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Documentation for a new Card component

Source: interviewMediumHow cards are made

Summary

complete component docs, not just an API table.

Key points

usage guidance and do/don't, variants, accessibility, code examples, composition.

Watch out for

shipping only a props table with no when-to-use, accessibility, or examples.

What's really being asked

This evaluates whether you understand that documentation drives correct adoption, and that a props table alone leaves developers guessing.

The full answer

Start with an overview: what the Card is for, when to use it, and when to reach for something else, so consumers do not misuse it. Add usage guidance with concrete do and don't examples, showing good and bad patterns visually. Document variants and states such as elevated, outlined, interactive, loading, and disabled, each with a live example. Include an accessibility section covering semantics, focus behavior when the Card is interactive, and labeling expectations. Provide copy-pasteable code examples for common cases, ideally interactive. Cover composition: which subcomponents or slots exist, like header, media, body, and actions, and how to combine them. Document the design specs, the spacing, radius, and color tokens it uses, so design and code stay aligned. Finally, link related components and note responsive behavior. The props table is necessary but is only one section.

The mistakes people make

Providing only a props table. No when-to-use or do-and-don't guidance. Skipping accessibility. No live examples. Ignoring composition and tokens.

What usually comes next

How do you keep docs from drifting from code? What belongs in do versus don't? How do you document interactive versus static Cards differently?

A concrete example

The Card page opens with purpose and when-to-use, shows a do-and-don't pair, lists elevated, outlined, and interactive variants with live demos, includes an accessibility note that interactive Cards need a focusable control and label, offers code snippets, and documents the header, media, body, and actions slots plus the spacing and radius tokens used.

Interview question

Beyond the props table, which documentation section most directly prevents a Card component from being misused?

  • a.A list of the contributors who built it
  • b.When-to-use guidance with do and don't examplesCorrect
  • c.The component's bundle size in kilobytes
  • d.The internal git commit history
Why?

When-to-use guidance with do and don't examples steers consumers toward correct usage and away from misuse. Contributor lists, commit history, and bundle size, while sometimes useful, do not tell a developer how or when to use the component.

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Read the original → magicpatterns.com

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