Build My Own Web Components Collection [Case Study]

Are you tired of reinventing the wheel for each new web project? After spending over a decade in web development, I’ve discovered that maintaining a personal web components collection is not just helpful—it’s essential for efficient workflow and consistent quality across projects.

In this article, I’ll share my journey of building a comprehensive web components library that has revolutionized my development process and can do the same for yours.

Why Build a Web Components Collection?

After 10+ years in web development, I’ve encountered the same challenge repeatedly: getting stuck on creating unique layouts despite having built similar interfaces in previous projects. This frustration led me to a realization—I needed a centralized, searchable collection of web components I could reference and reuse.

Web components are modular, reusable building blocks that encapsulate functionality, making them perfect candidates for collection and reuse. By building my own library, I could drastically reduce development time and maintain consistency across projects.

Step 1: Identifying the Need for a Components System

During numerous custom WordPress and front-end React.js projects, I found myself frequently hitting “little blockers”—small UI challenges that slowed down my workflow. Despite having already solved similar problems in previous work, I couldn’t easily reference those solutions.

The realization was clear: in between projects, I needed to systematically collect:

• Unique layouts and templates
• Interactive elements
• Custom UI components

Having these components readily available would eliminate redundant work and accelerate development time significantly.

Step 2: Setting Up the Storage Infrastructure

The first challenge was determining how to store and access my web components collection. With work divided between multiple devices, I needed a solution that provided:

1. Cross-device accessibility
2. Easy searchability
3. Quick reference capabilities
4. Version control

My solution was two-fold:

• Create a private GitHub repository to store code
• Develop a dedicated subdomain on my personal website to showcase components

This infrastructure provided the foundation for my growing collection while ensuring I could access components from anywhere.

Step 3: Creating a Custom WordPress Implementation

Since my personal website runs on WordPress, I leveraged its flexibility to create a tailored solution for my web components library:

1. Custom Post Type Creation: I implemented a ‘component’ custom post type using Advanced Custom Fields Pro, allowing for structured data entry and consistent formatting.
2. Component Categorization: A custom taxonomy (‘component-category’) was created to organize components logically based on their function and application.
3. URL Field Implementation: Each component entry includes a dedicated URL field to quickly access demos, making component testing seamless.
4. Layout Inspiration: After researching component libraries, I adapted layouts from Flowbite and Relume to create an intuitive browsing experience.

Step 4: Implementing Version Control with GitHub

Version control was crucial for maintaining the integrity of my web components. I established a private GitHub repository that provided:

1. Complete version history of all components
2. Ability to track changes and iterations
3. Backup protection
4. Collaboration possibilities for future team projects

Step 5: Developing an Automated Deployment Workflow

To streamline the process of updating my web components collection, I implemented GitHub Actions to automate deployment:

1. Created a simple workflow that triggers on push events
2. Configured automatic file transfer to my subdomain server
3. Implemented selective updates to only transfer modified files

This automation eliminated the need for manual uploads, ensuring my component library stayed current with minimal effort on my part.

Benefits and Long-term Impact

After implementing my web components collection, I’ve observed several significant benefits:

1. Accelerated Development: Projects that once took weeks now take days as I leverage pre-built components.
2. Consistent Quality: Components that have been refined across multiple projects deliver reliable performance.
3. Creative Freedom: With technical solutions readily available, I can focus more on creative aspects of projects.
4. Knowledge Consolidation: The library serves as a practical knowledge base of my development experience.

By investing time in building this personal web components repository, I’ve created a resource that grows more valuable with each new project I complete.