What is @storybook/csf?
The @storybook/csf (Component Story Format) package is a set of tools and utilities for defining component examples in Storybook. It provides a standardized format for writing stories and allows developers to take advantage of features like auto-generated documentation, controls for live editing of component props, and more.
What are @storybook/csf's main functionalities?
Defining stories
This feature allows developers to define stories for their components. A story is a single state of a component, and with CSF, stories are written as ES6 modules that export a default object with component metadata and named exports for each story.
import { Meta, Story } from '@storybook/csf';
export default {
title: 'Button',
component: Button,
} as Meta;
const Template: Story<ButtonProps> = (args) => <Button {...args} />;
export const Primary = Template.bind({});
Primary.args = {
primary: true,
label: 'Button',
};
Args
Args are the dynamic values that a story accepts. They are used to change the state of the component in the story. In the code sample, 'Secondary' is a story that uses the 'Template' but with different args to create a variation of the Button component.
export const Secondary = Template.bind({});
Secondary.args = {
label: 'Button',
};
Parameters
Parameters are Storybook's mechanism for providing static, named metadata about a story. In this example, the 'Primary' story is given a custom background parameter to change the background color in the Storybook UI.
Primary.parameters = {
backgrounds: {
values: [{ name: 'red', value: '#f00' }],
},
};
Other packages similar to @storybook/csf
react-docgen
React Docgen is a CLI and toolbox to help extract information from React components, and generate documentation from it. It's similar to @storybook/csf in that it helps document components, but it does not provide a story format or integrate directly with Storybook.
docz
Docz leverages MDX to allow developers to write documentation alongside their code. It is similar to @storybook/csf in that it provides a way to showcase components and their usage, but it uses a different approach, focusing on markdown documentation rather than a structured story format.
Component Story Format (CSF)
Why a standard format?
Components have risen to dominate the UI landscape. There are new component-oriented tools for development, testing, design, and prototyping. These tools engage in the creation and consumption of components and component examples (a.k.a. stories). But each tool has its own proprietary format because a simple, platform-agnostic way to express component examples doesn't yet exist.
The "Story" is the source of truth for a component.
A story is a code snippet that renders an example of a component in a specific state. Think about it like a "user story".
It uses the production code shipped to users, making it the most accurate representation of a component example. What's more, stories are expressed in the view layer you use to build your app.
Component Story Format
The Component Story Format is an open standard for component examples based on JavaScript ES6 modules. This enables interoperation between development, testing, and design tools.
export default { title: 'atoms/Button' };
export const text = () => <Button>Hello</Button>;
export const emoji = () => <Button>ππππ―</Button>;
π Simple. Writing component "stories" is as easy as exporting ES6 functions using a clean, widely-used format.
π Non-proprietary. CSF doesn't require any vendor-specific libraries. Component stories are easily consumed anywhere ES6 modules live, including your favourite testing tools like Jest and Cypress.
βοΈ Declarative. The declarative syntax is isomorphic to higher-level formats like MDX, enabling clean, verifiable transformations.
π₯ Optimized. Component stories don't need any libraries other than your components. And because they're ES6 modules, they're even tree-shakeable!
Who uses CSF?
Tools: Storybook, WebComponents.dev, Components.studio, RedwoodJS, UXPin
Compatible with: Jest, Enzyme, Testing Library, Cypress, Playwright, Mocha, etc.
CSF utilities
A minimal set of utility functions for dealing with Component Story Format (CSF).
Install
yarn add @storybook/csf
API
See package source for function definitions and types:
-
storyNameFromExport(key)
- Enhance export name (key
) of the story. Implemented to have parity with startCase.
-
isExportStory(key, { includeStories, excludeStories })
- Does a named export match CSF inclusion/exclusion options?
-
parseKind(kind, { rootSeparator, groupSeparator })
- Parse out the component/kind name from a path, using the given separator config.
-
sanitize(string)
- Remove punctuation and illegal characters from a story ID.
-
toId(kind, name)
- Generate a storybook ID from a component/kind and story name.
Contributing
If you have any suggestions, please open an issue or a PR.
All contributions are welcome!
run tests:
yarn test