Best Practices

This guide provides best practices for building efficient, maintainable, and scalable dashboards with Veltix.

Dashboard Design

1. Layout Principles

Visual Hierarchy

Place the most important information at the top-left (F-pattern reading)
Use consistent spacing and alignment
Group related components together
Use visual weight to guide attention


// Good layout structure
function DashboardLayout() {
  return (
    <div className="dashboard">
      {/* Header with title and controls */}
      <header className="dashboard-header">
        <h1>Sales Dashboard</h1>
        <div className="controls">
          <DatePicker />
          <ThemeToggle />
        </div>
      </header>
 
      {/* Main content area */}
      <main className="dashboard-content">
        {/* KPI row at top */}
        <section className="kpi-section">
          <KPICard title="Total Revenue" value="$1.2M" />
          <KPICard title="Growth Rate" value="+12.5%" />
          <KPICard title="Active Users" value="45.2K" />
        </section>
 
        {/* Charts in grid layout */}
        <section className="charts-grid">
          <BarChart data={salesData} />
          <LineChart data={trendData} />
          <PieChart data={categoryData} />
        </section>
      </main>
    </div>
  );
}

Responsive Design

Design for multiple screen sizes
Use flexible layouts
Test on different devices
Consider mobile interactions


// Responsive component sizing
const responsiveConfig = {
  mobile: {
    columns: 1,
    spacing: 8,
    fontSize: 14
  },
  tablet: {
    columns: 2,
    spacing: 16,
    fontSize: 16
  },
  desktop: {
    columns: 3,
    spacing: 24,
    fontSize: 18
  }
};

2. Data Visualization

Chart Selection

Use bar charts for categorical comparisons
Use line charts for time series data
Use pie charts for proportions (limit to 5-7 segments)
Use scatter plots for correlations
Use heatmaps for matrix data


// Appropriate chart selection
function ChartSelector({ data, type }) {
  const getChartComponent = () => {
    switch (type) {
      case 'categorical':
        return <BarChart data={data} />;
      case 'time-series':
        return <LineChart data={data} />;
      case 'proportion':
        return <PieChart data={data} />;
      case 'correlation':
        return <ScatterChart data={data} />;
      default:
        return <BarChart data={data} />;
    }
  };
 
  return getChartComponent();
}

Color Usage

Use semantic colors consistently
Ensure sufficient contrast ratios
Consider color blindness
Limit color palette to 5-7 colors


// Semantic color usage
const colorPalette = {
  primary: '#1890ff',
  success: '#52c41a',
  warning: '#faad14',
  error: '#f5222d',
  neutral: '#8c8c8c'
};
 
// Color-blind friendly palette
const accessibleColors = [
  '#1f77b4', // blue
  '#ff7f0e', // orange
  '#2ca02c', // green
  '#d62728', // red
  '#9467bd', // purple
  '#8c564b', // brown
  '#e377c2'  // pink
];

3. Performance Optimization

Data Management

Implement efficient data structures
Use pagination for large datasets
Cache frequently accessed data
Optimize data transformations


// Efficient data handling
function OptimizedDataComponent({ data }) {
  // Memoize expensive calculations
  const processedData = useMemo(() => {
    return data.map(item => ({
      ...item,
      normalizedValue: item.value / Math.max(...data.map(d => d.value))
    }));
  }, [data]);
 
  // Use virtual scrolling for large lists
  const VirtualizedList = memo(({ items }) => (
    <VirtualList
      height={400}
      itemCount={items.length}
      itemSize={50}
      itemData={items}
    >
      {({ index, style, data }) => (
        <div style={style}>
          {data[index].name}
        </div>
      )}
    </VirtualList>
  ));
 
  return <VirtualizedList items={processedData} />;
}

Component Optimization

Use React.memo for expensive components
Implement lazy loading
Optimize re-render cycles
Clean up event listeners


// Optimized component
const OptimizedChart = memo(({ data, config }) => {
  const chartRef = useRef(null);
 
  useEffect(() => {
    const chart = chartRef.current;
    
