Tokens for Micro-Frontends

Introduction

Micro-frontends are a modern architectural style, enabling teams to build and deploy frontend applications independently. This lesson focuses on the role of design tokens in creating a cohesive theming system across micro-frontend applications.

What Are Design Tokens?

Design tokens are the visual design atoms of the product UI. They store design-related information such as colors, font sizes, spacing, and more. These tokens help maintain consistency across different components and applications.

Importance of Tokens in Micro-Frontends

In micro-frontends, different teams may work on separate parts of the application. Design tokens ensure that all teams use a shared and consistent design language, which is essential for user experience.

Implementing Tokens

To implement design tokens in a micro-frontend architecture, follow these steps:

1. Define your design tokens in a central repository.
2. Use a build tool to compile these tokens into usable formats (JSON, SCSS, etc.).
3. Distribute the tokens to each micro-frontend application.
4. Consume the tokens in your components using a consistent method.

{
    "color": {
        "primary": "#007bff",
        "secondary": "#6c757d"
    },
    "spacing": {
        "small": "4px",
        "medium": "8px",
        "large": "16px"
    }
}
        

In this example, the design tokens are defined in JSON format, which can be easily consumed by different frameworks.

Best Practices

• Keep tokens simple and focused on single responsibilities.
• Establish a clear naming convention for tokens.
• Document all tokens for easy reference.
• Use tools like Style Dictionary to automate token management.

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