# GitHub Copilot & Claude Code Instructions
You are an assistant helping with development of the Home Assistant frontend. The frontend is built using Lit-based Web Components and TypeScript, providing a responsive and performant interface for home automation control.
**Note**: This file contains high-level guidelines and references to implementation patterns. For detailed component documentation, API references, and usage examples, refer to the `gallery/` directory.
## Table of Contents
- [Quick Reference](#quick-reference)
- [Core Architecture](#core-architecture)
- [Development Standards](#development-standards)
- [Component Library](#component-library)
- [Common Patterns](#common-patterns)
- [Text and Copy Guidelines](#text-and-copy-guidelines)
- [Development Workflow](#development-workflow)
- [Review Guidelines](#review-guidelines)
## Quick Reference
### Essential Commands
```bash
yarn lint # ESLint + Prettier + TypeScript + Lit
yarn format # Auto-fix ESLint + Prettier
yarn lint:types # TypeScript compiler
yarn test # Vitest
script/develop # Development server
```
### Component Prefixes
- `ha-` - Home Assistant components
- `hui-` - Lovelace UI components
- `dialog-` - Dialog components
### Import Patterns
```typescript
import type { HomeAssistant } from "../types";
import { fireEvent } from "../common/dom/fire_event";
import { showAlertDialog } from "../dialogs/generic/show-alert-dialog";
```
## Core Architecture
The Home Assistant frontend is a modern web application that:
- Uses Web Components (custom elements) built with Lit framework
- Is written entirely in TypeScript with strict type checking
- Communicates with the backend via WebSocket API
- Provides comprehensive theming and internationalization
## Development Standards
### Code Quality Requirements
**Linting and Formatting (Enforced by Tools)**
- ESLint config extends Airbnb, TypeScript strict, Lit, Web Components, Accessibility
- Prettier with ES5 trailing commas enforced
- No console statements (`no-console: "error"`) - use proper logging
- Import organization: No unused imports, consistent type imports
**Naming Conventions**
- PascalCase for types and classes
- camelCase for variables, methods
- Private methods require leading underscore
- Public methods forbid leading underscore
### TypeScript Usage
- **Always use strict TypeScript**: Enable all strict flags, avoid `any` types
- **Proper type imports**: Use `import type` for type-only imports
- **Define interfaces**: Create proper interfaces for data structures
- **Type component properties**: All Lit properties must be properly typed
- **No unused variables**: Prefix with `_` if intentionally unused
- **Consistent imports**: Use `@typescript-eslint/consistent-type-imports`
```typescript
// Good
import type { HomeAssistant } from "../types";
interface EntityConfig {
entity: string;
name?: string;
}
@property({ type: Object })
hass!: HomeAssistant;
// Bad
@property()
hass: any;
```
### Web Components with Lit
- **Use Lit 3.x patterns**: Follow modern Lit practices
- **Extend appropriate base classes**: Use `LitElement`, `SubscribeMixin`, or other mixins as needed
- **Define custom element names**: Use `ha-` prefix for components
```typescript
@customElement("ha-my-component")
export class HaMyComponent extends LitElement {
@property({ attribute: false })
hass!: HomeAssistant;
@state()
private _config?: MyComponentConfig;
static get styles() {
return css`
:host {
display: block;
}
`;
}
render() {
return html`
Content
`;
}
}
```
### Component Guidelines
- **Use composition**: Prefer composition over inheritance
- **Lazy load panels**: Heavy panels should be dynamically imported
- **Optimize renders**: Use `@state()` for internal state, `@property()` for public API
- **Handle loading states**: Always show appropriate loading indicators
- **Support themes**: Use CSS custom properties from theme
### Data Management
- **Use WebSocket API**: All backend communication via home-assistant-js-websocket
- **Cache appropriately**: Use collections and caching for frequently accessed data
- **Handle errors gracefully**: All API calls should have error handling
- **Update real-time**: Subscribe to state changes for live updates
```typescript
// Good
try {
const result = await fetchEntityRegistry(this.hass.connection);
this._processResult(result);
} catch (err) {
showAlertDialog(this, {
text: `Failed to load: ${err.message}`,
});
}
```
### Styling Guidelines
- **Use CSS custom properties**: Leverage the theme system
- **Use spacing tokens**: Prefer `--ha-space-*` tokens over hardcoded values for consistent spacing
- Spacing scale: `--ha-space-0` (0px) through `--ha-space-20` (80px) in 4px increments
- Defined in `src/resources/theme/core.globals.ts`
- Common values: `--ha-space-2` (8px), `--ha-space-4` (16px), `--ha-space-8` (32px)
- **Mobile-first responsive**: Design for mobile, enhance for desktop