    // Setup chart
    chart.setOption(config);
    
    // Cleanup
    return () => {
      chart.dispose();
    };
  }, [config]);
 
  return <div ref={chartRef} style={{ height: 300 }} />;
}, (prevProps, nextProps) => {
  // Custom comparison for memo
  return (
    prevProps.data === nextProps.data &&
    JSON.stringify(prevProps.config) === JSON.stringify(nextProps.config)
  );
});

Code Organization

1. Project Structure

Monorepo Organization


veltix/
├── apps/
│   ├── web/              # Main application
│   ├── api/              # Backend API
│   └── docs/             # Documentation
├── packages/
│   ├── charts/           # Chart components
│   ├── ui/               # UI components
│   ├── core/             # Core utilities
│   └── types/            # TypeScript types
└── shared/
    ├── constants/        # Shared constants
    ├── utils/            # Shared utilities
    └── types/            # Shared types

Component Organization


components/
├── charts/               # Chart components
│   ├── bar/
│   ├── line/
│   └── pie/
├── ui/                   # UI components
│   ├── buttons/
│   ├── inputs/
│   └── layout/
└── dashboard/            # Dashboard components
    ├── header/
    ├── sidebar/
    └── content/

2. Code Standards

TypeScript Usage

Use strict TypeScript configuration
Define proper interfaces
Avoid any type
Use generics for reusable components


// Proper TypeScript usage
interface ChartData {
  id: string;
  value: number;
  category: string;
  timestamp: Date;
}
 
interface ChartConfig {
  type: 'bar' | 'line' | 'pie';
  data: ChartData[];
  options?: Partial<EChartsOption>;
}
 
const ChartComponent: React.FC<ChartConfig> = ({ type, data, options }) => {
  // Component implementation
};

Naming Conventions

Use PascalCase for components
Use camelCase for functions and variables
Use kebab-case for CSS classes
Use UPPER_CASE for constants


// Good naming conventions
const CHART_TYPES = {
  BAR: 'bar',
  LINE: 'line',
  PIE: 'pie'
} as const;
 
const useChartData = (dataSource: string) => {
  // Hook implementation
};
 
const ChartComponent: React.FC<ChartProps> = ({ data, config }) => {
  // Component implementation
};

3. State Management

Local State

Use useState for simple state
Use useReducer for complex state
Keep state as close to usage as possible
Avoid prop drilling


// Good state management
function Dashboard() {
  const [components, setComponents] = useState<Component[]>([]);
  const [selectedComponent, setSelectedComponent] = useState<string | null>(null);
 
  const addComponent = useCallback((component: Component) => {
    setComponents(prev => [...prev, component]);
  }, []);
 
  const updateComponent = useCallback((id: string, updates: Partial<Component>) => {
    setComponents(prev => 
      prev.map(comp => 
        comp.id === id ? { ...comp, ...updates } : comp
      )
    );
  }, []);
 
  return (
    <DashboardContext.Provider value={{ components, selectedComponent, addComponent, updateComponent }}>
      <DashboardContent />
    </DashboardContext.Provider>
  );
}

Global State

Use Context for theme-wide state
Use Zustand for complex state
Keep state normalized
Implement proper state persistence


// Global state with Zustand
interface DashboardStore {
  components: Component[];
  selectedComponent: string | null;
  theme: Theme;
  addComponent: (component: Component) => void;
  updateComponent: (id: string, updates: Partial<Component>) => void;
  setTheme: (theme: Theme) => void;
}
 
const useDashboardStore = create<DashboardStore>((set) => ({
  components: [],
  selectedComponent: null,
  theme: 'light',
  addComponent: (component) => 
    set((state) => ({ components: [...state.components, component] })),
  updateComponent: (id, updates) =>
    set((state) => ({
      components: state.components.map(comp =>
        comp.id === id ? { ...comp, ...updates } : comp
      )
    })),
  setTheme: (theme) => set({ theme })
}));

