How I Choose a Library Before Adding It to a Project
Downloads, maintenance, framework support, API, styling and the one thing I really don't want to do - reverse-engineer a library just to use it When I started working with frontend libraries, my selection process was pretty simple: Google the problem Find a library that seems to solve it npm install Start coding And sometimes this works perfectly. But the more libraries I used in real projects,…
When embarking on the process of integrating a new library into a project, there are several key factors to consider before making the final decision. My selection process is more nuanced than simply installing a library and starting to code.
First and foremost, I examine the popularity of the library by looking at its download statistics on npm. While weekly downloads are not a definitive measure of a library's quality, they do provide a general sense of how widely it is used. I categorize libraries based on their download figures:
- 1M+ weekly downloads: Very widely used
- 100k–1M weekly downloads: Well established
- 10k–100k weekly downloads: Totally reasonable, especially for a niche library
- 10k or fewer weekly downloads: I should investigate the library further before adding it
These numbers are not strict rules, and a library with lower download counts may still be an excellent fit for a specific problem. However, I pay closer attention to libraries with fewer downloads when they are deeply integrated into the project.
Next, I check the date of the latest version release. A library with millions of downloads but minimal activity may be practically abandoned. As a rough benchmark, I consider the following:
- Updated within the last 3 months: Great
- Updated between 3–6 months ago: Completely normal
- Updated between 6–12 months ago: I start digging deeper into the repository
- Updated more than 12 months ago: I want to understand why
Occasionally, a library may have been stable for years with no releases, and this doesn't automatically indicate it is dead. For libraries closely tied to rapidly evolving tools like React or bundlers, a lengthy period without updates raises concerns.
I then verify whether the library supports my chosen framework, which is usually React in my projects. I look for explicit React support, the exact versions of React it works with, and whether there is a dedicated React package or examples in the documentation. Seeing a clear integration example using current React patterns is crucial. I also examine peer dependencies to ensure compatibility with my project's React version.
Finally, I scrutinize the library's API to ensure it aligns with my requirements. A library may solve the problem at hand but may expose an API that is not ideal or requires excessive work to implement the desired features. I examine exported components, hooks, methods, callbacks, configuration options, and controlled vs. uncontrolled state mechanisms.
A library with a complex API may offer more control, but I need to understand the trade-offs before committing to it. Additionally, I assess whether the API supports future requirements, such as ranges, disabled dates, localisation, and custom input components.
By carefully evaluating these factors, I aim to make an informed decision about whether to add a particular library to my project. This approach helps me avoid potential headaches down the road and ensures the chosen library will remain useful and maintainable for the duration of the project.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