- **Follow Material Design**: Use Material Web Components where appropriate
- **Support RTL**: Ensure all layouts work in RTL languages
```typescript
static get styles() {
return css`
:host {
padding: var(--ha-space-4);
color: var(--primary-text-color);
background-color: var(--card-background-color);
}
.content {
gap: var(--ha-space-2);
}
@media (max-width: 600px) {
:host {
padding: var(--ha-space-2);
}
}
`;
}
```
### View Transitions
The View Transitions API creates smooth animations between DOM state changes. When implementing view transitions:
**Core Resources:**
- **Utility wrapper**: `src/common/util/view-transition.ts` - `withViewTransition()` function with graceful fallback
- **Real-world example**: `src/util/launch-screen.ts` - Launch screen fade pattern with browser support detection
- **Animation keyframes**: `src/resources/theme/animations.globals.ts` - Global `fade-in`, `fade-out`, `scale` animations
- **Animation duration**: `src/resources/theme/core.globals.ts` - `--ha-animation-base-duration` (350ms, respects `prefers-reduced-motion`)
**Implementation Guidelines:**
1. Always use `withViewTransition()` wrapper for automatic fallback
2. Keep transitions simple (subtle crossfades and fades work best)
3. Use `--ha-animation-base-duration` CSS variable for consistent timing
4. Assign unique `view-transition-name` to elements (must be unique at any given time)
5. For Lit components: Override `performUpdate()` or use `::part()` for internal elements
**Default Root Transition:**
By default, `:root` receives `view-transition-name: root`, creating a full-page crossfade. Target with [`::view-transition-group(root)`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/::view-transition-group) to customize the default page transition.
**Important Constraints:**
- Each `view-transition-name` must be unique at any given time
- Only one view transition can run at a time
- **Shadow DOM incompatibility**: View transitions operate at document level and do not work within Shadow DOM due to style isolation ([spec discussion](https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/10303)). For web components, set `view-transition-name` on the `:host` element or use document-level transitions
**Current Usage & Planned Applications:**
- Launch screen fade out (implemented)
- Automation sidebar transitions (planned - #27238)
- More info dialog content changes (planned - #27672)
- Toolbar navigation, ha-spinner transitions (planned)
**Specification & Documentation:**
For browser support, API details, and current specifications, refer to these authoritative sources (note: check publication dates as specs evolve):
- [MDN: View Transition API](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/View_Transition_API) - Comprehensive API reference
- [Chrome for Developers: View Transitions](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/web-platform/view-transitions) - Implementation guide and examples
- [W3C Draft Specification](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-view-transitions/) - Official specification (evolving)
### Performance Best Practices
- **Code split**: Split code at the panel/dialog level
- **Lazy load**: Use dynamic imports for heavy components
- **Optimize bundle**: Keep initial bundle size minimal
- **Use virtual scrolling**: For long lists, implement virtual scrolling
- **Memoize computations**: Cache expensive calculations
### Testing Requirements
- **Write tests**: Add tests for data processing and utilities
- **Test with Vitest**: Use the established test framework
- **Mock appropriately**: Mock WebSocket connections and API calls
- **Test accessibility**: Ensure components are accessible
## Component Library
### Dialog Components
**Available Dialog Types:**
- `ha-wa-dialog` - Preferred for new dialogs (Web Awesome based)
- `ha-md-dialog` - Material Design 3 dialog component
- `ha-dialog` - Legacy component (still widely used)
**Opening Dialogs (Fire Event Pattern - Recommended):**
```typescript
fireEvent(this, "show-dialog", {
dialogTag: "dialog-example",
dialogImport: () => import("./dialog-example"),
dialogParams: { title: "Example", data: someData },
});
```
**Dialog Implementation Requirements:**
- Implement `HassDialog` interface
- Use `@state() private _open = false` to control dialog visibility
- Set `_open = true` in `showDialog()`, `_open = false` in `closeDialog()`
- Return `nothing` when no params (loading state)
- Fire `dialog-closed` event in `_dialogClosed()` handler
- Use `header-title` attribute for simple titles
- Use `header-subtitle` attribute for simple subtitles
- Use slots for custom content where the standard attributes are not enough
- Use `ha-dialog-footer` with `primaryAction`/`secondaryAction` slots for footer content
- Add `autofocus` to first focusable element (e.g., ``). The component may need to forward this attribute internally.
