Acknowledgements

The beginning of your journey with Web Components.

Foreword

A brief introduction to the set of specifications called Web Components. We'll introduce you to concepts such as Shadow DOM, HTML templates, Custom Elements v1 and uncover typical use cases for developing Web Components.

Introduction to Web Components

We'll introduce you to the mockups in Figma, the development environment used throughout the book, and other conventions used in this book.

Conventions Used In The Book

A guide for installing various technologies needed prior to coding the exercises in this book.

Setting Up The Development Environment

We'll look at what you'll learn throughout Fullstack Web Components.

Module 1 Summary

Introduction

In Part 1, you'll code a form using several Web Components specifications.

Specification

Part One

By developing the CardComponent, you'll get hands on experience with autonomous custom elements.

Autonomous custom elements

Before you can develop the CardComponent, you'll need to scaffold the component in Storybook.

Template Slots

Shadow DOM provides encapsulation for styling and template. You'll style CardComponent with CSS in the context of the autonomous custom element's Shadow DOM.

Styling CardComponent

Write integration and snapshot tests for CardComponent using Cypress and Storybook Storyshots.

Testing the card

You built an autonomous custom element with Shadow DOM, HTML templates, and ES Modules. Let's reflect on that.

Chapter One Summary

Getting to Know Web Components

Form-associated custom elements allow custom elements to participate in HTML forms. From validation to submission, you'll code a text input end-to-end.

Form-associated custom elements

Scaffold a form-associated custom element named TextInputComponent in Storybook.

TextInputComponent

You'll learn what distinguises a form-associated custom element from an autonomous custom element, the formAssociated property and ElementInternals interface.

Form Associated and ElementInternals

Form-associated custom elements don't come with a pattern that validates an entire form, so you'll implement a pattern that allows form validation.

Handling Validation

Using observedAttributes and attributeChangedCallback to listen and react to changes in custom element attributes.

Listening for attribute changes

You'll style the various interaction states of the TextInputComponent form-associated custom element.

User feedback

We've created a problem by encapsulating the HTMLInputElement by Shadow DOM. The HTMLInputElement API cann't be accessed by the outside world. In this section, you'll fix that by implementing getters and setters that emulate the HTMLInputElement on TextInputComponent.

Emulating HTMLInputElement

You'll update the Story and provide the missing APIs to TextInputComponent that allow the component to fully interact with a HTML form.

Making a form

Reviewing the work completed on the form-associated custom element TextInputComponent.

Chapter Two Summary

You'll code ButtonComponent, a customized built-in element that inherits accessibility characteristics from HTMLButtonElement.

Customized built-in elements

Scaffold the customized built-in element ButtonComponent with Storybook.

Scaffolding ButtonComponent

Customized built-ins can't benefit from the encapsulation provided by Shadow DOM, so you'll have to find another way to style ButtonComponent.

Styling ButtonComponent

Revist the HTML form by making the user experience more accessible.

Making the form accessible

How customized built-in elements can make custom elements more accessible.

Chapter Three Summary

You'll learn best practices for developing a UI Library with Web Components by coding a micro-library, developing two custom elements with the micro-library, and figuring out how to package the UI library for distribution.

UI Library

Part Two

You'll abstract common patterns intro reusable code in a micro-library powered by TypeScript Decorators.

Micro-library

How to code an interface for Web Components with TypeScript decorators that enables declaration of the selector, styles, and template.

Class Decorator

You'll code a method decorator named Listen that binds event listeners to class methods.

Method Decorator

In this chapter you learned how to code a micro-library with TypeScript decorators that streamlines Web Component development.

Chapter Four Summary

You'll investigate multiple methods for components to communicate by coding an editable table.

Component Communication

How to use mock data in Storybook to code Web Components.

Mocking Table Data in Storybook

You'll learn about three methods for custom elements to communicate, attribute drilling, CustomEvent, and BroadcastChannel.

Coding Compound Components

You'll learn about how to create a separation of concerns between the many custom elements that comprise the editable table.

Making the Table Editable

You learned about how to create a separation of concerns between various custom elements in the same user experience flow.

Summary

Compound Custom Elements

You'll learn how to code a common UX pattern (dialogs) using HTML templates and custom elements.

