File and folder naming convention for React.js components

React-Directory-Layout.md

File and folder naming convention for React.js components

Directory Layout #1

/actions/...
/components/common/Link.js
/components/common/...
/components/forms/TextBox.js
/components/forms/TextBox.res/style.css
/components/forms/TextBox.locale/en-US/...
/components/forms/...
/components/layout/App.js - The top-level React component
/components/layout/App.res/style.css
/components/layout/App.locale/en-US/...
/components/layout/Navigation.js
/components/layout/Navigation.res/style.css
/components/layout/Navigation.res/data.json
/components/layout/Navigation.locale/en-US/...
/components/layout/...
/components/pages/Home.js
/components/pages/Home.css
/components/pages/Account/index.js
/components/pages/Account/index.css
/components/pages/...
/core/...
/constants/...
/stores/...

Directory Layout #2

/actions/...
/components.common/Link.js
/components.common/...
/components.forms/TextBox.js
/components.forms/TextBox.css
/components.forms/...
/components.layout/App.js
/components.layout/Navigation.js
/components.layout/...
/components.pages/Home.js
/components.pages/Home.css
/components.pages/Account/index.js
/components.pages/Account/index.css
/components.pages/...
/core/...
/constants/...
/stores/...

CSS Class Names

CSS class names should be prefixed with a single letter corresponding to the component's type.

For example:

Component: /components/forms/TextBox.js, CSS class name: f-textbox { ... }
Component: /components/layout/Navigation.js, CSS class name: l-nagiation { ... }

I'm not sure I agree with using uppercase letters in file names. This could cause problems later when working with case sensitive file systems (like linux). As an example, you could create a file name /components/forms/TextBox.js and a different file named /components/forms/textbox.js on Linux but this will wreak havoc on an insensitive filesystem like OSX the moment you try to check out that code.

try this:

on a mac open a file name tmp and write some stuff in it.. then read the file TMP. It will be the same file... do the same on Linux and you will see tmp != TMP

## LINUX ##
$ echo 'foo' > tmp
$ cat tmp
foo
$ cat TMP
cat: TMP: No such file or directory

## MAC ##
$ echo 'foo' > tmp
$ cat tmp
foo
$ cat TMP
foo

This is why most frameworks that provide file generators (rails as an example) always generate lowercased filenames.

As a proof of concept... try cloning this example repository: https://github.com/parabuzzle/SensitiveCaseIsSensitive

notice on a mac how you're missing a file...

The scenario is this...

Developer A is working on a Mac and Developer B is working on Linux...

Developer A checks in a file named Links.js while Developer B creates a file named links.js

Developer B pulls the latest changes from Developer A and no merge conflicts happen.

Developer B commits changes and pushes up.

The code works in production (production is Linux).. but when Developer A pulls down the code, it doesn't work locally because Links.js is gone in favor of the newer links.js.

Confusion ensues as to how the code even works at all in production...

@parabuzzle That is an interesting point. It's preferred to have all directory/file names in lowercase.

If it's so bad, why does FB do it (look at their starter kit code and flux example on github)? I see no harm in using Capitals for components especially when those Components are capitalized in Code as well.

@dschinkel they're doing it wrong

It will be great if you specify any component naming convention.

Thanks !

@cztomsik @parabuzzle It's their framework, they set the rules. In React, all components by convention have capital names, as do their filenames. Simple. If you follow the convention, then the Mac/Linux situation described above would never happen. Any developer coming on a team should know the framework's conventions before committing code.

@parabuzzle met the same situation as your described

always use lower-case

and for react components, use *.jsx extension instead.

@dschinkel they could have build/environment steps enforced that make this less of an issue for a larger organization. VM's in the development process or what not. That doesn't make it right for every org.

lol @parabuzzle,

I do not see a reason you would create /components/forms/TextBox.js and /components/forms/textbox.js in the same directory.

Following your example with developers, it is for this same reason guides and conventions exist. If the developers are educated and confirm to the guide, that would never happen. You can also write scripts to check the naming structure if you're working a huge team with risks of some not being aware.

I prefer lowercase to make it more consistent and i agree with @parabuzzle

some interesting discussion : here

@koistya What do you put in the /core/ folder?

As a complete newcomer to react and trying to get some ideas around conventions, can I ask why in the example above:

/components.pages/Home.js
/components.pages/Home.css
/components.pages/Account/index.js
/components.pages/Account/index.css

Home starts with a capital as does it css file, but index starts with a lowercase letter, as does it css file? Is there some special significance to files named index?

If it's so bad, why does FB do it (look at their starter kit code and flux example on github)? I see no harm in using Capitals for components especially when those Components are capitalized in Code as well.

What an argument, omg...

@parabuzzle is right, camel case could generate a lot of errors on some SO and git.

I think that @parabuzzle argument is totally nonsense.

The problem in his example is having two files with the same name, differing only in the upper/lowercase of the first letter.

If we are all adopting the convention of using file names starting with an uppercase, I don't see how this could happen.

Then he comes saying that it's better not to stick with the convention and propose a solution for a problem that he's creating.

The discussions in this gist are valuable to me. Just FYI, here are some of my troubles caused by uppercase filename on Mac:

Use case 1: dev on Mac and build on Linux

Assume there’re a.js and b.js, and a line of code import { someFunc } from 'a.js'; in b.js ;

1. On macOS, it doesn’t make any differences if you rename a.js as A.js, import in b.js can be always resolved to the same dependency successfully, no matter in Node.js UT or in Webpack bundling;
2. But, after code is committed to git repo and gets built on Linux (e.g. by CI job), import in b.js would only be resolved as a.js; A.js will be considered as a totally different file, lack of a.js will cause build failure (no matter UT or Webpack bundling).

Use case 2: Git rename on Mac

No matter it’s a Git or Apple Git, no matter it’s prior to version 2.0.1 or newer, changing the filename case causes various troubles on macOS.
E.g. git mv myfile.txt MyFile.txt followed by a git reset (you don’t want to try it with production code...)

I'm confident that myself won't run into those troubles again, but it's often too late to warn junior members in my team.