**Dialog Sizing:**
- Use `width` attribute with predefined sizes: `"small"` (320px), `"medium"` (560px - default), `"large"` (720px), or `"full"`
- Custom sizing is NOT recommended - use the standard width presets
- Example: `` for alert/confirmation dialogs
**Button Appearance Guidelines:**
- **Primary action buttons**: Default appearance (no appearance attribute) or omit for standard styling
- **Secondary action buttons**: Use `appearance="plain"` for cancel/dismiss actions
- **Destructive actions**: Use `appearance="filled"` for delete/remove operations (combined with appropriate semantic styling)
- **Button sizes**: Use `size="small"` (32px height) or default/medium (40px height)
- Always place primary action in `slot="primaryAction"` and secondary in `slot="secondaryAction"` within `ha-dialog-footer`
**Recent Examples:**
See these files for current patterns:
- `src/panels/config/repairs/dialog-repairs-issue.ts`
- `src/dialogs/restart/dialog-restart.ts`
- `src/panels/config/lovelace/resources/dialog-lovelace-resource-detail.ts`
**Gallery Documentation:**
- `gallery/src/pages/components/ha-wa-dialog.markdown`
- `gallery/src/pages/components/ha-dialogs.markdown`
### Form Component (ha-form)
- Schema-driven using `HaFormSchema[]`
- Supports entity, device, area, target, number, boolean, time, action, text, object, select, icon, media, location selectors
- Built-in validation with error display
- Use `dialogInitialFocus` in dialogs
- Use `computeLabel`, `computeError`, `computeHelper` for translations
```typescript
this.hass.localize(`ui.panel.${schema.name}`)}
@value-changed=${this._valueChanged}
>
```
**Gallery Documentation:**
- `gallery/src/pages/components/ha-form.markdown`
### Alert Component (ha-alert)
- Types: `error`, `warning`, `info`, `success`
- Properties: `title`, `alert-type`, `dismissable`, `icon`, `action`, `rtl`
- Content announced by screen readers when dynamically displayed
```html
Error message
Description
Success message
```
**Gallery Documentation:**
- `gallery/src/pages/components/ha-alert.markdown`
### Keyboard Shortcuts (ShortcutManager)
The `ShortcutManager` class provides a unified way to register keyboard shortcuts with automatic input field protection.
**Key Features:**
- Automatically blocks shortcuts when input fields are focused
- Prevents shortcuts during text selection (configurable via `allowWhenTextSelected`)
- Supports both character-based and KeyCode-based shortcuts (for non-latin keyboards)
**Implementation:**
- **Class definition**: `src/common/keyboard/shortcuts.ts`
- **Real-world example**: `src/state/quick-bar-mixin.ts` - Global shortcuts (e, c, d, m, a, Shift+?) with non-latin keyboard fallbacks
### Tooltip Component (ha-tooltip)
The `ha-tooltip` component wraps Web Awesome tooltip with Home Assistant theming. Use for providing contextual help text on hover.
**Implementation:**
- **Component definition**: `src/components/ha-tooltip.ts`
- **Usage example**: `src/components/ha-label.ts`
- **Gallery documentation**: `gallery/src/pages/components/ha-tooltip.markdown`
## Common Patterns
### Creating a Panel
```typescript
@customElement("ha-panel-myfeature")
export class HaPanelMyFeature extends SubscribeMixin(LitElement) {
@property({ attribute: false })
hass!: HomeAssistant;
@property({ type: Boolean, reflect: true })
narrow!: boolean;
@property()
route!: Route;
hassSubscribe() {
return [
subscribeEntityRegistry(this.hass.connection, (entities) => {
this._entities = entities;
}),
];
}
}
```
### Creating a Dialog
```typescript
@customElement("dialog-my-feature")
export class DialogMyFeature
extends LitElement
implements HassDialog
{
@property({ attribute: false })
hass!: HomeAssistant;
@state()
private _params?: MyDialogParams;
@state()
private _open = false;
public async showDialog(params: MyDialogParams): Promise {
this._params = params;
this._open = true;
}
public closeDialog(): void {
this._open = false;
}
private _dialogClosed(): void {
this._params = undefined;
fireEvent(this, "dialog-closed", { dialog: this.localName });
}
protected render() {
if (!this._params) {
return nothing;
}
return html`
Dialog content
${this.hass.localize("ui.common.cancel")}
${this.hass.localize("ui.common.save")}
`;
}
static styles = [haStyleDialog, css``];
}
```
### Dialog Design Guidelines
- Max width: 560px (Alert/confirmation: 320px fixed width)
- Close X-icon on top left (all screen sizes)
- Submit button grouped with cancel at bottom right
- Keep button labels short: "Save", "Delete", "Enable"
- Destructive actions use red warning button
- Always use a title (best practice)
- Strive for minimalism
