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ADR-001: Use React and TypeScript for Frontend

Date: 2025-10-06 Status: Accepted Deciders: Development Team Tags: frontend, language, framework

Context​

We need to choose a frontend framework and programming language for building a browser-based IDE with complex state management, real-time updates, and integration with multiple services.

Decision​

We will use React 18 with TypeScript 5.3 for the frontend application.

Rationale​

React Benefits​

  1. Component Model: Excellent for complex, reusable UI components
  2. Ecosystem: Large ecosystem with libraries for every need
  3. Monaco Integration: Official Monaco editor React wrapper
  4. Performance: Virtual DOM and reconciliation for efficient updates
  5. Developer Experience: Hot reload, dev tools, widespread knowledge

TypeScript Benefits​

  1. Type Safety: Catch errors at compile time
  2. IDE Support: Excellent autocomplete and refactoring
  3. Documentation: Types serve as inline documentation
  4. Refactoring: Safe large-scale changes
  5. Team Collaboration: Clear interfaces and contracts

Alternatives Considered​

Vue.js​

  • Pros: Simpler learning curve, good performance
  • Cons: Smaller ecosystem, less mature TypeScript support
  • Rejected: React's ecosystem better suited for Monaco/xterm integration

Svelte​

  • Pros: Excellent performance, less boilerplate
  • Cons: Smaller ecosystem, fewer IDE libraries
  • Rejected: Lack of mature IDE component libraries

Vanilla JavaScript​

  • Pros: No framework overhead, full control
  • Cons: Need to build state management from scratch
  • Rejected: Too much boilerplate for complex IDE features

Consequences​

Positive​

  • Strong type checking reduces bugs
  • Large community support
  • Easy to find developers familiar with the stack
  • Excellent tooling and IDE support

Negative​

  • Larger bundle size than lightweight alternatives
  • Learning curve for TypeScript
  • Build step required

Implementation​

{
  "react": "^18.2.0",
  "typescript": "^5.3.3"
}