react-clean-architecture

React Clean Architecture

Principles and rules for building scalable, maintainable React codebases in enterprise systems.

Full reference: See references/architecture-guidelines.md

When to Use

• Designing or reviewing component hierarchies
• Organizing directories for a new feature or page
• Decomposing a large component (the 200-line rule)
• Choosing between local, global, and server state
• Applying composition patterns (slots, compound components, children)
• Creating custom hooks to extract logic from components
• Enforcing colocation and Feature-Sliced Design boundaries
• Reviewing naming conventions and import strategies
• Setting up testing strategy for React features

Constitutional Rules

These 15 rules are non-negotiable in large-scale React projects.

1. Domain-Driven Colocation

Keep all code specific to a page or feature (components, hooks, tests, styles) in that page's folder. Only promote code to global/shared folders when it is used by three or more distinct domains.

2. Strict Layered Dependencies

Follow the FSD hierarchy: App > Pages > Widgets > Features > Entities > Shared. A module may only import from a lower layer. Never allow upward or circular imports.

3. Public API Encapsulation

Each folder must expose a public API via an index.ts file. External modules must only import from this file, never from the folder's internal files.

4. Single Responsibility Hooks

Extract all stateful logic and side effects from components into custom hooks. A component's primary job is to map data to JSX; the hook's job is to manage the data.

5. The 200-Line Threshold

Components exceeding 200 lines are architectural failures. Decompose them into smaller sub-components or extract logic to hooks immediately.

6. Composition Over Prop Drilling

Use the children prop and named slots for layouts. If you find yourself passing a prop through more than two levels, use composition or a dedicated context.

7. Absolute Import Aliases

Ban deep relative paths. Use @/ aliases (e.g., @/features/auth) to ensure imports are location-independent and easy to refactor.

8. Strict Type Governance

Use TypeScript in strict mode. Ban any. Use unknown for external data and validate it at the boundary using Zod or equivalent runtime checkers.

9. Unified Server State

Use TanStack Query for all remote data. Implement a Query Key Factory to prevent hardcoded strings and ensure consistent cache invalidation.

10. Handler vs Prop Naming

Prefix internal event functions with handle (e.g., handleReset). Prefix external event props with on (e.g., onReset).

11. Reference Stability

Memoize callbacks and values (useCallback, useMemo) only when they are dependencies for other hooks or props for memoized components to prevent render cascades.

12. Kebab-Case File Standards

Use kebab-case for all files and directories (e.g., user-profile.tsx). This ensures cross-platform compatibility and avoids case-sensitivity bugs.

13. Semantic HTML and A11y

Prioritize semantic tags (button, nav, section) over generic div tags. Use automated accessibility linters to enforce ARIA standards in every PR.

14. Behavior-Driven Testing

Write integration tests that mimic user interactions using React Testing Library. Do not test internal component state or private methods.

15. Proactive State Colocation

Keep state as low as possible. Do not "lift state up" to a global provider if only a small sub-tree needs it. Use "Push State Down" to minimize re-render impacts.

Quick Decision Tables

Component Health Check

Attribute	Clean	Anti-Pattern
Length	< 200 lines	500+ lines ("God Component")
Logic	Extracted into custom hooks	Inline useEffect/useState storms
Props	Specific, typed, minimal	Large untyped objects, prop drilling
Rendering	Declarative, focused	Nested ternaries, inline mapping chains
Styling	Colocated CSS modules or utility classes	Massive global stylesheets or inline styles

State Type Selection

State Type	Tool	Purpose
Local	useState, useReducer	UI toggles, input values
Server	TanStack Query, SWR	Caching and fetching remote data
Global UI	Zustand, Redux Toolkit	App-wide flags (sidebars, themes, modals)
Persistent	LocalStorage + custom hook	User preferences, auth tokens

Testing Pyramid

Level	Frequency	Tool	Target
Unit	High	Vitest/Jest	Utilities, hooks, reducers
Integration	Medium	React Testing Library	Feature modules, pages
E2E	Low	Cypress/Playwright	Critical user journeys

Procedures

Decomposing a Large Component

1. Identify concerns: data fetching, event handling, rendering sections
2. Extract stateful logic into a useFeatureName custom hook
3. Split rendering into sub-components (each < 200 lines)
4. Connect via props or composition (children/slots)
5. Create index.ts barrel exporting only the public API

Organizing a New Feature Directory

feature-name/
├── index.ts              # Public API (barrel)
├── feature-name.tsx      # Main component
├── feature-name.test.tsx # Integration test
├── components/           # Sub-components
├── hooks/                # Custom hooks
├── types/                # TypeScript types
├── utils/                # Pure helper functions
└── constants.ts          # Feature-specific constants

Promoting Shared Code

1. Code starts local to its feature/page
2. When a second consumer appears, consider if duplication is acceptable
3. When three or more consumers exist, promote to shared/ or entities/
4. Update the barrel index.ts in the target directory
5. Update all imports to use the new shared path

Applying Composition Patterns

Slots pattern — when a layout needs pluggable sections:

function Layout({ header, sidebar, content }: LayoutProps) {
  return (
    <div>
      <header>{header}</header>
      <aside>{sidebar}</aside>
      <main>{content}</main>
    </div>
  );
}

Compound components — when sub-components share implicit state:

<Tabs>
  <Tabs.List>
    <Tabs.Trigger value="a">Tab A</Tabs.Trigger>
  </Tabs.List>
  <Tabs.Content value="a">Content A</Tabs.Content>
</Tabs>