Component Migration Guides

Component migration guides help consumers update their code when design system changes require modifications. These guides document what changed, what consumers need to do, and how to accomplish the transition. Effective migration guides reduce update friction and accelerate adoption of improvements.

What Are Component Migration Guides

Migration guides are documentation that walks consumers through required changes when updating design system versions. Guides explain breaking changes, provide step-by-step migration instructions, show code transformation examples, and address common questions. They serve as roadmaps for successful updates.

Migration guides differ from changelogs and release notes in depth and purpose. Changelogs list what changed. Release notes explain why changes matter. Migration guides show how to adapt. The progressive detail supports different consumer needs.

How Component Migration Guides Work

Change documentation explains what specifically changed. API modifications describe old and new interfaces. Behavioral changes explain different component responses. Visual changes describe appearance modifications. Clear change documentation helps consumers understand migration scope.

Impact assessment helps consumers evaluate migration effort. Which applications are affected? How many instances need updates? What testing is required? Impact assessment enables planning.

Step-by-step instructions walk through migration process. Instructions proceed logically from identifying affected code through making changes to validating results. Numbered steps provide clear sequence. Prerequisites and dependencies are noted.

Code examples show transformations concretely. Before and after code samples demonstrate required changes. Examples cover common patterns consumers will encounter. Multiple examples address variation in usage patterns.

Tooling integration provides automated support. Links to codemods that automate transformations. Configuration options for migration tools. Integration points for custom tooling. Automation reduces manual effort.

Troubleshooting sections address common issues. Known problems and their solutions. Error messages and their meanings. FAQs from early migrators. Troubleshooting reduces friction when problems arise.

Key Considerations

• Migration guides should be available before or with releases requiring migration
• Guides should cover the full migration path, not just obvious changes
• Examples should represent realistic consumer code patterns
• Tooling availability significantly affects migration success
• Feedback loops should improve guides based on consumer experience

Common Questions

When should migration guides be created?

Migration guide timing affects usefulness. Guides should be ready when releases become available, ideally published with or before release announcements. For major migrations, previewing guides during beta periods helps consumers prepare. Creating guides after release delays consumer updates and increases friction. Migration guide creation should be part of the release process, not an afterthought.

How detailed should migration guides be?

Detail level should match migration complexity. Simple changes like prop renames need brief guides with find-and-replace patterns. Complex changes affecting multiple components or requiring architectural adjustments need extensive guides with detailed examples and troubleshooting. Guides should err toward more detail when consumer feedback indicates confusion. Starting detailed and iterating based on questions is often more effective than starting minimal and expanding after problems emerge.

Summary

Component migration guides document changes, provide step-by-step instructions, show code transformation examples, integrate with automation tooling, and address troubleshooting needs. Guides should be available with releases, not after. Detail level should match migration complexity, erring toward more detail when changes are complex. Feedback from migrating consumers should inform guide improvements, addressing common questions and confusion points.