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Static Code Analysis in a React App

· 3 min read
NBT
NBT
Sr. Software Architect

Introduction​

Code quality is crucial in modern web development, ensuring that projects remain maintainable, readable, and free from potential issues. In this guide, we will set up static code analysis in a React project using Yarn, integrating the following tools:

  • Husky → Manages Git hooks to enforce linting before commits.
  • Lint-staged → Runs linters only on staged files for efficiency.
  • ESLint → Lints JavaScript/TypeScript code for better quality.
  • Prettier → Formats code automatically for consistency.
  • Stylelint → Lints and fixes CSS/SCSS code.

Let's dive into the step-by-step setup.

1️⃣ Installing Required Packages​

Run the following command to install all necessary dependencies as dev dependencies:

yarn add -D husky lint-staged eslint prettier stylelint eslint-config-prettier eslint-plugin-prettier
eslint-plugin-react stylelint-config-standard

Why these tools?​

  • ESLint: Ensures consistent JavaScript/TypeScript code by enforcing best practices and detecting potential issues.
  • Prettier: Automatically formats code to maintain a uniform style.
  • Stylelint: Lints and fixes CSS/SCSS styles.
  • Husky: Hooks into Git workflows to run linters before committing changes.
  • Lint-staged: Runs linters only on staged files to improve efficiency.

2️⃣ Configuring ESLint​

To configure ESLint, create a file named .eslintrc.json in the root directory and add the following content:

{
  "extends": ["react-app", "prettier"],
  "plugins": ["prettier"],
  "rules": {
    "prettier/prettier": "error"
  }
}

Why ESLint?​

✅ Catches syntax errors early.
✅ Helps maintain a consistent coding style.
✅ Enforces best practices in JavaScript and React development.

3️⃣ Configuring Prettier​

To ensure consistent code formatting, create a .prettierrc.json file:

{
  "semi": true,
  "singleQuote": true,
  "tabWidth": 2,
  "trailingComma": "es5"
}

Why Prettier?​

✅ Automatically formats code on save.
✅ Eliminates debates over code style.
✅ Works seamlessly with ESLint.

4️⃣ Configuring Stylelint​

To enforce CSS/SCSS best practices, create a .stylelintrc.json file:

{
  "extends": "stylelint-config-standard",
  "rules": {
    "indentation": 2,
    "string-quotes": "double"
  }
}

Why Stylelint?​

✅ Ensures consistent styling rules.
✅ Detects and fixes errors in CSS/SCSS.
✅ Avoids potential styling issues in projects.

5️⃣ Setting Up Husky & Lint-Staged​

Installing Husky​

Initialize Husky:

yarn husky install

Modify your package.json to include Husky and lint-staged:

"husky": {
  "hooks": {
    "pre-commit": "lint-staged"
  }
},
"lint-staged": {
  "src/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}": [
    "eslint --fix",
    "prettier --write"
  ],
  "src/**/*.{css,scss}": [
    "stylelint --fix",
    "prettier --write"
  ]
}

Enable Pre-Commit Hook​

Run the following command to enable Husky’s pre-commit hook:

yarn husky add .husky/pre-commit "yarn lint-staged"

Why Husky & Lint-Staged?​

✅ Prevents committing bad code.
✅ Runs linters only on changed files (performance-friendly).
✅ Ensures consistent formatting and linting before every commit.

6️⃣ Running Linters Manually​

To check code quality manually, run:

yarn lint       # Runs ESLint
yarn format     # Runs Prettier
yarn stylelint  # Runs Stylelint

Conclusion​

By following these steps, we have successfully set up Husky, lint-staged, ESLint, Prettier, and Stylelint in a React project using Yarn. This setup ensures:

✔ Better code quality
✔ Automatic formatting
✔ Enforced best practices
✔ Prevention of bad code commits

With this configuration in place, your React project will maintain high coding standards, making it more maintainable and scalable! 🚀