Mastodawn

From Concept to Code: Creating Complex SPFx Solutions That Impress

1,499 words, 8 minutes read time.

There’s a moment every serious SharePoint Framework developer hits where the scaffolding magic wears off. The Yeoman generator stops feeling impressive. The web part renders, the property pane works, and suddenly you realize something uncomfortable. This isn’t hard anymore. And if it isn’t hard, it isn’t impressive. Real SPFx mastery doesn’t show up in hello-world demos or recycled samples. It shows up when a solution scales, survives real users, and still makes sense six months later when you open the code and don’t feel the urge to walk away.

The truth is that most SPFx solutions in the wild are fragile. They work just well enough to pass a demo, but under the hood they’re held together with duct tape, assumptions, and copy-pasted snippets from a blog post written in 2019. That might be fine if your goal is to ship something fast and forget about it. But if you want to build SPFx solutions that actually impress other engineers, survive enterprise reality, and quietly signal that you know what you’re doing, you need a different mindset.

This article is about that mindset. It’s about taking SPFx seriously as a professional platform and approaching it with the same discipline you’d bring to any complex system. We’ll walk through three critical ideas that separate average SharePoint developers from engineers who can design, build, and own large-scale SPFx solutions. We’ll talk about architectural discipline, engineering for real-world complexity, and writing code that earns long-term respect. No fluff. No beginner hand-holding. Just the stuff that actually matters when the stakes are real.

If you’ve ever looked at a SharePoint solution and thought, “This feels like a house built without a blueprint,” this one’s for you.

Architectural Discipline: Treating SPFx Like a System, Not a Script

The fastest way to sabotage an SPFx solution is to treat it like a glorified script instead of a living system. SPFx gives you modern tooling, TypeScript, React, dependency injection, and build pipelines for a reason. Ignoring that structure is like buying a full tool chest and tightening bolts with your fingers because it feels faster at the moment.

Architectural discipline starts with accepting that SPFx solutions grow. That simple web part will gain features, configuration options, API calls, and business rules whether you plan for it or not. Developers who impress are the ones who design for that growth from day one. They think in terms of layers. Presentation logic stays in React components. Business logic lives in services. Data access is abstracted behind interfaces. When something changes, it changes in one place instead of detonating across the codebase.

State management is another quiet separator. Beginners shove state everywhere until it works. Experienced developers decide where state belongs and why. They understand when local component state is enough and when shared state or context becomes necessary. They don’t overengineer with heavy frameworks, but they also don’t pretend complexity won’t arrive. They build for clarity first, because clarity is what survives deadlines.

Naming matters more than people admit. Clean, intentional naming is architectural discipline in disguise. When another developer opens your SPFx solution and immediately understands what each service does, you’ve already won half the battle. That’s not accidental. That’s the result of someone who writes code like it will be read under pressure, because it will be.

A strong SPFx architecture feels boring in the best way. Nothing is surprising. Nothing is clever for the sake of being clever. It’s the kind of codebase where adding a feature feels like tightening a bolt that fits, not forcing a wrench onto the wrong size and hoping it holds.

Engineering for Reality: Building SPFx Solutions That Survive Users, Data, and Time

The real world is hostile to bad assumptions. Users click things they shouldn’t. APIs throttle without warning. Permissions change mid-session. Data comes back malformed, incomplete, or slower than expected. SPFx solutions that impress are the ones that assume reality will punch them in the mouth and prepare accordingly.

Performance is the first place this shows up. Enterprise SharePoint pages are already heavy. If your web part blocks rendering, fires unnecessary API calls, or re-renders like a nervous twitch, users will feel it immediately. Strong SPFx engineers think about performance as part of the design, not as a patch applied later. They cache intelligently. They debounce calls. They respect the cost of every request. They know that milliseconds add up fast in a crowded page.

Error handling is where professionalism becomes visible. Anyone can write code that works when everything goes right. Writing code that fails gracefully is harder and far more impressive. A solid SPFx solution doesn’t crash silently or dump raw errors into the console and hope no one notices. It communicates problems clearly, logs intelligently, and degrades gracefully when something breaks. That’s not pessimism. That’s experience.

