mattermost/webapp/channels/CLAUDE.OPTIONAL.md

CLAUDE: webapp/channels/

Purpose

• Main Mattermost web client workspace; almost every UI or Redux change flows through this package.
• Runs as an npm workspace – use --workspace=channels when installing deps or running scripts.
• Builds a federated bundle consumed by the server and plugins.

Local Commands

• npm run dev-server --workspace=channels – hot-reload development server.
• npm run build --workspace=channels – production bundle (invokes webpack config in this folder).
• npm run test --workspace=channels / npm run test:watch --workspace=channels.
• npm run check --workspace=channels and npm run fix --workspace=channels for lint/style fixes.

Directory Structure (src/)

src/
├── components/     # React components organized by feature (300+ subdirectories)
├── actions/        # Redux action creators (sync and async thunks)
├── selectors/      # Redux selectors for deriving state
├── reducers/       # Redux reducers for state management
├── utils/          # Utility functions and helpers
├── tests/          # Test utilities and helpers
├── i18n/           # Internationalization files
├── sass/           # Global SCSS styles and theme variables
├── types/          # TypeScript type definitions specific to the web app
├── store/          # Redux store configuration with redux-persist
├── plugins/        # Plugin integration points
├── packages/
│   └── mattermost-redux/  # Core Redux layer (actions, reducers, selectors)
├── entry.tsx       # Application entry point
└── root.tsx        # Root React component

State Management

• Redux + Redux Thunk: Central state management using Redux with thunk middleware for async actions.
• Redux Persist: State persistence using localForage with cross-tab synchronization.
• Mattermost Redux: Core Redux logic (state.entities.* for server data).
• State Views: state.views.* for UI state (modals, sidebars, preferences).
• Client4: Singleton HTTP client for API requests. Should only be used in Redux actions.

Key Files

• package.json – workspace-specific scripts, env vars, and browserlist targets.
• webpack.config.js – module federation + alias map; update remotes or exposes here only when necessary.
• jest.config.js – test roots, transformers, moduleNameMapper for workspace aliases.
• tsconfig.json – project references for src, tests, and embedded packages.

TypeScript Configuration

• Strict Mode: TypeScript strict mode enabled with strictNullChecks
• Path Aliases: Configured for @mattermost/* packages and mattermost-redux/*
• Composite Projects: Uses TypeScript project references for workspace packages
• No Any: Avoid any types; legacy code may have them but new code should be typed

Module Federation Notes

• Use channels/src/module_registry.ts to register async chunks; never import plugin remotes synchronously.
• Exposed modules must stay backward compatible; document any break in webapp/README.md.
• When adding a new remote, coordinate with server config (see webpack.config.js → remotes).
• Prefer wrapping plugin surfaces in adapter components so that federated boundaries remain stable.

Dependencies & UI Stack

• React 18, Redux 5, React Router 5, React Intl, Floating UI, Compass Icons, Monaco.
• Follow webapp/STYLE_GUIDE.md → Dependencies & Packages before introducing new libs.
• @mattermost/types, @mattermost/client, and platform/components are first-party packages; import via full package names, not deep relative paths.

Common Gotchas

• Postinstall builds platform packages—if TypeScript types feel stale, re-run npm install at repo root.
• Use npm add <pkg> --workspace=channels to avoid polluting other workspaces.
• Environment-specific overrides live in config/ on the server side; do not hard-code URLs or feature flags here.
• Webpack aliases mirror tsconfig paths; keep both in sync when adding a new alias.

References

• webapp/STYLE_GUIDE.md → Automated Style Checking, Dependencies & Packages.
• webapp/README.md for high-level architecture and release info.