laconic-deployer-frontend/standards/documentation/FEATURE_BUILDING.md

Feature Building Process

This document outlines our standardized approach to building new features. Following this process ensures that features are well-designed, properly structured, thoroughly documented, and consistently implemented.

1. Design and Data Flow Analysis

Before writing any code, thoroughly analyze the design and data flow requirements:

Design Analysis

• Study the Figma/design mockups thoroughly
• Identify all UI components and their states
• Note interactions, animations, and transitions
• Identify responsive behavior requirements
• Document accessibility considerations

Data Flow Analysis

• Map out the data requirements for the feature
• Identify data sources and sinks
• Document API endpoints that will be used
• Define state management needs
• Identify where data transformations occur
• Document any caching or persistence requirements

Output

Create a Design & Data Requirements document containing:

• Screenshots/references to relevant design mockups
• Component breakdown with states and props
• Data flow diagram
• API contract expectations
• State management approach

2. Structure Planning

Once the design and data requirements are understood, plan the structure:

Routing

• Define all routes needed for the feature
• Document route parameters and query parameters
• Specify layout components for each route
• Define route guards or access control

Component Hierarchy

• Create a component tree showing parent-child relationships
• Identify reusable components vs. feature-specific components
• Define prop interfaces for all components
• Document component responsibilities and boundaries

File Structure

• Plan the directory structure following project conventions
• Define file naming following established patterns
• Identify shared utilities, hooks, or helpers needed
• Plan test file organization

Output

Create a Structure Plan document containing:

• Route definitions
• Component hierarchy diagram
• Directory and file structure plan
• List of new files to create with their purpose

3. File Creation with Documentation

Create skeleton files with comprehensive documentation:

For Each Component:

• Purpose and responsibility
• Props interface with detailed documentation
• State management approach
• Side effects and cleanup
• Error handling approach
• Expected behaviors for all edge cases
• Performance considerations
• Testing strategy

For Data/API Files:

• Type definitions
• Function signatures with parameters and return types
• Error handling approach
• Caching strategy
• Retry logic

For Hooks/Utilities:

• Purpose and usage examples
• Parameters and return values
• Side effects
• Error scenarios
• Performance characteristics

Output

A set of skeleton files with detailed JSDoc comments outlining implementation requirements for each file.

4. Implementation Guide

Create a comprehensive guide for engineers or AI agents to follow:

Implementation Order

• Dependency graph showing which files should be implemented first
• Recommended implementation sequence

Critical Requirements

• Performance requirements
• Accessibility requirements
• Browser/device compatibility requirements
• Error handling expectations

Testing Requirements

• Unit test coverage expectations
• Integration test scenarios
• E2E test scenarios

What NOT to Do

• Anti-patterns to avoid
• Performance pitfalls
• Security concerns
• Common mistakes

Review Checklist

• Code quality checks
• Performance review points
• Accessibility review points
• Security review points

Example: Feature Building for a User Profile Page

1. Design & Data Analysis

Design Requirements:
- Profile page with user avatar, name, email, and bio
- Edit profile form with validation
- Activity feed showing recent actions
...

Data Requirements:
- User profile data from GET /api/users/:id
- Profile updates via PUT /api/users/:id
- Activity data from GET /api/users/:id/activity
...

2. Structure Plan

Routes:
- /profile - Main profile view
- /profile/edit - Edit profile form

Components:
- ProfilePage
  - ProfileHeader
  - ActivityFeed
    - ActivityItem
  - ProfileEditForm
    - ImageUploader
    - FormFields
...

3. File Skeleton (Example for ProfileHeader.tsx)

/**
 * @component ProfileHeader
 * @description Displays the user's profile header with avatar, name, and key information
 *
 * Requirements:
 * - Display user avatar with fallback for missing images
 * - Show user name, handle, and join date
 * - Display edit button only if user is viewing their own profile
 * - Show verified badge if account is verified
 * - Handle loading and error states
 * ...
 */

4. Implementation Guide (Excerpt)

Implementation Order:
1. Types and API functions
2. Hooks for data fetching
3. Base components (ProfileHeader, ActivityItem)
4. Container components (ProfilePage, ActivityFeed)
5. Form components

Do NOT:
- Make direct API calls from components - use the defined hooks
- Store sensitive user data in localStorage
- Use inline styles except for dynamically calculated values
- Implement custom form validation - use the specified validation library
...

Process Checklist

• Complete Design & Data Flow Analysis
• Create Structure Plan
• Create Skeleton Files with Documentation
• Develop Implementation Guide
• Review and Finalize Feature Building Documents
• Implement Feature Following Guide
• Review Implementation Against Requirements

By following this standardized feature building process, we ensure that features are implemented consistently, with clear documentation, and according to best practices.

Getting Started

To start building a new feature using this process, use the Feature Building Template as a starting point. This template provides a structured document that you can fill in with the specific details for your feature.