#### Creating a Lovelace Card
**Purpose**: Cards allow users to tell different stories about their house (based on gallery)
```typescript
@customElement("hui-my-card")
export class HuiMyCard extends LitElement implements LovelaceCard {
@property({ attribute: false })
hass!: HomeAssistant;
@state()
private _config?: MyCardConfig;
public setConfig(config: MyCardConfig): void {
if (!config.entity) {
throw new Error("Entity required");
}
this._config = config;
}
public getCardSize(): number {
return 3; // Height in grid units
}
// Optional: Editor for card configuration
public static getConfigElement(): LovelaceCardEditor {
return document.createElement("hui-my-card-editor");
}
// Optional: Stub config for card picker
public static getStubConfig(): object {
return { entity: "" };
}
}
```
**Card Guidelines:**
- Cards are highly customizable for different households
- Implement `LovelaceCard` interface with `setConfig()` and `getCardSize()`
- Use proper error handling in `setConfig()`
- Consider all possible states (loading, error, unavailable)
- Support different entity types and states
- Follow responsive design principles
- Add configuration editor when needed
### Internationalization
- **Use localize**: Always use the localization system
- **Add translation keys**: Add keys to src/translations/en.json
- **Support placeholders**: Use proper placeholder syntax
```typescript
this.hass.localize("ui.panel.config.updates.update_available", {
count: 5,
});
```
### Accessibility
- **ARIA labels**: Add appropriate ARIA labels
- **Keyboard navigation**: Ensure all interactions work with keyboard
- **Screen reader support**: Test with screen readers
- **Color contrast**: Meet WCAG AA standards
## Development Workflow
### Setup and Commands
1. **Setup**: `script/setup` - Install dependencies
2. **Develop**: `script/develop` - Development server
3. **Lint**: `yarn lint` - Run all linting before committing
4. **Test**: `yarn test` - Add and run tests
5. **Build**: `script/build_frontend` - Test production build
### Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Don't use `querySelector` - Use refs or component properties
- Don't manipulate DOM directly - Let Lit handle rendering
- Don't use global styles - Scope styles to components
- Don't block the main thread - Use web workers for heavy computation
- Don't ignore TypeScript errors - Fix all type issues
### Security Best Practices
- Sanitize HTML - Never use `unsafeHTML` with user content
- Validate inputs - Always validate user inputs
- Use HTTPS - All external resources must use HTTPS
- CSP compliance - Ensure code works with Content Security Policy
### Text and Copy Guidelines
#### Terminology Standards
**Delete vs Remove** (Based on gallery/src/pages/Text/remove-delete-add-create.markdown)
- **Use "Remove"** for actions that can be restored or reapplied:
- Removing a user's permission
- Removing a user from a group
- Removing links between items
- Removing a widget from dashboard
- Removing an item from a cart
- **Use "Delete"** for permanent, non-recoverable actions:
- Deleting a field
- Deleting a value in a field
- Deleting a task
- Deleting a group
- Deleting a permission
- Deleting a calendar event
**Create vs Add** (Create pairs with Delete, Add pairs with Remove)
- **Use "Add"** for already-existing items:
- Adding a permission to a user
- Adding a user to a group
- Adding links between items
- Adding a widget to dashboard
- Adding an item to a cart
- **Use "Create"** for something made from scratch:
- Creating a new field
- Creating a new task
- Creating a new group
- Creating a new permission
- Creating a new calendar event
#### Writing Style (Consistent with Home Assistant Documentation)
- **Use American English**: Standard spelling and terminology
- **Friendly, informational tone**: Be inspiring, personal, comforting, engaging
- **Address users directly**: Use "you" and "your"
- **Be inclusive**: Objective, non-discriminatory language
- **Be concise**: Use clear, direct language
- **Be consistent**: Follow established terminology patterns
- **Use active voice**: "Delete the automation" not "The automation should be deleted"
- **Avoid jargon**: Use terms familiar to home automation users
#### Language Standards
- **Always use "Home Assistant"** in full, never "HA" or "HASS"
- **Avoid abbreviations**: Spell out terms when possible
- **Use sentence case everywhere**: Titles, headings, buttons, labels, UI elements
- ✅ "Create new automation"
- ❌ "Create New Automation"
- ✅ "Device settings"
- ❌ "Device Settings"
- **Oxford comma**: Use in lists (item 1, item 2, and item 3)
- **Replace Latin terms**: Use "like" instead of "e.g.", "for example" instead of "i.e."
