The Empire UI blog

2026-11-09 · 9 min read

Workbox Service Worker in React: Caching Strategies for PWA

Set up Workbox in a React PWA with real caching strategies - cache-first, network-first, stale-while-revalidate - and ship offline support that actually works.

Read →

2026-11-08 · 9 min read

Capacitor + React: Mobile Apps From Your Web Codebase

Ship iOS and Android apps from your existing React codebase using Capacitor. Full setup, native plugins, and real gotchas from production builds.

Read →

2026-11-07 · 9 min read

Tauri + React: Build Desktop Apps With Web Technologies

Tauri lets you ship native desktop apps using React and TypeScript, with a Rust core that's 10x smaller than Electron. Here's how to actually build one.

Read →

2026-11-05 · 8 min read

Astro + React: Using React Components in an Astro Site

Ship React components inside an Astro site without the full SPA overhead. A practical walkthrough of Islands Architecture, hydration directives, and sharing state.

Read →

2026-10-30 · 8 min read

Server-Sent Events in React: Real-Time Data Without WebSockets

SSE gives you real-time server-to-client data in React without the overhead of WebSockets. Here's how to actually use it in production.

Read →

2026-10-29 · 9 min read

Canvas Animations in React: requestAnimationFrame, Particles, Paths

Learn how to drive canvas animations in React with requestAnimationFrame, build particle systems, and trace SVG-style paths - all without a library.

Read →

2026-10-29 · 8 min read

React Error Boundaries in 2026: Class, Hooks-Compat, Recovery UI

Error boundaries still matter in 2026 - here's how to write them cleanly, skip the class boilerplate, and build recovery UI that actually helps users.

Read →

2026-10-28 · 9 min read

react-three-fiber Intro: 3D Scenes in React With Three.js

Learn how react-three-fiber bridges Three.js and React so you can build real 3D scenes with JSX, hooks, and familiar component patterns - no boilerplate required.

Read →

2026-10-26 · 9 min read

Vitest + React Testing Library: Full Setup From Zero

Set up Vitest and React Testing Library from scratch in 2026 - zero guesswork, real config, and patterns that actually hold up in production React projects.

Read →

2026-10-25 · 9 min read

React Refs Deep Dive: useRef, forwardRef, useImperativeHandle

Master React refs from basic DOM access to cross-component API exposure - useRef, forwardRef, and useImperativeHandle explained with real examples.

Read →

2026-10-25 · 9 min read

Playwright E2E Tests for React Apps: Setup, Fixtures, CI

Learn how to set up Playwright for React apps with reusable fixtures, page objects, and a bulletproof CI pipeline that won't slow your team down.

Read →

2026-10-23 · 9 min read

React Suspense Patterns: Loading, Error Boundaries and Nested Fallbacks

Master React Suspense with practical patterns for loading states, error boundaries, and nested fallbacks that won't make your users stare at spinners forever.

Read →

2026-10-21 · 8 min read

useTransition in React: Non-Blocking Updates and Concurrent Rendering

useTransition lets React defer low-priority state updates so your UI stays responsive. Here's exactly how it works and when you'd actually reach for it.

Read →

2026-10-20 · 8 min read

Glassmorphism Stats Widget: KPI Cards With Frosted Glass and Glow

Build frosted-glass KPI stat cards with backdrop-filter, glow borders, and animated counters. Full React + Tailwind code included.

Read →

2026-10-19 · 8 min read

Glassmorphism Pricing Table: Frosted Glass Cards With Highlight Plan

Build a frosted-glass pricing table in React with a highlighted "Pro" card, backdrop-filter blur, and Tailwind - step by step with working code.

Read →

2026-10-12 · 8 min read

Glassmorphism Sidebar Navigation: Frosted Glass Vertical Menu

Build a frosted glass sidebar nav in React with CSS backdrop-filter. Covers blur, transparency, active states, and accessibility in one guide.

