Chapter 3: Component Integration

April 13, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

Welcome to Chapter 3: Component Integration. In this part of Dyad Tutorial: Local-First AI App Building, you will build an intuitive mental model first, then move into concrete implementation details and practical production tradeoffs.

Now that you can build apps with natural language, let's explore how to enhance them with additional components and functionality. Dyad provides a rich component library that you can integrate into your applications.

Understanding Components

Components are reusable building blocks that add specific functionality to your apps. They range from simple UI elements to complex features like charts and data tables.

Available Component Categories

UI Components

  • Navigation: Menus, breadcrumbs, tabs
  • Layout: Grids, cards, containers
  • Forms: Inputs, selects, checkboxes, date pickers
  • Feedback: Modals, tooltips, notifications

Data Components

  • Tables: Sortable, filterable data tables
  • Charts: Bar charts, line graphs, pie charts
  • Lists: Infinite scroll, search, filtering
  • Cards: Product cards, user profiles, content tiles

Interactive Components

  • Buttons: Various styles and states
  • Dropdowns: Multi-select, searchable
  • Sliders: Range selectors, volume controls
  • Tabs: Content organization

Adding Components to Your App

Using Prompts

Add a data table component to display user information with sorting and filtering

Include a chart component to visualize sales data with bar and line graphs

Component Configuration

Specify component properties:

Add a form with input validation, dropdown menus, and file upload capability

Advanced Integration Techniques

Component Composition

Combine multiple components:

Create a dashboard with:
- Navigation sidebar
- Stats cards in a grid layout
- Data table with pagination
- Chart components for visualization

Custom Styling

Apply themes and styles:

Style the components with a dark theme and custom color scheme

Responsive Design

Ensure mobile compatibility:

Make all components responsive for mobile and tablet devices

Component Libraries

Built-in Components

Dyad includes many pre-built components:

  • Material UI components
  • Ant Design elements
  • Custom Dyad components

Third-Party Integration

Add external component libraries:

Integrate React Bootstrap components for additional UI elements

Best Practices

Performance

  • Use lazy loading for large component libraries
  • Optimize component re-renders
  • Minimize bundle size with tree shaking

Accessibility

  • Ensure components meet WCAG guidelines
  • Add proper ARIA labels
  • Support keyboard navigation

Consistency

  • Use consistent styling across components
  • Follow design system guidelines
  • Maintain component naming conventions

Troubleshooting

Component Not Rendering

  • Check component imports
  • Verify prop types
  • Review console errors

Styling Issues

  • Inspect CSS conflicts
  • Use CSS modules for isolation
  • Check component specificity

Next Steps

You've learned how to integrate components into your Dyad applications. In the next chapter, we'll explore data management and database connections.

Ready for data management? Continue to Chapter 4: Data Management

Generated by AI Codebase Knowledge Builder

Depth Expansion Playbook

How These Components Connect

flowchart TD
    A[Existing component in project] --> B[Select via Dyad UI]
    B --> C[Prompt: modify this component]
    C --> D[LLM generates targeted diff]
    D --> E[Component selector highlights changes]
    E --> F[Apply or reject per component]
    F --> G[Integrated into app]