Practical Patterns Lab DRAFT

This repository is a hands-on lab for React developers looking to practice and reinforce React concepts I've found helpful, advanced state management strategies, performance optimizations, and more. Each central concept lives in its folder, accompanied by Markdown documentation explaining the relevant patterns and best practices.

Jest + Babel Configuration (Minimal Example) DRAFT

Jest testing configuration to ensure seamless testing of your React components with Babel and Testing Library.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Goals and Objectives
• Folder Structure
• Getting Started
• Running Tests
• Future Plans
• Contributing
• License

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Overview

Practical Patterns Lab The project came to life after an 80-hour coding course aimed at front-end development. It features a concept-driven structure, with each folder focusing on specific topics like performance optimization and advanced state management. Each folder contains a .md file with essential patterns, best practices, and practical examples to inspire and guide your learning.

Key highlights:

• Concept-Centric Folders: Code samples, components, and usage notes grouped by subject rather than by specific hooks or UI elements.
• Real-Time Feedback: ESLint integration ensures you follow best practices (React Hooks, accessibility, code style).

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Goals and Objectives

1. Concept-Based Learning: Organize patterns (like advanced state management, SPA architecture, performance tuning) in dedicated folders.
2. Hands-On Examples: Each concept folder includes code examples and a .md file describing core ideas and usage scenarios.
3. Best Practices: Demonstrate recommended approaches for hooking up contexts, reducers, or advanced routing while avoiding typical React pitfalls.
4. Performance & Accessibility: Highlight performance patterns (e.g., memoization, Suspense) and maintain high accessibility standards.
5. Robust Testing: Showcase a working Jest + Babel + Testing Library setup for verifying component correctness in a DOM-like environment.

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Folder Structure

Below is a Draft outline. Each concept folder contains:

• Code Files (components, hooks, utility functions) illustrating the subject matter.
• A Markdown Document describing the approach, usage, and additional tips.

practical-patterns-lab/
├── public/
│   └── index.html                   # Entry HTML file for the Vite/React app
├── src/
│   ├── advanced-state-management/
│   │   ├── useState.jsx             # Example using State
│   │   └── advanced-state-management.md
│   ├── performance-optimizations/
│   │   ├── MemoizedComponent.jsx    # Example with React.memo
│   │   ├── useCallbackDemo.jsx      # Example with useCallback
│   │   └── performance-optimizations.md
│   ├── spa-architecture/
│   │   ├── routes/
│   │   │   └── AppRoutes.jsx        # Config for React Router v6.4+ 
│   │   ├── loaders/
│   │   │   └── fetchPosts.js        # Example data loader
│   │   └── spa-architecture.md
│   ├── exercises/
│   │   ├── EatApp/
│   │   │   └── EatApp.jsx           # Config for React Router v6.4+ 
│   ├── core-components/
│   │   ├── Button.jsx
│   │   ├── Modal.jsx
│   │   └── core-components.md
│   ├── test/
│   │   ├── example.test.js         # Example test file
│   │   └── jest-setup.js           # Setup config for Jest (if needed)
│   ├── App.jsx
│   └── main.jsx                     # Vite entry point
├── .eslintrc.json                   # ESLint configuration
├── package.json
├── vite.config.js                   # Vite configuration
├── babel.config.js
├── jest.config.cjs
└── README.md                        # This file

What’s in Each Folder?

• advanced-state-management: Demos of useReducer, global state with Context API, and/or Redux examples (each approach described in advanced-state-management.md).
• performance-optimizations: Patterns for optimizing renders (React.memo), minimizing re-renders (useMemo, useCallback), and code splitting with Suspense.
• spa-architecture: Routing strategies (React Router, data loaders, or code splitting routes) and how to structure single-page applications.
• core-components: Reusable, common UI components used across different concepts or demos.
• test: Contains test files and any necessary setup (e.g., for Jest or Vitest).

This structure allows you to add new folders in the future without cluttering existing ones, making it easier to locate and iterate on patterns independently.

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Getting Started

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/practical-patterns-lab.git
   cd practical-patterns-lab

2. Install Dependencies

   npm install

3. Start the Dev Server

   npm run dev

   Open the provided local URL (often http://localhost:5173/) in your browser.

4. Lint Your Code

   npm run lint

   This ensures code adheres to React Hooks rules, accessibility guidelines, etc.

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Running Tests

This lab includes a basic test script using common packages like Jest (or Vitest). For example, if you’ve installed Jest:

1. Check the test script in package.json:

   {
     "scripts": {
       "dev": "vite",
       "build": "vite build",
       "preview": "vite preview",
       "lint": "eslint --ext .js,.jsx src",
       "test": "jest"
     }
   }

2. Run tests:

   npm run test

3. Write your own tests in src/test/:

   // example.test.js
   import React from 'react';
   import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
   import Button from '../core-components/Button';
   
   test('renders a button with text', () => {
     render(<Button>Click Me</Button>);
     expect(screen.getByText(/click me/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
   });

Note: If you prefer Vitest (which integrates well with Vite), replace Jest with Vitest configurations. The approach is similar—just update your scripts and test setup accordingly.

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Future Plans

• Additional Concepts: Add more folders for topics like animation, authentication, error handling, etc.
• Interactive Challenges: Expand the lab to include short coding exercises or tasks that must pass certain tests before they can be “completed.”
• Deployment Scenarios: Provide examples for hosting on Netlify, Vercel, or other platforms.

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Contributing

Contributions, suggestions, and questions are all welcome. To contribute:

1. Fork this repository.

2. Create a new branch for your feature:

   git checkout -b feature/amazing-improvement

3. Commit your changes with a clear message:

   git commit -m "Add new context pattern example"

4. Push to your fork and create a Pull Request back to the main branch of this repository.

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License, so feel free to modify or distribute under those terms.

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We hope this lab environment helps you systematically practice React patterns and grow your skills! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request.