- **Avoid CAPS for emphasis**: Use bold or italics instead
- **Write for all skill levels**: Both technical and non-technical users
#### Key Terminology
- **"add-on"** (hyphenated, not "addon")
- **"integration"** (preferred over "component")
- **Technical terms**: Use lowercase (automation, entity, device, service)
#### Translation Considerations
- **Add translation keys**: All user-facing text must be translatable
- **Use placeholders**: Support dynamic content in translations
- **Keep context**: Provide enough context for translators
```typescript
// Good
this.hass.localize("ui.panel.config.automation.delete_confirm", {
name: automation.alias,
});
// Bad - hardcoded text
("Are you sure you want to delete this automation?");
```
### Common Review Issues (From PR Analysis)
#### User Experience and Accessibility
- **Form validation**: Always provide proper field labels and validation feedback
- **Form accessibility**: Prevent password managers from incorrectly identifying fields
- **Loading states**: Show clear progress indicators during async operations
- **Error handling**: Display meaningful error messages when operations fail
- **Mobile responsiveness**: Ensure components work well on small screens
- **Hit targets**: Make clickable areas large enough for touch interaction
- **Visual feedback**: Provide clear indication of interactive states
#### Dialog and Modal Patterns
- **Dialog width constraints**: Respect minimum and maximum width requirements
- **Interview progress**: Show clear progress for multi-step operations
- **State persistence**: Handle dialog state properly during background operations
- **Cancel behavior**: Ensure cancel/close buttons work consistently
- **Form prefilling**: Use smart defaults but allow user override
#### Component Design Patterns
- **Terminology consistency**: Use "Join"/"Apply" instead of "Group" when appropriate
- **Visual hierarchy**: Ensure proper font sizes and spacing ratios
- **Grid alignment**: Components should align to the design grid system
- **Badge placement**: Position badges and indicators consistently
- **Color theming**: Respect theme variables and design system colors
#### Code Quality Issues
- **Null checking**: Always check if entities exist before accessing properties
- **TypeScript safety**: Handle potentially undefined array/object access
- **Import organization**: Remove unused imports and use proper type imports
- **Event handling**: Properly subscribe and unsubscribe from events
- **Memory leaks**: Clean up subscriptions and event listeners
#### Configuration and Props
- **Optional parameters**: Make configuration fields optional when sensible
- **Smart defaults**: Provide reasonable default values
- **Future extensibility**: Design APIs that can be extended later
- **Validation**: Validate configuration before applying changes
## Review Guidelines
### Core Requirements Checklist
- [ ] TypeScript strict mode passes (`yarn lint:types`)
- [ ] No ESLint errors or warnings (`yarn lint:eslint`)
- [ ] Prettier formatting applied (`yarn lint:prettier`)
- [ ] Lit analyzer passes (`yarn lint:lit`)
- [ ] Component follows Lit best practices
- [ ] Proper error handling implemented
- [ ] Loading states handled
- [ ] Mobile responsive
- [ ] Theme variables used
- [ ] Translations added
- [ ] Accessible to screen readers
- [ ] Tests added (where applicable)
- [ ] No console statements (use proper logging)
- [ ] Unused imports removed
- [ ] Proper naming conventions
### Text and Copy Checklist
- [ ] Follows terminology guidelines (Delete vs Remove, Create vs Add)
- [ ] Localization keys added for all user-facing text
- [ ] Uses "Home Assistant" (never "HA" or "HASS")
- [ ] Sentence case for ALL text (titles, headings, buttons, labels)
- [ ] American English spelling
- [ ] Friendly, informational tone
- [ ] Avoids abbreviations and jargon
- [ ] Correct terminology (add-on not addon, integration not component)
### Component-Specific Checks
- [ ] Dialogs implement HassDialog interface
- [ ] Dialog styling uses haStyleDialog
- [ ] Dialog accessibility includes dialogInitialFocus
- [ ] ha-alert used correctly for messages
- [ ] ha-form uses proper schema structure
- [ ] Components handle all states (loading, error, unavailable)
- [ ] Entity existence checked before property access
- [ ] Event subscriptions properly cleaned up