Permissions and security separate hobby projects from enterprise solutions. SPFx developers who understand the SharePoint security model, Microsoft Graph scopes, and tenant boundaries build solutions that respect least privilege. They don’t assume global admin access. They design for users who don’t have permissions they wish they had. That restraint is a mark of maturity.

Time is the final enemy. Solutions rot when they aren’t designed to adapt. APIs evolve. Business rules change. Teams rotate. Code that survives time is code that was written with humility, knowing it wouldn’t stay perfect forever. When your SPFx solution can absorb change without becoming brittle, you’ve built something worth respecting.

Code That Earns Respect: Maintainability, Testing, and Professional Craft

There’s a quiet pride that comes from opening an old project and realizing it still holds up. That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when developers treat maintainability as part of the job, not an optional luxury.

Testing in SPFx isn’t glamorous, but it’s one of the clearest signals that a developer knows what they’re doing. You don’t need to test everything. You need to test the right things. Business logic belongs under tests. Complex data transformations deserve coverage. UI behavior that drives decisions should be predictable. Tests aren’t about perfection. They’re about confidence.

Documentation is another underrated weapon. Not the bloated, academic kind, but the practical kind. A README that explains what the solution does, how it’s structured, and how to run it locally is worth its weight in gold. Inline comments that explain why something exists instead of what it does are the difference between guidance and noise.

Refactoring is where discipline shows up over time. Strong SPFx developers revisit their code. They simplify. They delete what’s no longer needed. They resist the temptation to stack hacks on top of hacks. This is where leadership lives, even if no one calls it that. Clean code tells the next developer, “I cared enough to make this easier for you.”

When your SPFx code earns respect, it’s not because it’s flashy. It’s because it’s solid. It works. It reads cleanly. It survives scrutiny. That’s the kind of reputation that follows you quietly from project to project.

Conclusion

Creating complex SPFx solutions that impress isn’t about showing off tricks or chasing the latest framework trend. It’s about taking responsibility for the full lifecycle of what you build. From concept to code, impressive SPFx work comes from architectural discipline, engineering for real-world conditions, and writing code that respects the people who will live with it after you move on.

Architectural discipline keeps your solutions from collapsing under their own weight. Engineering for reality ensures they survive users, data, and time. Professional craftsmanship turns your code into something others trust and build on.

If you’re serious about leveling up your SPFx work, commit to building fewer throwaway solutions and more systems you’d be proud to sign your name to. Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper dives into real-world SharePoint and SPFx engineering, leave a comment to join the conversation, or reach out directly if you want to talk shop. The platform isn’t going anywhere, and neither are the challenges. How you show up to them is what sets you apart.

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D. Bryan King

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The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. The information provided is based on personal research, experience, and understanding of the subject matter at the time of writing. Readers should consult relevant experts or authorities for specific guidance related to their unique situations.

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Bryan King Dec 8

From Zero to Hero in SPFx: Building Custom Web Parts Like a Pro

1,681 words, 9 minutes read time.

Why Mastering SPFx Still Matters

SharePoint may not have the trendiness of the latest JavaScript framework or the flash of a consumer-facing SaaS platform, but inside real organizations it remains the quiet machinery that runs the workflows, documents, data, and communication of entire enterprises. And in this ecosystem, the SharePoint Framework—SPFx—stands as the gateway to transforming SharePoint from “good enough” into exactly what your team needs it to be. This article dives deep into what it means to truly master SPFx rather than dabble in it. We will unpack the mindset that separates seasoned SharePoint developers from newcomers, walk through the real-world structure and technique of building a professional-grade Web Part, and explore the deployment and long-term maintenance habits that make an SPFx developer not just skilled but indispensable. By the time you finish reading, you’ll have the clarity and confidence to go from zero to hero in building modern, production-ready SharePoint experiences.

The SPFx Mindset: Understanding the Framework’s Purpose and Power

To become genuinely proficient in SPFx, you must begin by understanding why it exists at all. For years, SharePoint development was a patchwork of mismatched strategies, from heavy-handed farm solutions that could bring entire servers to their knees, to sandboxed solutions that were so limited they barely justified their existence, to script editor hacks that often left IT administrators with sleepless nights. Microsoft eventually drew a line in the sand. The world needed a safer, cleaner, future-proof way to extend SharePoint, especially as it transitioned from on-premises roots into the cloud-driven modern environment. SPFx arose as a disciplined, fully client-side model that embraced web standards, modular architecture, predictable lifecycle management, and a level of control that prevented the chaos of previous eras.