Security Best Practices

1. Data Security

Input Validation

Validate all user inputs
Sanitize data before rendering
Use TypeScript for type safety
Implement proper error handling


// Input validation
const validateComponentConfig = (config: unknown): ComponentConfig => {
  const schema = z.object({
    id: z.string(),
    type: z.enum(['chart', 'table', 'text']),
    position: z.object({
      x: z.number(),
      y: z.number()
    }),
    size: z.object({
      width: z.number().positive(),
      height: z.number().positive()
    })
  });
 
  return schema.parse(config);
};

Data Sanitization

Sanitize HTML content
Escape special characters
Validate URLs and file paths
Use Content Security Policy


// Data sanitization
import DOMPurify from 'dompurify';
 
const sanitizeContent = (content: string): string => {
  return DOMPurify.sanitize(content, {
    ALLOWED_TAGS: ['b', 'i', 'em', 'strong', 'a'],
    ALLOWED_ATTR: ['href', 'target']
  });
};
 
const SafeTextComponent: React.FC<{ content: string }> = ({ content }) => {
  const sanitizedContent = useMemo(() => sanitizeContent(content), [content]);
  
  return <div dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: sanitizedContent }} />;
};

2. API Security

Authentication

Implement proper authentication
Use JWT tokens
Validate API keys
Implement rate limiting


// API authentication
const apiClient = axios.create({
  baseURL: process.env.REACT_APP_API_URL,
  headers: {
    'Authorization': `Bearer ${getToken()}`,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  }
});
 
// Request interceptor
apiClient.interceptors.request.use((config) => {
  const token = getToken();
  if (token) {
    config.headers.Authorization = `Bearer ${token}`;
  }
  return config;
});
 
// Response interceptor
apiClient.interceptors.response.use(
  (response) => response,
  (error) => {
    if (error.response?.status === 401) {
      // Handle unauthorized access
      logout();
    }
    return Promise.reject(error);
  }
);

Data Encryption

Use HTTPS for all communications
Encrypt sensitive data
Implement proper key management
Use secure storage for tokens


// Data encryption utilities
import CryptoJS from 'crypto-js';
 
const encryptData = (data: string, key: string): string => {
  return CryptoJS.AES.encrypt(data, key).toString();
};
 
const decryptData = (encryptedData: string, key: string): string => {
  const bytes = CryptoJS.AES.decrypt(encryptedData, key);
  return bytes.toString(CryptoJS.enc.Utf8);
};
 
// Secure storage
const secureStorage = {
  set: (key: string, value: string) => {
    const encrypted = encryptData(value, process.env.REACT_APP_ENCRYPTION_KEY!);
    localStorage.setItem(key, encrypted);
  },
  get: (key: string): string | null => {
    const encrypted = localStorage.getItem(key);
    if (!encrypted) return null;
    return decryptData(encrypted, process.env.REACT_APP_ENCRYPTION_KEY!);
  }
};

Testing Best Practices

1. Unit Testing

Component Testing

Test component rendering
Test user interactions
Test prop changes
Test error states


// Component testing
import { render, screen, fireEvent } from '@testing-library/react';
 
describe('ChartComponent', () => {
  it('renders chart with data', () => {
    const data = [{ category: 'A', value: 100 }];
    render(<BarChart data={data} />);
    
    expect(screen.getByRole('img')).toBeInTheDocument();
  });
 
  it('handles click events', () => {
    const onClick = jest.fn();
    const data = [{ category: 'A', value: 100 }];
    
    render(<BarChart data={data} onClick={onClick} />);
    
    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('img'));
    expect(onClick).toHaveBeenCalled();
  });
 
  it('shows loading state', () => {
    render(<BarChart data={[]} loading={true} />);
    
    expect(screen.getByText('Loading...')).toBeInTheDocument();
  });
});