HTML Templates

You'll mock the DialogComponent in Storybook.

Mocking the Dialog in Storybook

You'll make a configurable dialog with custom elements.

DialogComponent

You'll scaffold two custom elements that leverage DialogComponent to display modals and tooltips.

Modal and Tooltip

You'll fix an issue faced in the last section by learning how to query for elements across Shadow boundaries.

Querying DOM Across Shadow Boundaries

You'll control the ordering and event cycle of dialogs with a custom class named DialogStack.

DialogStack

Summarizing the work completed in DialogComponent, ModalComponent, TooltipComponent, and DialogStack.

Chapter Six Summary

Powering Dialogs with HTML Templates

You'll learn best practices for organizing and distributing Web Component UI libraries.

UI Libraries

You'll learn brest practices for distributing Web Components by formatting the code with named exports, configuring the build with Rollup, providing a standard package format, and writing a custom Node.js script that enables you to publish packages.

Distribution

Custom Elements Manifest provides a wealth of information about each component. After generating a manifest, it will provide documentation for each component in Storybook.

Documentation

You'll learn how to setup continuous integration for the UI library with Github Actions.

Continuous Integration

Let's reflect on the best practices you learned for distributing UI libraries filled with Web Components.

Chapter Seven Summary

Distributing Custom Element Libraries

You'll integrate the UI library with a single-page application and code the end-to-end user experience with custom elements.

Application

Part Three

You'll provide a separation of concerns with custom elements in a single page application.

Application Development with Custom Elements

You'll scaffold the landing page with an autonomous custom element named MainView.

Landing Page

You'll code a global header with autonomous custom elements named AppHeader.

Header

You'll code another autonomous custom element that handles cookie authorization named CookieFooter.

CookieFooter

You'll lazyload an image with customized built-ins.

Background

You developed the landing page of the application, learning how to architect a separation of concerns between the UI components.

Chapter Eight Summary

To handle multiple views in the single page application, you'll need to implement a router that can navigate between each view.

Routing Custom Elements in a SPA

You'll code the Router class that handles the creation and removal of views in the application.

Routing

You'll code the necessary components and services required in the login view.

Login View

Integrate TableCardComponent into a third view of the single page application, the dashboard.

Dashboard View

You coded a single page web application with custom elements and a custom router.

Chapter Nine Summary

You'll server-side render the views of the application with Declarative Shadow DOM and @lit-labs/ssr

Server-Side Rendering Custom Elements

You'll declare a server-side renderable Declarative Shadow DOM HTML template for each component.

Declarative Shadow DOM Templates

To get custom elements to work in Node.js, you'll need to polyfill DOM APIs. Luckily, @lit-labs/ssr provides a tool that enables just that.

Shim

You'll develop Express middleware that server-side renders Declarative Shadow DOM HTML Templates with @lit-labs/ssr.

Express Middleware

You rendered custom elements server-side using Declarative Shadow DOM and @lit-labs/ssr.

Chapter Ten Summary

Server-side Rendering with Declarative Shadow DOM

The conclusion of the book Fullstack Custom Elements.

Conclusion

Fullstack Web Components

Enter your name and email address below, then click the **"Send my free chapter"** button to get started

There are several books about Web Components, but none go into how to integrate Web Components in a typical enterprise web development workflow. This book is designed to help you learn Web Components and integrate it into your work.

In this book, we cover the basics of Web Components, how to code complex user interfaces with custom elements in Storybook, how to test and maintain UI libraries built with custom elements, and how to build web applications entirely with Web Components and browser specifications. It comes with complete code examples. We walk through the entire process step-by-step.

It's taught by Stephen Belovarich, a software engineer and web developer. Stephen has provided what he's learned about UI libraries and web applications while working at Ubiquiti Networks, Norton, Nike, NBC Universal, and Workday, that can benefit other developers, students, and anyone making a website.

The Complete Guide to Building UI Libraries with Web Components

In this book, we will learn Web Components through the lens of a JavaScript developer.

