Building Scalable React Applications with TypeScript

# Building Scalable React Applications with TypeScript

TypeScript has become an essential tool for building large-scale React applications. In this article, we'll explore best practices for structuring your React applications with TypeScript.

## Why TypeScript?

TypeScript provides several benefits for React development:

- **Type Safety**: Catch errors at compile time rather than runtime
- **Better IDE Support**: Enhanced autocomplete and refactoring capabilities
- **Self-Documenting Code**: Types serve as inline documentation
- **Easier Refactoring**: Confident code changes with type checking

## Project Structure

Here's a recommended folder structure for scalable React applications:

``
src/
├── components/
│ ├── ui/
│ └── features/
├── hooks/
├── types/
├── utils/
└── pages/
`

## Component Patterns

### 1. Typed Props Interface

`typescript
interface ButtonProps {
variant: 'primary' | 'secondary'
size: 'sm' | 'md' | 'lg'
onClick: () => void
children: React.ReactNode
}

export function Button({ variant, size, onClick, children }: ButtonProps) {
return (
className={btn btn-${variant} btn-${size}}
onClick={onClick}
>
{children}

)
}
`

### 2. Generic Components

`typescript
interface ListProps {
items: T[]
renderItem: (item: T) => React.ReactNode
}

export function List({ items, renderItem }: ListProps) {
return (

{items.map((item, index) => (

• {renderItem(item)}

))}

)
}
`

## Custom Hooks with TypeScript

Custom hooks become more powerful with TypeScript:

`typescript
interface UseApiResult {
data: T | null
loading: boolean
error: string | null
}

export function useApi(url: string): UseApiResult {
const [data, setData] = useState(null)
const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true)
const [error, setError] = useState(null)

useEffect(() => {
fetch(url)
.then(res => res.json())
.then(setData)
.catch(err => setError(err.message))
.finally(() => setLoading(false))
}, [url])

return { data, loading, error }
}
``

## Conclusion

TypeScript transforms React development by providing type safety, better tooling, and improved maintainability. Start small by adding types to your props and gradually expand to cover your entire application.

The investment in TypeScript pays off quickly in larger applications where type safety becomes crucial for team productivity and code quality.