Hook Testing

Test hook logic
Test state changes
Test side effects
Test error handling


// Hook testing
import { renderHook, act } from '@testing-library/react-hooks';
 
describe('useDataSource', () => {
  it('loads data successfully', async () => {
    const { result } = renderHook(() => useDataSource('test-data'));
    
    expect(result.current.loading).toBe(true);
    
    await act(async () => {
      await result.current.refresh();
    });
    
    expect(result.current.loading).toBe(false);
    expect(result.current.data).toBeDefined();
  });
 
  it('handles errors', async () => {
    const { result } = renderHook(() => useDataSource('invalid-data'));
    
    await act(async () => {
      await result.current.refresh();
    });
    
    expect(result.current.error).toBeDefined();
  });
});

2. Integration Testing

Dashboard Testing

Test complete workflows
Test data flow
Test component interactions
Test theme switching


// Integration testing
describe('Dashboard Integration', () => {
  it('creates and saves dashboard', async () => {
    render(<Dashboard />);
    
    // Add component
    fireEvent.click(screen.getByText('Add Chart'));
    fireEvent.click(screen.getByText('Bar Chart'));
    
    // Configure component
    fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText('Title'), {
      target: { value: 'Sales Chart' }
    });
    
    // Save dashboard
    fireEvent.click(screen.getByText('Save'));
    
    expect(screen.getByText('Dashboard saved')).toBeInTheDocument();
  });
 
  it('switches themes', () => {
    render(<Dashboard />);
    
    const themeToggle = screen.getByRole('button', { name: /theme/i });
    fireEvent.click(themeToggle);
    
    expect(document.documentElement).toHaveAttribute('data-theme', 'dark');
  });
});

Performance Monitoring

1. Metrics Collection

Performance Metrics

Monitor render times
Track memory usage
Measure API response times
Monitor user interactions


// Performance monitoring
import { usePerformanceMonitor } from '@veltix/ui';
 
function DashboardWithMonitoring() {
  const { metrics, alerts } = usePerformanceMonitor({
    fps: true,
    memory: true,
    network: true,
    renderTime: true
  });
 
  useEffect(() => {
    // Log performance metrics
    if (metrics.fps < 30) {
      console.warn('Low FPS detected:', metrics.fps);
    }
 
    if (metrics.memory > 100 * 1024 * 1024) { // 100MB
      console.warn('High memory usage:', metrics.memory);
    }
  }, [metrics]);
 
  return <Dashboard />;
}

Error Tracking

Implement error boundaries
Log errors to monitoring service
Track user actions leading to errors
Monitor API failures


// Error tracking
import * as Sentry from '@sentry/react';
 
Sentry.init({
  dsn: process.env.REACT_APP_SENTRY_DSN,
  environment: process.env.NODE_ENV,
  integrations: [
    new Sentry.BrowserTracing(),
    new Sentry.Replay()
  ]
});
 
function ErrorBoundary({ children }) {
  return (
    <Sentry.ErrorBoundary
      fallback={<div>Something went wrong</div>}
      onError={(error, errorInfo) => {
        console.error('Dashboard error:', error, errorInfo);
        Sentry.captureException(error, { extra: errorInfo });
      }}
    >
      {children}
    </Sentry.ErrorBoundary>
  );
}

2. User Analytics

Usage Tracking

Track component usage
Monitor user interactions
Analyze performance patterns
Identify popular features


// Analytics tracking
import { useAnalytics } from '@veltix/ui';
 
function DashboardWithAnalytics() {
  const { track } = useAnalytics();
 
  const handleComponentAdd = (component) => {
    track('component_added', {
      component_type: component.type,
      dashboard_id: dashboard.id
    });
  };
 
  const handleThemeChange = (theme) => {
    track('theme_changed', {
      theme: theme,
      user_id: user.id
    });
  };
 
  return (
    <Dashboard
      onComponentAdd={handleComponentAdd}
      onThemeChange={handleThemeChange}
    />
  );
}

Documentation Best Practices

1. Code Documentation

Component Documentation

Document component props
Provide usage examples
Explain complex logic
Include TypeScript types


