# ui-dev

Guides UI work in a vanilla TypeScript renderer, with patterns for components, dialogs, dropdowns, and styling.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · ★ 1388
- Author: elirantutia
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/elirantutia/vibeyard/tree/HEAD/.claude/skills/ui-dev/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-09-03
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/ui-dev

## What it does

ui-dev documents the project’s conventions for building interface features in `src/renderer/`. It points to reusable components for custom dropdowns, modal forms, and alert banners, and calls for existing CSS classes when adding buttons. Complex dialogs belong in dedicated files under `src/renderer/components/`.

The guide also covers CSS variables, class naming, and factory-style components that return an instance with a `destroy()` method. Native `<select>` elements are ruled out in favor of `createCustomSelect`. That restriction matters when a new form needs a choice field: using the browser’s built-in control would break the project convention.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add elirantutia/vibeyard --skill ui-dev -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/ui-dev/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/ui-dev/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add elirantutia/vibeyard --skill ui-dev -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/ui-dev/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add elirantutia/vibeyard --skill ui-dev -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/ui-dev/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install elirantutia/vibeyard ui-dev
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/ui-dev/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add elirantutia/vibeyard --skill ui-dev -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/elirantutia/vibeyard --path .claude/skills/ui-dev
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/ui-dev/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add elirantutia/vibeyard --skill ui-dev -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/elirantutia/vibeyard/tree/HEAD/.claude/skills/ui-dev/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- add a keyboard-navigable dropdown
- build a form modal with field validation
- show an alert banner with actions
- style buttons using existing project classes

## Example prompts
- Add a mode dropdown with `createCustomSelect`.
- Build a modal with a name field and a checkbox.
- Show an alert banner above the terminal with a dismiss action.

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: daacbb0b3e80fd98.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE daacbb0b3e80fd98
````text
---
name: ui-dev
description: This skill MUST be used whenever the task involves UI development, renderer code changes, adding or modifying components, creating modals or dialogs, working with CSS styles, building new UI features, or touching any file in src/renderer/. Use this skill when the user asks to "add a button", "create a modal", "add a dropdown", "update the sidebar", "style a component", "add a new UI feature", or any renderer/frontend work.
---

# UI Development Guide

This project uses **vanilla TypeScript DOM manipulation** — no framework. All UI lives in `src/renderer/`. Follow the patterns and reuse the components documented below.

## Custom Dropdown / Select

**Never use native `<select>`.** Always use the custom select component:

```typescript
import { createCustomSelect } from './components/custom-select';

const select = createCustomSelect('my-select', [
  { value: 'a', label: 'Option A' },
  { value: 'b', label: 'Option B' },
  { value: 'c', label: 'Disabled', disabled: true },
], 'a'); // default value

// select.getValue() — get current value
// select.destroy() — cleanup
```

- **File**: `src/renderer/components/custom-select.ts`
- **CSS classes**: `.custom-select`, `.custom-select-trigger`, `.custom-select-dropdown`, `.custom-select-item`
- Supports keyboard navigation (Arrow keys, Enter, Escape, Tab)

## Modals

Use `showModal()` for generic modals with form fields:

```typescript
import { showModal, closeModal, setModalError } from './components/modal';

showModal('My Title', [
  { id: 'name', label: 'Name', type: 'text', placeholder: 'Enter name' },
  { id: 'option', label: 'Option', type: 'select', options: [...] },
  { id: 'enabled', label: 'Enable feature', type: 'checkbox' },
], (values) => {
  // values is Record<string, string>
  if (!values.name) {
    setModalError('name', 'Name is required');
    return;
  }
  // ... handle confirm
  closeModal();
});
```

- **File**: `src/renderer/components/modal.ts`
- Exports: `showModal()`, `closeModal()`, `setModalError()`
- Supports field types: `text`, `checkbox`, `select` (uses custom select internally)
- Supports field buttons (e.g., a "Browse" button next to a text input)
- Keyboard: Enter to confirm, Escape to cancel

For specialized modals (complex layout, multi-pane, unique behavior), create a dedicated file in `src/renderer/components/` following the existing pattern (e.g., `preferences-modal.ts`, `usage-modal.ts`).

## Alert Banners

For in-context alerts shown above the terminal:

```typescript
import { showAlertBanner, removeAlertBanner } from './components/alert-banner';

showAlertBanner({
  icon: '⚠️',
  message: 'Something happened',
  ctaLabel: 'Fix it',
  onCta: () => { /* handle action */ },
  dismissLabel: 'Dismiss',
  onDismiss: () => { removeAlertBanner(); },
});
```

- **File**: `src/renderer/components/alert-banner.ts`
- **CSS classes**: `.insight-alert`, `.insight-alert-icon`, `.insight-alert-message`, `.insight-alert-cta`, `.insight-alert-dismiss`
- Use `.insight-alert-info` variant for informational (blue) alerts

## Buttons

Use existing CSS classes — do not create new button styles:

| Class | Use for |
|-------|---------|
| `.btn-primary` | **Canonical primary/CTA button** (accent fill, `--accent-dim` hover, `--radius-md`). Use for every solid-accent action. Defined in `base.css`. |
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE daacbb0b3e80fd98

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the daacbb0b3e80fd98 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

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