The basics of working with and manipulating Web Components

The best practices for maintaining a UI library made of custom elements

How to create a micro-library for Web Components with TypeScript Decorators

What problems Web Components can solve in everyday development

How to build web applications entirely from Web Components and JavaScript

, a UI component that displays at the top of every view. 

 displays the corporate logo and link that navigates to the 

 you have yet to develop. This link on the right side of 

 only should appear if the user isn't authenticated with the server. The backend provides a REST API endpoint at 

 that responds if the user currently has a session with the backend after the user has authenticated. When the user clicks on the logo, the browser should navigate to the 

, but to ensure the application can scale and other components can make similar requests, you'll code a 

 that contains the logic for making the HTTP request with 

 and serializes the response for consumption in UI components. The serialized response should be type defined for reuse as well.

, declaring a template and styling for the component and then develop 

 in parallel. Make a new directory for application components at 

mkdir packages/client/src/component/header

touch packages/client/src/component/header/AppHeader.ts

 to develop an autonomous custom element.

import { attachShadow, html, css, Component } from "@in/common";

 that implement template strings where you'll declare styling and template for 

const styles = css``;
const shadowTemplate = html``;

 decorator, declare a new custom element with the selector 

 Use Shadow DOM for this component in the 

@Component({
  selector: "app-header",
  style: styles,
  template: shadowTemplate,
})
export class AppHeader extends HTMLElement {
  constructor() {
    super();
    attachShadow(this);
  }
}

 that serves as an index for all application components.

touch packages/client/src/component/index.ts

 from packages/client/src/component/index.ts

export { AppHeader } from "./header/AppHeader";

. The icon on the left side of the global header should be an instance of 

 is exported from the application entry point, you should be able to develop with it, but first update the 

const shadowTemplate = html`
  <app-header></app-header>
  <div id="content-root"></div>
  <footer></footer>
`;

packages/client/src/component/header/AppHeader.ts

, add an icon button and link to the template.

---
title: Header
description: You'll code a global header with autonomous custom elements named AppHeader.
isPublicLesson: true
---

## App Header

In this section, you'll build out the `AppHeader`, a UI component that displays at the top of every view. `AppHeader` displays the corporate logo and link that navigates to the `LoginView` you have yet to develop. This link on the right side of `AppHeader` only should appear if the user isn't authenticated with the server. The backend provides a REST API endpoint at <http://localhost:4443/api/session> that responds if the user currently has a session with the backend after the user has authenticated. When the user clicks on the logo, the browser should navigate to the `MainView`.

You could make the HTTP request to the `api/session` endpoint from the context of `AppHeader`, but to ensure the application can scale and other components can make similar requests, you'll code a `SessionService` that contains the logic for making the HTTP request with `fetch` and serializes the response for consumption in UI components. The serialized response should be type defined for reuse as well.

First, you'll scaffold `AppHeader`, declaring a template and styling for the component and then develop `SessionService` in parallel. Make a new directory for application components at `packages/client/src/component`.

```bash
mkdir packages/client/src/component
```

Put a directory named header in `packages/client/src/component`.

```bash
mkdir packages/client/src/component/header
```

Make a new file named `AppHeader.ts` in the header directory.

```bash
touch packages/client/src/component/header/AppHeader.ts
```

Import the necessary `function` and decorators from `@in/common` to develop an autonomous custom element.

```typescript
import { attachShadow, html, css, Component } from "@in/common";
```

Declare two `const` that implement template strings where you'll declare styling and template for `AppHeader`.

```typescript
const styles = css``;
const shadowTemplate = html``;
```

Using the `@Component` decorator, declare a new custom element with the selector `app-header` and set the `style` and `template` properties to the two `const` you declared earlier. Export a new `class` named `AppHeader` that extends `HTMLElement` Use Shadow DOM for this component in the `constructor` by calling `attachShadow`.

```typescript
@Component({
  selector: "app-header",
  style: styles,
  template: shadowTemplate,
})
export class AppHeader extends HTMLElement {
  constructor() {
    super();
    attachShadow(this);
  }
}
```

Make a new file named `index.ts` in `packages/client/src/component` that serves as an index for all application components.

```bash
touch packages/client/src/component/index.ts
```

Export `AppHeader` from packages/client/src/component/index.ts

```typescript
export { AppHeader } from "./header/AppHeader";
```