Read →

2026-10-09 · 9 min read

Micro-Frontends in React: Module Federation, Single-SPA

Split your React monolith into independently deployable micro-frontends using Module Federation and Single-SPA - here's the real tradeoff breakdown.

Read →

2026-10-08 · 9 min read

Server-Side Streaming in React + Next.js: Suspense and RSC

Server-side streaming with React Suspense and RSC lets you ship HTML progressively - so users see content in milliseconds, not seconds. Here's exactly how it works.

Read →

2026-10-08 · 9 min read

WebAssembly in React: Rust, wasm-pack and Real-World Use Cases

Ship compute-heavy logic in React using Rust and wasm-pack. Real setup steps, actual use cases, and the honest tradeoffs you'll hit in production.

Read →

2026-10-05 · 9 min read

WebRTC in React: Video Calls, Screen Share, Peer-to-Peer Data

Build real-time video calls, screen sharing, and P2P data channels in React with WebRTC - no third-party SDK required. Practical code, zero fluff.

Read →

2026-10-04 · 9 min read

IndexedDB in React: Offline Storage With Dexie.js

IndexedDB feels like a punishment. Dexie.js fixes that. Here's how to wire real offline-first storage into your React app without losing your mind.

Read →

2026-10-04 · 9 min read

TanStack Query vs SWR in 2026: Data Fetching Library Showdown

TanStack Query v5 vs SWR v2 - a no-nonsense breakdown of caching, mutations, DevTools, and bundle size to help you pick the right one in 2026.

Read →

2026-10-03 · 9 min read

Web Speech API in React: Voice Input, Text-to-Speech in the Browser

Add voice recognition and text-to-speech to React apps using the native Web Speech API - no SDK required. Full hooks, error handling, and UI patterns.

Read →

2026-10-02 · 9 min read

React vs Svelte in 2026: Honest Comparison After 5 Years of SvelteKit

Five years deep into SvelteKit and still shipping React daily - here's what actually matters when choosing between them in 2026.

Read →

2026-09-26 · 9 min read

Color Palette Generator in React: Tints, Shades and WCAG Checker

Build a full color palette generator in React - tints, shades, hex/HSL conversion, and live WCAG contrast checking in under 200 lines.

Read →

2026-09-24 · 9 min read

Button Design System: Variants, States, Sizes and the API That Scales

Build a button system that actually scales - variants, states, sizes, and a component API that won't collapse under real product pressure.

Read →

2026-09-22 · 8 min read

Feedback Widget in React: Thumbs, Star Rating, Free Text

Build a production-ready React feedback widget with thumbs up/down, star ratings, and free text - all in under 120 lines, no extra dependencies required.

Read →

2026-09-21 · 8 min read

Keyboard Shortcut Display in React: ⌘K Badges, Legend, Cheatsheet

Build polished ⌘K badges, shortcut legends, and cheatsheet overlays in React - with accessible markup, Tailwind styling, and real keyboard event wiring.

Read →

2026-09-20 · 9 min read

Language Switcher in React: Dropdown, Flag Icons, i18n Routing

Build a polished language switcher in React with flag icons, i18n routing, and next-intl. Dropdown variants, RTL support, and URL-based locale switching covered.

Read →

2026-09-20 · 8 min read

Social Share Buttons in React: Twitter, LinkedIn, Copy Link

Build Twitter, LinkedIn, and copy-link share buttons in React from scratch - no bloated libraries, just clean components with real UX polish.

Read →

2026-09-19 · 9 min read

Live Chat Widget in React: Bubble Button, Message Window, Typing

Build a fully interactive live chat widget in React - bubble button, message window, typing indicator, and smooth animations. No third-party SDK required.

Read →

2026-09-19 · 9 min read

Multi-Theme System in React: CSS Variables + Context + localStorage

Build a production-grade multi-theme system in React using CSS custom properties, Context API, and localStorage - with zero re-renders and instant persistence.