/**
 * BarChart component for displaying categorical data
 * 
 * @example
 * ```tsx
 * <BarChart
 *   data={[{ category: 'A', value: 100 }]}
 *   xField="category"
 *   yField="value"
 *   height={300}
 * />
 * ```
 */
interface BarChartProps {
  /** Chart data array */
  data: ChartData[];
  /** Field name for x-axis */
  xField: string;
  /** Field name for y-axis */
  yField: string;
  /** Chart height in pixels */
  height?: number;
  /** Chart color */
  color?: string;
  /** Enable animations */
  animation?: boolean;
}
 
const BarChart: React.FC<BarChartProps> = ({
  data,
  xField,
  yField,
  height = 300,
  color = '#1890ff',
  animation = true
}) => {
  // Component implementation
};

API Documentation

Document all public APIs
Provide code examples
Include error scenarios
Explain return types


/**
 * Hook for managing dashboard state
 * 
 * @returns Dashboard state and actions
 * 
 * @example
 * ```tsx
 * const { dashboard, addComponent, saveDashboard } = useDashboard();
 * 
 * addComponent({
 *   type: 'chart',
 *   position: { x: 0, y: 0 },
 *   size: { width: 300, height: 200 }
 * });
 * ```
 */
export const useDashboard = () => {
  // Hook implementation
};

2. User Documentation

Getting Started

Provide quick start guide
Include common use cases
Show best practices
Include troubleshooting

API Reference

Complete API documentation
Interactive examples
Type definitions
Migration guides

Tutorials

Step-by-step guides
Video tutorials
Sample projects
Community examples

Deployment Best Practices

1. Build Optimization

Bundle Optimization

Enable tree shaking
Use code splitting
Optimize images
Minimize bundle size


// Webpack optimization
module.exports = {
  optimization: {
    splitChunks: {
      chunks: 'all',
      cacheGroups: {
        vendor: {
          test: /[\\/]node_modules[\\/]/,
          name: 'vendors',
          chunks: 'all'
        },
        charts: {
          test: /[\\/]packages[\\/]charts[\\/]/,
          name: 'charts',
          chunks: 'all'
        }
      }
    }
  }
};

Environment Configuration

Use environment variables
Configure different environments
Implement feature flags
Set up monitoring


// Environment configuration
const config = {
  api: {
    url: process.env.REACT_APP_API_URL,
    timeout: parseInt(process.env.REACT_APP_API_TIMEOUT || '5000')
  },
  features: {
    realTimeUpdates: process.env.REACT_APP_REAL_TIME === 'true',
    advancedCharts: process.env.REACT_APP_ADVANCED_CHARTS === 'true'
  },
  monitoring: {
    enabled: process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production',
    dsn: process.env.REACT_APP_SENTRY_DSN
  }
};

2. CI/CD Pipeline

Automated Testing

Run tests on every commit
Check code coverage
Validate TypeScript types
Test build process


# GitHub Actions workflow
name: CI/CD
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v2
        with:
          node-version: '18'
      - run: pnpm install
      - run: pnpm test
      - run: pnpm type-check
      - run: pnpm build

Deployment Strategy

Use blue-green deployment
Implement rollback strategy
Monitor deployment health
Set up staging environment


// Health check component
const HealthCheck: React.FC = () => {
  const [health, setHealth] = useState('checking');
 
  useEffect(() => {
    fetch('/api/health')
      .then(response => response.json())
      .then(data => setHealth(data.status))
      .catch(() => setHealth('error'));
  }, []);
 
  if (health === 'error') {
    return <div>Service unavailable</div>;
  }
 
  return null;
};

Conclusion

Following these best practices will help you build robust, maintainable, and scalable dashboards with Veltix. Remember to:

Start Simple: Begin with basic functionality and iterate
Test Early: Write tests as you develop features
Monitor Performance: Keep an eye on performance metrics
Document Everything: Maintain comprehensive documentation
Stay Updated: Keep dependencies and practices current
Get Feedback: Gather user feedback and iterate
Plan for Scale: Design with future growth in mind
Security First: Implement security measures from the start

By following these guidelines, you’ll create dashboards that are not only functional but also maintainable, performant, and user-friendly.