What makes SPFx particularly unique is the fusion of modern front-end development practices with the opinionated, structured world of SharePoint. You get React, TypeScript, Webpack, component-driven UIs, and all the familiar rhythms of front-end development, but you also operate inside an ecosystem with its own rules about permissions, security boundaries, performance expectations, and user experience conventions. SPFx requires you not only to write competent code, but to write code that behaves well in a living platform that millions of users depend on every day. This is why experienced SPFx developers treat the framework like a landscape with currents and winds. They know what SharePoint tolerates, what it rejects, and what it rewards. They build with respect for how the platform works, rather than in defiance of it. That mindset becomes a superpower. It transforms you from someone who merely “gets it working” into someone who builds things that last.

Building Custom Web Parts Like a Pro: Architecture, Craftsmanship, and Code That Survives Production

Once you grasp the philosophy behind SPFx, you can approach building a Web Part with a more professional lens. A serious SPFx Web Part isn’t a single React component slapped together because the tutorial said so. It is an application in miniature, and like any reliable application, it deserves a deliberate structure. Experienced developers begin by giving their project clean architectural lines—a separate place for UI components, a distinct space for data services, a home for models and interfaces, and a section for utility functions that keep logic clean and maintainable. This separation of concerns gives your Web Part longevity, especially once requirements expand or new features appear months down the road.

Another mark of a professional SPFx developer is the discipline of using services for all interactions with SharePoint or external APIs. Instead of letting the UI reach outward and fetch data directly, pros route all communication through dedicated service classes. This keeps your interface focused on displaying and managing state, while your services handle network logic, caching, authentication, data transformation, and error handling. It makes your Web Part modular, testable, and resilient to change.

The Property Pane is another area where experienced developers distinguish themselves. Beginners often treat it as a quick place to plug in a few text boxes. Professionals understand that the Property Pane is where business users interact with the Web Part, configure its behavior, and tailor it to the needs of their teams. A polished Property Pane feels thoughtful. It anticipates user errors. It provides dynamic options, conditional visibility, validation, descriptive labels, and helpful context. It transforms your Web Part from a technical object into a tool non-developers genuinely enjoy using.

Performance is its own battlefield, and the developers who thrive in production environments understand the strategic importance of caching. Constantly re-fetching data—whether from Microsoft Graph, SharePoint lists, weather services, or internal APIs—is a quick path to slow page loads and frustrated users. Smart caching transforms a Web Part’s behavior. When you store responses in session storage, localStorage, or in-memory caches, and when you apply reasonable expiration logic to keep data fresh without overfetching, your Web Part begins to feel snappy and reliable. The difference in user experience can be dramatic.

Finally, the visual polish of your Web Part matters. SharePoint lives inside Microsoft 365, an environment with a distinctive visual identity built around Fluent UI. If your Web Part uses mismatched fonts, awkward spacing, inconsistent coloring, or unrefined motion, it will look like an outsider. When you design with Fluent UI components and respect Microsoft’s established patterns, your Web Part becomes part of the larger ecosystem—familiar, clean, and seamless. This subtle attention to aesthetic integration is one of the reasons seasoned SPFx developers produce solutions that gain traction and adoption across entire organizations.

Deployment, Scaling, and Survival: What Separates Heroes from Beginners

Building an SPFx Web Part is only the beginning. What truly defines an SPFx professional is the ability to get that Web Part safely into production and keep it healthy for years. Deployment requires more than packaging a solution and handing it off. It requires a strategic understanding of how versioning influences stability across site collections that might all use the same Web Part in different ways. Professionals treat versioning carefully, communicating changes, respecting backward compatibility, and understanding that a small adjustment in code can ripple across an entire organization.

Choosing the correct deployment scope also matters far more than beginners realize. Tenant-scoped deployments offer broad reach, allowing your Web Part to appear in every site across the organization. Site Collection deployments provide more control, enabling teams to test or isolate features. The App Catalog becomes the central nervous system of your SharePoint customizations, and knowing how and when to use it is a mark of mastery. A seasoned developer understands the political, organizational, and technical implications of each deployment choice.