Export `AppHeader` from packages/client/src/index.ts.

```typescript
export { AppHeader } from "./component";
```

While you're working in `packages/client/src/index.ts`, export the necessary component from `@in/ui` you'll be working with in `AppHeader`. The icon on the left side of the global header should be an instance of `ButtonComponent`. when you are done, `index.ts` should appear like below.

```typescript
const mainView = document.createElement("main-view");
document.querySelector("#root").appendChild(mainView);

export { ButtonComponent } from "@in/ui";
export { AppHeader } from "./component";
export { MainView } from "./view/main/MainView";
```

### Template

Now `AppHeader` is exported from the application entry point, you should be able to develop with it, but first update the `MainView` template, replacing the `HTMLHeaderElement` with the `AppHeader` custom element.

```typescript
const shadowTemplate = html`
  <app-header></app-header>
  <div id="content-root"></div>
  <footer></footer>
`;
```

In `packages/client/src/component/header/AppHeader.ts`, add an icon button and link to the template.

```typescript
const shadowTemplate = html`
  <button is="in-button" class="in-button icon logo"></button>
  <a href="/login" class="login-link">Login</a>
`;
```

Add the SVG icon to the template.

```typescript
const shadowTemplate = html`
  <button is="in-button" class="in-button icon logo">
    <svg
      width="1024"
      height="1024"
      viewBox="0 0 1024 1024"
      fill="none"
      xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
    >
      <circle cx="512" cy="512" r="512" fill="#FF2D55" />
      <path
        d="M345.544 493.056L282.056 1024H125.384L188.872 493.056H345.544ZM375.24 347.648C375.24 360.277 372.509 372.224 367.048 383.488C361.587 394.411 354.419 404.139 345.544 412.672C336.669 420.864 326.429 427.52 314.824 432.64C303.56 437.419 291.955 439.808 280.008 439.808C268.061 439.808 256.627 437.419 245.704 432.64C234.781 427.52 225.053 420.864 216.52 412.672C208.328 404.139 201.672 394.411 196.552 383.488C191.432 372.224 188.872 360.277 188.872 347.648C188.872 335.019 191.432 323.072 196.552 311.808C201.672 300.544 208.499 290.645 217.032 282.112C225.907 273.579 235.805 266.923 246.728 262.144C257.651 257.024 269.085 254.464 281.032 254.464C293.32 254.464 305.096 256.853 316.36 261.632C327.624 266.411 337.523 273.067 346.056 281.6C354.931 290.133 361.928 300.032 367.048 311.296C372.509 322.56 375.24 334.677 375.24 347.648ZM583.92 584.704C609.52 550.571 637.509 525.483 667.888 509.44C698.267 493.056 729.669 484.864 762.096 484.864C783.941 484.864 803.909 489.301 822 498.176C840.432 507.051 855.621 520.021 867.568 537.088C879.856 554.155 888.56 575.317 893.68 600.576C898.8 625.493 899.312 654.165 895.216 686.592L855.28 1024H696.56L736.496 686.592C738.203 672.256 738.715 660.139 738.032 650.24C737.691 640.341 735.984 632.491 732.912 626.688C729.84 620.885 725.573 616.789 720.112 614.4C714.651 611.669 708.165 610.304 700.656 610.304C689.051 610.304 676.933 613.888 664.304 621.056C651.675 628.224 639.557 638.464 627.952 651.776C616.688 664.747 606.277 680.619 596.72 699.392C587.163 717.824 579.653 738.304 574.192 760.832L545.008 1024H386.288L449.776 493.056H531.696C548.08 493.056 560.88 496.981 570.096 504.832C579.312 512.341 583.92 524.8 583.92 542.208V584.704Z"
        fill="white"
      />
      <mask
        id="mask0_102_150"
        style="mask-type:alpha"
        maskUnits="userSpaceOnUse"
        x="0"
        y="0"
        width="1024"
        height="1024"
      >
        <circle cx="512" cy="512" r="512" fill="#FF2D55" />
      </mask>
      <g mask="url(#mask0_102_150)"></g>
    </svg>
  </button>
  <a href="/login" class="login-link">Login</a>
`;
```