Documentation in React 19
Clear documentation helps onboard new developers, maintain code quality, and support users. React 19 projects should document components, hooks, APIs, and project setup.
Component Documentation
- Use JSDoc or TypeScript comments for props, events, and state.
- Document component purpose, usage, and examples in code comments.
- Use Storybook for interactive component documentation.
API Documentation
- Document custom hooks and utility functions with JSDoc or TypeScript.
- Provide usage examples and expected input/output.
- For REST/GraphQL APIs, use OpenAPI/Swagger or GraphQL SDL.
Project Documentation
- Maintain a clear README.md with setup, build, test, and deployment instructions.
- Include architecture overview, folder structure, and environment variables.
- Document configuration options and scripts.
Tools
- Storybook for component docs.
- Docusaurus for static site documentation.
- JSDoc for code comments.
Best Practices
- Keep documentation up to date with code changes.
- Use diagrams for complex flows or architecture.
- Document known issues and troubleshooting steps.
- Encourage contributions to documentation via PRs.
Example: JSDoc for a Custom Hook
/**
* useFetch custom hook for data fetching
* @param {string} url - API endpoint
* @returns {object} { data, error, loading }
*/
export function useFetch(url) { /* ... */ }