Long-term survival is the quiet enemy of SPFx solutions. Microsoft evolves APIs, updates UI libraries, deprecates features, and introduces new best practices. A professional developer keeps solutions adaptable by avoiding deprecated methods, abstracting unstable APIs behind service layers, and periodically updating dependencies in a controlled, predictable manner. This is how Web Parts remain functional when others break.

Documentation plays a major role in survival as well. Professionals document not because it is fun, but because they know what happens when they don’t: confusion, broken features, and panicked maintenance. Architecture explanations, service endpoints, authentication decisions, caching rules, configuration steps, and update histories all create a roadmap for your future self—or the next developer—to understand what you built and why you built it that way.

In the end, supporting your Web Part after deployment requires humility and responsibility. Every serious SPFx developer knows that eventually something will go wrong. A well-prepared Web Part includes meaningful error messages, internal logging, and fallback behavior that protects the user from a bad experience. These precautions elevate a project from a piece of code into a reliable part of the organization’s digital infrastructure. And that reliability is exactly what makes an SPFx developer a hero.

The Path From Beginner to Trusted Professional

Mastering SPFx is not about memorizing commands or copying sample code. It is about learning to think like a developer who builds solutions inside a living platform—solutions that must behave well, look professional, run efficiently, and survive long after the initial deployment. In this article, we began by understanding the mindset behind SPFx, the reasons it exists, and the advantage it gives developers who respect its structure and philosophy. We then walked through what it takes to build a Web Part like a professional, from architecture and services to UI design and caching strategy. Finally, we explored the deployment, scaling, and long-term maintenance practices that separate the beginners from the true experts.

When you commit to mastering these principles, you evolve far beyond someone who can “get a Web Part running.” You become the kind of developer teams rely on when they need SharePoint to do something more powerful, more intuitive, or more capable than it does out of the box. This journey—from zero to hero—isn’t just about learning SPFx. It’s about learning to build software that earns trust, solves problems, and stands the test of time. And now, you have everything you need to walk that path with confidence.

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D. Bryan King

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Bryan King Dec 1

Mastering SPFx: 7 Advanced Tips Every SharePoint Developer Needs

1,793 words, 9 minutes read time.

If you’ve ever stared at your console, grimacing at an error that seems to appear out of thin air, you know the frustration of SPFx development. SharePoint Framework isn’t just a framework—it’s a beast that can either make you look like a coding hero or a frustrated code monkey banging your head against the wall. For the modern SharePoint developer, mastering SPFx isn’t optional; it’s survival. In this guide, we’re diving deep into advanced tips that will sharpen your SPFx skills, streamline your development process, and make you the kind of developer who doesn’t just solve problems—he obliterates them.

Optimizing Your Development Environment Like a Pro

Before you write a single line of SPFx code, your environment has to be battle-ready. Think of it like tuning a sports car before a race; no amount of skill behind the wheel will help if your engine’s a mess.

Node.js, npm, Yeoman, Gulp, and VS Code are your essential tools. But here’s where most developers trip: version conflicts. SPFx doesn’t play nice if you’ve got multiple projects demanding different Node versions. That’s where tools like nvm (Node Version Manager) become indispensable. With nvm, switching Node versions is as painless as sliding a wrench across a bolt—it just works.

Containerization with Docker is another game-changer. Isolating projects in containers ensures your SPFx solutions don’t step on each other’s toes. No more “works on my machine” nightmares. You can spin up a clean environment for each project, run your tests, and deploy without worrying that last week’s experiments broke today’s build.

And let’s talk about editors. VS Code is king here, but don’t just open it and call it a day. Customize it with extensions: Prettier for code formatting, ESLint for error prevention, and SPFx-specific snippets to speed up repetitive tasks. Your editor isn’t just a tool; it’s your cockpit. The more intuitive it is, the faster you can navigate the SPFx maze.

Finally, automate what you can. Gulp tasks are not optional—they’re the grease that keeps the machine running. Automate bundling, compilation, and live reloads so your development cycle feels more like flying a fighter jet than pushing a wheelbarrow uphill.

