Auto-Skeleton NPM Package

Project Overview

Create an NPM package called auto-skeleton that automatically generates skeleton loaders for React/Next.js applications by analyzing existing components and matching their dimensions, styling, and layout patterns.

Problem Statement

Currently, developers using skeleton loaders (like MUI's Skeleton) must:

• Manually define height, width, and styling for each skeleton element
• Recreate the layout structure of their components
• Maintain consistency between actual content and skeleton versions
• Spend significant time creating and updating skeleton states

Solution

Auto-skeleton will intelligently analyze React components and automatically generate matching skeleton loaders with:

• Automatic dimension detection
• Style inheritance
• Layout preservation
• Zero manual configuration required

Core Features

1. Component Analysis

• Parse React/JSX components to identify renderable elements
• Extract styling information (CSS classes, inline styles, computed styles)
• Determine element dimensions and positioning
• Map component hierarchy and layout structure

2. Intelligent Skeleton Generation

• Generate skeleton placeholders that match original element dimensions
• Preserve spacing, margins, and padding
• Maintain responsive behavior
• Handle different element types (text, images, buttons, cards, etc.)

3. Automatic Integration

• Provide React hooks and HOCs for easy integration
• Support both class and functional components
• Work seamlessly with popular UI libraries (MUI, Tailwind, Chakra UI, etc.)
• Next.js optimized with SSR support

4. Customization Options

• Override specific skeleton properties when needed
• Global theming and styling options
• Animation customization (shimmer, pulse, wave effects)
• Conditional skeleton rendering based on loading states

Technical Requirements

Dependencies

• React 16.8+ (hooks support)
• TypeScript support
• Next.js compatibility
• Support for popular CSS frameworks

Core APIs

Primary Hook

const { SkeletonComponent, isLoading, setLoading } = useAutoSkeleton(ComponentToAnalyze, options);

HOC Pattern

const ComponentWithSkeleton = withAutoSkeleton(OriginalComponent, options);

Direct Component Analysis

const skeletonConfig = analyzeComponent(ComponentRef, options);
const SkeletonLoader = generateSkeleton(skeletonConfig);

Analysis Engine

• DOM measurement and style computation
• CSS parser for extracting relevant styling
• Layout detection (flex, grid, absolute positioning)
• Responsive breakpoint handling
• Component tree traversal and mapping

Skeleton Generation

• SVG-based skeleton shapes for scalability
• CSS animations (shimmer, pulse, fade)
• Accessibility considerations (aria-labels, reduced motion)
• Performance optimization for multiple skeletons

Package Structure

auto-skeleton/
├── src/
│   ├── core/
│   │   ├── analyzer.ts          # Component analysis logic
│   │   ├── generator.ts         # Skeleton generation engine
│   │   └── measurer.ts          # DOM measurement utilities
│   ├── components/
│   │   ├── AutoSkeleton.tsx     # Main skeleton component
│   │   ├── SkeletonProvider.tsx # Context provider
│   │   └── primitives/          # Basic skeleton elements
│   ├── hooks/
│   │   ├── useAutoSkeleton.ts   # Primary hook
│   │   └── useSkeletonState.ts  # Loading state management
│   ├── hocs/
│   │   └── withAutoSkeleton.tsx # HOC wrapper
│   ├── utils/
│   │   ├── styleExtractor.ts    # CSS style extraction
│   │   ├── dimensionCalculator.ts
│   │   └── animationPresets.ts
│   └── types/
│       └── index.ts             # TypeScript definitions
├── examples/                    # Usage examples
├── docs/                       # Documentation
└── tests/                      # Test suites

Development Phases

Phase 1: Core Analysis Engine

• Implement component parsing and DOM measurement
• Create basic skeleton shape generation
• Develop style extraction utilities

Phase 2: React Integration

• Build primary hook and HOC patterns
• Implement loading state management
• Create skeleton component library

Phase 3: Advanced Features

• Add animation system
• Implement responsive behavior
• Create theming and customization options

Phase 4: Framework Integration

• Next.js SSR support
• Popular UI library integrations
• Performance optimizations

Phase 5: Polish & Documentation

• Comprehensive testing
• Documentation and examples
• Performance benchmarking

Usage Examples

Basic Usage

import { useAutoSkeleton } from 'auto-skeleton';

function MyComponent({ data, loading }) {
  const { SkeletonComponent } = useAutoSkeleton(ContentComponent);
  
  if (loading) return <SkeletonComponent />;
  return <ContentComponent data={data} />;
}

Advanced Configuration

const options = {
  animation: 'shimmer',
  theme: 'dark',
  preserveAspectRatio: true,
  customOverrides: {
    '.user-avatar': { shape: 'circle' },
    '.description': { lines: 3 }
  }
};

Success Metrics

• Zero-configuration skeleton generation for 90% of common components
• Performance impact < 5% during analysis
• Bundle size < 50KB gzipped
• Support for major React frameworks and UI libraries
• High developer satisfaction and adoption rate

Competitive Advantages

• Zero Configuration: No manual height/width definitions required
• Intelligent Analysis: Automatically matches original component styling
• Framework Agnostic: Works with any React setup
• Performance Focused: Optimized analysis and rendering
• Developer Experience: Simple API with powerful customization