Unlock the Power of Storybook Controls

Getting Started with Storybook Controls

To set up Storybook controls, you’ll need to install the sb package using npx. Then, add the controls addon to your .storybook/main.js file.

npx sb init

//.storybook/main.js
module.exports = {
  addons: ['@storybook/addon-controls'],
};

This will enable you to use controls in your stories.

Understanding How Controls Work

The magic of controls lies in the args object. By passing args to your component, Storybook can infer the type of control to render based on the data type of the arg.

// Example: Passing a string arg
export default {
  args: {
    label: 'Hello World',
  },
};

In this example, Storybook will render a text input control.

Advanced Controls with argTypes

Sometimes, you need more control over the controls (pun intended!). That’s where argTypes comes in. With argTypes, you can specify the control type, options, and labels for each arg.

// Example: Customizing the control type and options
export default {
  args: {
    label: 'Hello World',
  },
  argTypes: {
    label: {
      control: 'elect',
      options: ['Hello World', 'Foo Bar', 'Baz Qux'],
    },
  },
};

This gives you fine-grained control over how your controls are rendered.

Real-World Examples

Let’s take a look at some real-world examples of using controls in Storybook. We’ll explore how to create a TodoItem component with controls for label, checked, and date.

// TodoItem.stories.js
import React from 'eact';
import TodoItem from './TodoItem';

export default {
  title: 'TodoItem',
  component: TodoItem,
  args: {
    label: 'Buy milk',
    checked: false,
    date: new Date(),
  },
  argTypes: {
    label: { control: 'text' },
    checked: { control: 'boolean' },
    date: { control: 'date' },
  },
};

Comparison to Knobs

If you’re familiar with Storybook knobs, you might wonder how controls differ. The main difference is that controls are based on args, which allows Storybook to infer the control type. Knobs, on the other hand, require more explicit code and don’t offer the same level of type safety.

• Controls: Based on args, inferring control type from data type.
• Knobs: Require explicit code, no type safety.