Deep Dive into TypeScript Best Practices

SPFx is built on TypeScript, and if you treat it like JavaScript, you’re asking for trouble. TypeScript is your first line of defense against runtime disasters, and using it effectively separates a competent dev from a hero.

Start by embracing strict typing. Using any everywhere is like wearing flip-flops in a construction zone—it might work for a while, but you’re asking for a broken toe. Interfaces and generics are your armor. Define contracts between your web parts and components. If a function expects a UserProfile object, TypeScript ensures nothing else slips in unnoticed.

Linting is your ally. ESLint, combined with TypeScript rules, can catch subtle mistakes before they become catastrophic. Imagine writing a web part that crashes in production because of a mismatched prop type—preventable with strict type checking.

Don’t ignore tooling integration. Visual Studio Code will highlight type errors, but deeper analysis with tsc --noEmit can catch issues before they make it into your build. Your code quality should be high enough to make QA weep tears of joy.

Finally, think modular. Keep your types separate, reusable, and well-documented. If your teammate (or your future self) opens your code six months from now, clear TypeScript structures will save them from a caffeine-fueled coding meltdown.

Advanced Web Part Performance Tuning

Performance is the silent killer. You might have a web part that looks perfect, but if it crawls like a turtle on molasses, nobody cares how slick your UI is.

Start with bundle management. SPFx uses Webpack under the hood, but understanding how to split code into chunks is vital. Lazy-load components where possible. If a dashboard pulls five different datasets, don’t fetch everything upfront; fetch what’s needed and pull the rest as the user navigates.

State management is another hotspot. Over-reliance on component state in React can make your web part sluggish. Use tools like React context or lightweight state libraries to keep your app responsive.

DOM manipulation is often overlooked. If you’re manually querying the DOM or performing unnecessary re-renders, your performance tank will drop fast. Embrace React’s virtual DOM fully and avoid direct DOM hacks unless absolutely necessary.

And never underestimate network efficiency. Batch API calls, cache responses, and avoid hammering the server with redundant requests. Throttling is not a suggestion; it’s your friend. I’ve seen developers pull user data 50 times in a single render—like trying to hammer a nail with a toothpick. Don’t be that guy.

Finally, measure, don’t guess. Tools like Chrome DevTools, Lighthouse, and SPFx performance logging are invaluable. If your web part isn’t hitting speed benchmarks, you’ll know exactly where to strike.

Mastering the SharePoint REST API and Microsoft Graph

SPFx solutions often require heavy integration with SharePoint data or Microsoft Graph. Here’s where many devs fumble. REST vs. Graph isn’t just a preference; it’s strategy. REST is fine for simple CRUD operations, but Graph excels at aggregated queries across Office 365 services.

Handle throttling gracefully. Microsoft will slow your requests if you’re too aggressive. Implement retry policies with exponential backoff. It’s like respecting the referee in a high-stakes game—you’ll avoid penalties and keep the system running smoothly.

Batching requests is an underutilized technique. Instead of firing ten separate calls for list items, combine them where possible. Not only does this reduce latency, but it also reduces the risk of hitting API limits.

Debugging API calls is an art. Fiddler, Postman, and browser dev tools are your weapons. Watch for subtle issues like malformed queries, missing headers, or incorrect authentication tokens. Nothing’s more frustrating than a 401 error at 11 PM.

Pro tip: always abstract API calls into service layers. Keep your web parts clean, maintainable, and decoupled. If Microsoft changes an endpoint or a header requirement, you’ll only need to tweak one file instead of hunting through dozens of components.

Leveraging React and Hooks in SPFx

React isn’t just a trend—it’s the engine that powers modern SPFx web parts. Hooks, in particular, are a game-changer. They allow you to manage state and side effects elegantly, without the boilerplate of class components.

Use useState and useEffect judiciously. Overuse or misuse can lead to infinite loops, unnecessary re-renders, or memory leaks. Treat Hooks like your power tools—know which to use for each job.

Complex state? Combine useReducer with context for clean, scalable solutions. If you’re building dashboards, forms, or live feeds, this pattern keeps components readable and maintainable.

