gitlab-org / gitlabdiscussions

Frontend Development & User Interface

Overview

The frontend development of GitLab Discussions is focused on providing a user-friendly and intuitive interface for engaging in discussions. The frontend codebase utilizes various technologies and frameworks to achieve this goal. This outline will cover the key aspects of the frontend development and user interface.

Technology Stack

  • React: https://reactjs.org/ - The primary framework for building the user interface. React’s component-based architecture enables modularity and reusability of UI elements.

  • Redux: https://redux.js.org/ - A state management library used to manage application state and data flow consistently across the application.

  • GraphQL: https://graphql.org/ - A query language used to retrieve data from the backend API.

  • Styled Components: https://styled-components.com/ - A CSS-in-JS library for styling components in a more maintainable and scalable way.

  • Jest: https://jestjs.io/ - A testing framework for JavaScript code.

Code Structure

The frontend codebase is structured into various directories and files, each responsible for a specific aspect of the application.

  • src:
    • components: Contains reusable UI components.
    • containers: Encapsulates application logic and state management.
    • pages: Contains specific page layouts and routing logic.
    • services: Handles communication with the backend API.
    • utils: Contains helper functions and utilities.
    • styles: Contains global styles and theme definitions.
    • types: Defines types for data and components.

User Interface Design

The user interface for GitLab Discussions is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, promoting effective discussion and collaboration. Key design elements include:

  • Discussion Threads: Discussions are organized into threads, allowing for focused conversations on specific topics.

  • Comments and Replies: Users can contribute to discussions by posting comments and replies, facilitating back-and-forth communication.

  • Reactions and Votes: Users can express their opinions and engagement with discussions using reactions and votes.

  • Notifications: Users receive notifications for new activity within discussions they are involved in.

  • Search and Filtering: Users can easily search and filter discussions based on keywords, topics, and other criteria.

Frontend Development Workflow

  • Component-Based Architecture: The frontend codebase utilizes a component-based architecture, where each UI element is represented as a reusable component.

  • Data Fetching and State Management: Data is fetched from the backend API using GraphQL and managed using Redux.

  • Testing: Unit and integration tests are written using Jest to ensure the correctness and reliability of the code.

  • Deployment: The frontend code is deployed to production using continuous integration and deployment tools.

Examples

  • Discussion Thread Component:
import React from 'react';
          import { DiscussionThread } from 'components/DiscussionThread';
          
          const DiscussionPage = () => {
            return (
              <div>
                <DiscussionThread discussionId={123} />
              </div>
            );
          };
          
          export default DiscussionPage;
  • Comment Component:
import React from 'react';
          import { Comment } from 'components/Comment';
          
          const CommentSection = () => {
            return (
              <div>
                <Comment commentId={456} />
              </div>
            );
          };
          
          export default CommentSection;
  • Search Functionality:
import React, { useState } from 'react';
          import { useQuery } from '@apollo/client';
          import { SEARCH_DISCUSSIONS_QUERY } from 'services/queries';
          
          const DiscussionSearch = () => {
            const [searchTerm, setSearchTerm] = useState('');
            const { data, loading, error } = useQuery(SEARCH_DISCUSSIONS_QUERY, {
              variables: { searchTerm },
            });
          
            return (
              <div>
                <input
                  type="text"
                  value={searchTerm}
                  onChange={(e) => setSearchTerm(e.target.value)}
                />
                {loading && <p>Loading...</p>}
                {error && <p>Error: {error.message}</p>}
                {data && (
                  <ul>
                    {data.discussions.map((discussion) => (
                      <li key={discussion.id}>{discussion.title}</li>
                    ))}
                  </ul>
                )}
              </div>
            );
          };
          
          export default DiscussionSearch;
  • Styled Components:
import styled from 'styled-components';
          
          const DiscussionTitle = styled.h2`
            font-size: 24px;
            font-weight: bold;
            margin-bottom: 16px;
          `;

Contribution Guidelines

  • Fork the Repository: Create a fork of the GitLab Discussions repository.

  • Create a Branch: Create a new branch for your changes.

  • Make Changes: Implement your changes and write tests to ensure the code works as expected.

  • Submit a Pull Request: Submit a pull request to the main repository with a clear description of your changes.

  • Follow the Code Style Guide: Adhere to the existing code style guide to ensure consistency across the project.

References