (
        <div>
          <span>{product.name}</span>
          <span>${product.price}</span>
        </div>
      )}
    />
  );
}

Generic Select

interface SelectOption<T> {
  value: T;
  label: string;
}

interface SelectProps<T> {
  options: SelectOption<T>[];
  value: T | null;
  onChange: (value: T) => void;
  placeholder?: string;
  getOptionValue?: (option: SelectOption<T>) => string;
}

function Select<T>({
  options,
  value,
  onChange,
  placeholder = 'Select...',
  getOptionValue = (opt) => String(opt.value),
}: SelectProps<T>) {
  const selectedOption = options.find((opt) => opt.value === value);

  return (
    <select
      value={selectedOption ? getOptionValue(selectedOption) : ''}
      onChange={(e) => {
        const option = options.find(
          (opt) => getOptionValue(opt) === e.target.value
        );
        if (option) {
          onChange(option.value);
        }
      }}
    >
      <option value="" disabled>
        {placeholder}
      </option>
      {options.map((option) => (
        <option key={getOptionValue(option)} value={getOptionValue(option)}>
          {option.label}
        </option>
      ))}
    </select>
  );
}

// Usage
type Status = 'draft' | 'published' | 'archived';

function StatusSelect() {
  const [status, setStatus] = useState<Status | null>(null);

  const options: SelectOption<Status>[] = [
    { value: 'draft', label: 'Draft' },
    { value: 'published', label: 'Published' },
    { value: 'archived', label: 'Archived' },
  ];

  return <Select options={options} value={status} onChange={setStatus} />;
}

Generic Table

interface Column<T> {
  key: keyof T | string;
  header: string;
  render?: (item: T) => ReactNode;
  width?: string | number;
}

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

function Table<T extends Record<string, unknown>>({
  data,
  columns,
  keyExtractor,
  onRowClick,
}: TableProps<T>) {
  const getCellValue = (item: T, column: Column<T>): ReactNode => {
    if (column.render) {
      return column.render(item);
    }
    const value = item[column.key as keyof T];
    return value as ReactNode;
  };

  return (
    <table>
      <thead>
        <tr>
          {columns.map((column) => (
            <th key={String(column.key)} style={{ width: column.width }}>
              {column.header}
            </th>
          ))}
        </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        {data.map((item) => (
          <tr
            key={keyExtractor(item)}
            onClick={() => onRowClick?.(item)}
            style={{ cursor: onRowClick ? 'pointer' : 'default' }}
          >
            {columns.map((column) => (
              <td key={String(column.key)}>{getCellValue(item, column)}</td>
            ))}
          </tr>
        ))}
      </tbody>
    </table>
  );
}

// Usage
interface User {
  id: string;
  name: string;
  email: string;
  status: 'active' | 'inactive';
  createdAt: Date;
}

function UsersTable({ users }: { users: User[] }) {
  const columns: Column<User>[] = [
    { key: 'name', header: 'Name' },
    { key: 'email', header: 'Email' },
    {
      key: 'status',
      header: 'Status',
      render: (user) => (
        <span className={`badge badge-${user.status}`}>{user.status}</span>
      ),
    },
    {
      key: 'createdAt',
      header: 'Created',
      render: (user) => user.createdAt.toLocaleDateString(),
    },
  ];

  return (
    <Table
      data={users}
      columns={columns}
      keyExtractor={(user) => user.id}
      onRowClick={(user) => console.log('Clicked:', user)}
    />
  );
}

Type Utilities

Common Utility Types

// Partial - all properties optional
interface User {
  id: string;
  name: string;
  email: string;
}

type PartialUser = Partial<User>;
// { id?: string; name?: string; email?: string }

// Required - all properties required
interface Config {
  host?: string;
  port?: number;
}

type RequiredConfig = Required<Config>;
// { host: string; port: number }

// Pick - select specific properties
type UserPreview = Pick<User, 'id' | 'name'>;
// { id: string; name: string }

// Omit - exclude specific properties
type CreateUserInput = Omit<User, 'id'>;
// { name: string; email: string }