Custom hooks are another weapon in your arsenal. Extract repetitive logic into reusable hooks. Need a hook for fetching user data from Graph? Build it once, use it everywhere. It’s like fabricating a custom wrench—you’ll use it again and again, and it fits perfectly every time.

Finally, integrate React performance optimization. Memoization with React.memo, useMemo, and useCallback can prevent unnecessary renders. Your SPFx solution will feel faster, lighter, and more responsive—like swapping a clunky old engine for a tuned V8.

Advanced Packaging, Deployment, and Versioning

Building a web part is one thing; shipping it without causing chaos is another. SPFx projects demand rigorous packaging and version control discipline.

Webpack configuration is your first stop. Optimize bundles for production, strip unnecessary libraries, and compress assets. Your users don’t care about 10 MB of JavaScript they’ll never use—they care about speed.

Semantic versioning is your friend. Don’t deploy a breaking change without bumping the major version. Maintain backward compatibility wherever possible, and document changes. Nothing kills credibility faster than a web part that silently breaks after an update.

The SharePoint App Catalog isn’t just storage; it’s your deployment battleground. Automate packaging with Gulp tasks, validate manifests, and test locally with workbench before pushing to production. A misconfigured manifest is like leaving your toolbox in the rain—corrosion guaranteed.

Upgrade strategies matter. Implement feature flags or phased rollouts to reduce risk. If a new version causes issues, you can roll back without a firefight. Deployment isn’t just about getting code out—it’s about controlling chaos and protecting users from broken functionality.

Debugging and Troubleshooting Like a Veteran

Debugging SPFx can be a brutal test of patience. Errors are cryptic, builds fail without clear messages, and sometimes the culprit is a missing semicolon in a hundred-line file.

Start with logging. Console logs are basic, but telemetry integration takes debugging to the next level. Capture errors, user interactions, and API responses. This isn’t snooping; it’s intelligence-gathering to make your solutions bulletproof.

Browser dev tools are your microscope. Network tab, source mapping, and performance profiling can reveal hidden bottlenecks. I’ve spent hours tracking a single 404 that broke an entire dashboard—precision tools make the difference.

Common SPFx errors have patterns. Misconfigured manifests, missing dependencies, or improperly typed props are all predictable once you recognize them. Develop a mental checklist. Approach debugging methodically, not like a shotgun spray.

Finally, learn from failure. Every bug is a lesson. Keep a repository of past issues, resolutions, and insights. Over time, you’ll develop a sixth sense for SPFx problems—like a seasoned mechanic who can diagnose engine trouble by sound alone.

Conclusion

SPFx mastery isn’t just about coding; it’s about mindset, preparation, and relentless refinement. By optimizing your environment, harnessing TypeScript effectively, tuning performance, leveraging APIs smartly, embracing React Hooks, mastering deployment, and debugging like a seasoned pro, you’ll elevate from competent developer to SPFx warrior.

SharePoint development is challenging, but it’s also rewarding. Every web part you ship is a testament to your skill, discipline, and grit. Keep experimenting, stay curious, and push your limits.

If you found this guide helpful, don’t let the learning stop here. Subscribe to the newsletter for more in-the-trenches insights. Join the conversation by leaving a comment with your own experiences or questions—your insights might just help another developer avoid a late-night coding meltdown. And if you want to go deeper, connect with me for consulting or further discussion.

Let’s build SPFx solutions that don’t just work—they dominate.

D. Bryan King

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Disclaimer:

#advancedSpfx #microsoftGraphApi #sharepointDeveloperGuide #sharepointDevelopment #sharepointFramework #sharepointRestApi #sharepointWebPartPerformance #spfx #spfxApiIntegration #spfxArchitecture #spfxBestPractices #spfxBundling #spfxCaching #spfxCoding #spfxDebugging #spfxDeployment #spfxDeveloperWorkflow #spfxErrorHandling #spfxExpertTechniques #spfxGulp #spfxHooks #spfxLogging #spfxNetworkOptimization #spfxPerformance #spfxReactComponents #spfxStateManagement #spfxTesting #spfxTips #spfxTroubleshooting #spfxTypescript #spfxUpgradeStrategies #spfxVersioning #spfxWebParts #typescriptTips