Read →

2026-09-18 · 8 min read

Newsletter Signup in React: Form, Success State, Email Validation

Build a polished React newsletter signup form with email validation, success state, and loading UX - no library required. Copy-paste ready in 2026.

Read →

2026-09-18 · 8 min read

Empty State With Illustrations in React: SVG, Lottie and CSS Art

Build empty states that feel designed - not forgotten. SVG inline art, Lottie animations, and pure-CSS illustration techniques for React UIs.

Read →

2026-09-17 · 8 min read

Error Page Design in React: 404, 500, Maintenance Mode

Build polished 404, 500, and maintenance-mode pages in React and Next.js - with real component code, design patterns, and UI tips that don't look like defaults.

Read →

2026-09-17 · 9 min read

Survey Form in React: Multi-Step, Progress, Scale and Multiple Choice

Build a polished React survey form with multi-step flow, progress bar, Likert scales, and multiple choice - complete with state management and validation.

Read →

2026-09-16 · 9 min read

Video Player in React: Custom Controls, Fullscreen, Captions

Build a fully custom React video player with play/pause, seek, fullscreen, volume, and WebVTT captions - no third-party libraries required.

Read →

2026-09-16 · 8 min read

Cookie Consent Banner in React: GDPR, Animate In/Out, Store Prefs

Build a GDPR-compliant cookie consent banner in React with smooth slide animations, localStorage persistence, and granular category toggles. No bloated libraries.

Read →

2026-09-15 · 9 min read

Address Form in React: Country Select, Postcode Validation, Autofill

Build a production-ready address form in React with dynamic country select, per-country postcode validation, and browser autofill that actually works.

Read →

2026-09-15 · 8 min read

Settings Page in React: Tabs, Toggle Groups, Save Confirmation

Build a production-ready settings page in React with tabbed navigation, toggle groups, and a save confirmation pattern that actually feels right to users.

Read →

2026-09-14 · 9 min read

Analytics Dashboard in React: Charts, KPIs, Date Range Picker

Build a production-ready analytics dashboard in React with recharts, KPI cards, and a date range picker - from data wiring to responsive layout in one guide.

Read →

2026-09-14 · 8 min read

User Profile Card in React: Avatar, Stats, Follow Button, Bio

Build a polished React user profile card with avatar, bio, stats counter, and a follow button. Fully typed, accessible, and ready to drop in.

Read →

2026-09-13 · 9 min read

Billing Page in React: Plan Selector, Invoice Table, Card Update

Build a production-ready billing page in React with a plan selector, invoice history table, and card update flow. Stripe-connected, fully typed.

Read →

2026-09-13 · 9 min read

Activity Feed in React: Timeline, Filters, Infinite Load

Build a full activity feed in React with a timeline layout, type filters, and infinite scroll - no library magic, just composable hooks and clean state.

Read →

2026-09-12 · 9 min read

Shopping Cart UI in React: Slide-Over Drawer, Quantity, Promo Code

Build a full shopping cart UI in React - slide-over drawer, quantity stepper, promo code input, and animated item removal - with Tailwind CSS and Framer Motion.

Read →

2026-09-12 · 8 min read

Team Members UI in React: Invite, Role Select, Remove Member

Build a full team members UI in React - invite by email, pick a role, remove members - with real code and no-fluff patterns for SaaS dashboards.

Read →

2026-09-11 · 9 min read

Product Image Gallery in React: Zoom, Thumbnails, Touch Swipe

Build a production-ready product image gallery in React with pinch-to-zoom, thumbnail strip, and touch swipe - no heavy library required.

Read →

2026-09-10 · 9 min read

Checkout Form in React: Address, Payment, Review Steps with Validation

Build a multi-step checkout form in React with address, payment, and review stages - complete with Zod validation, Stripe-ready fields, and clean UX patterns.

Read →