// Record - object with specific key/value types
type UserRoles = Record<string, 'admin' | 'user' | 'guest'>;
// { [key: string]: 'admin' | 'user' | 'guest' }

// Extract - extract types from union
type Status = 'idle' | 'loading' | 'success' | 'error';
type LoadingStates = Extract<Status, 'loading' | 'idle'>;
// 'loading' | 'idle'

// Exclude - exclude types from union
type ErrorStates = Exclude<Status, 'success'>;
// 'idle' | 'loading' | 'error'

Component Props Utilities

import { ComponentProps, ComponentPropsWithRef, ComponentPropsWithoutRef } from 'react';

// Get props of a component
type ButtonProps = ComponentProps<'button'>;
type DivProps = ComponentProps<'div'>;

// Get props of a custom component
function MyButton(props: { variant: 'primary' | 'secondary' }) {
  return <button {...props} />;
}
type MyButtonProps = ComponentProps<typeof MyButton>;

// Props with ref
type InputPropsWithRef = ComponentPropsWithRef<'input'>;

// Props without ref
type InputPropsNoRef = ComponentPropsWithoutRef<'input'>;

Discriminated Unions

// API response states
type ApiResponse<T> =
  | { status: 'idle' }
  | { status: 'loading' }
  | { status: 'success'; data: T }
  | { status: 'error'; error: Error };

function useApiData<T>(url: string): ApiResponse<T> {
  // Implementation...
  return { status: 'idle' };
}

// Usage with type narrowing
function DataDisplay() {
  const response = useApiData<User[]>('/api/users');

  switch (response.status) {
    case 'idle':
      return <p>Ready to fetch</p>;
    case 'loading':
      return <p>Loading...</p>;
    case 'success':
      // TypeScript knows response.data exists here
      return <UserList users={response.data} />;
    case 'error':
      // TypeScript knows response.error exists here
      return <p>Error: {response.error.message}</p>;
  }
}

Inference and Conditional Types

// Infer return type
type ReturnTypeOf<T> = T extends (...args: any[]) => infer R ? R : never;

function fetchUser(id: string) {
  return { id, name: 'John', email: 'john@example.com' };
}

type FetchUserReturn = ReturnTypeOf<typeof fetchUser>;
// { id: string; name: string; email: string }

// Extract promise value
type Awaited<T> = T extends Promise<infer U> ? U : T;

async function getUsers() {
  return [{ id: '1', name: 'John' }];
}

type UsersData = Awaited<ReturnType<typeof getUsers>>;
// { id: string; name: string }[]

// Props inference from component
type PropsOf<T> = T extends React.ComponentType<infer P> ? P : never;

Type-Safe Context

import { createContext, useContext, ReactNode } from 'react';

// Create type-safe context factory
function createSafeContext<T>(displayName: string) {
  const Context = createContext<T | undefined>(undefined);
  Context.displayName = displayName;

  function useContextSafe() {
    const context = useContext(Context);
    if (context === undefined) {
      throw new Error(`use${displayName} must be used within ${displayName}Provider`);
    }
    return context;
  }

  return [Context.Provider, useContextSafe] as const;
}

// Usage
interface AuthContextValue {
  user: User | null;
  login: (email: string, password: string) => Promise<void>;
  logout: () => void;
}

const [AuthProvider, useAuth] = createSafeContext<AuthContextValue>('Auth');

// Provider component
function AuthContextProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
  const [user, setUser] = useState<User | null>(null);

  const login = async (email: string, password: string) => {
    // Implementation
  };

  const logout = () => {
    setUser(null);
  };

  return (
    <AuthProvider value={{ user, login, logout }}>
      {children}
    </AuthProvider>
  );
}

// Consumer component - fully type-safe
function Profile() {
  const { user, logout } = useAuth();
  // TypeScript knows user can be null
  if (!user) return <p>Please log in</p>;

  return (
    <div>
      <p>Welcome, {user.name}</p>
      <button onClick={logout}>Logout</button>
    </div>
  );
}