Igniteui Wc Choose Components

Choose the Right Ignite UI Components

This skill helps AI agents and developers identify the best Ignite UI components for any UI requirement, then provides direct links to official documentation, usage examples, and API references.

Prerequisites

• The Ignite UI CLI MCP server (igniteui-cli) available as a tool provider

AGENT INSTRUCTION — MCP Server Setup (REQUIRED)

Before using the Ignite UI CLI MCP tools, you MUST verify the MCP server is available by calling list_components. If the tool is not available or the call fails, you MUST automatically configure it by following the setup instructions in reference/mcp-setup.md.

After writing the file, inform the user that the MCP server has been configured and they may need to reload the editor for the tools to activate. Start the MCP server and wait for that MCP server to start before continuing the component-related work. Do NOT skip this step or ask the user to do it manually.

Setting Up the Ignite UI CLI MCP Server

Full setup instructions for VS Code, Cursor, Claude Desktop, and JetBrains IDEs are in reference/mcp-setup.md. Read that file for editor-specific configuration steps and verification.

Before You Answer

• Choose the package before writing imports or install steps.
• If the required package is not present in package.json, add or install the correct Ignite UI dependency first. Absence from package.json does not mean the package is invalid.
• If the user also needs setup or code, then load igniteui-wc-integrate-with-framework.

Example Usage

• "What component should I use to display a list of items with actions?"
• "I need a date picker for a booking form"
• "How do I show file upload progress?"
• "What's the best component for a navigation sidebar?"
• "I need a searchable dropdown with multi-select"
• "Build a dashboard layout with cards and a data grid"
• "I want to display hierarchical/tree data"
• "Show me components for notifications and alerts"

Related Skills

• igniteui-wc-integrate-with-framework — Set up chosen components in React, Angular, Vue, or vanilla JS
• igniteui-wc-customize-component-theme — Style and theme the components you select
• igniteui-wc-optimize-bundle-size — Import only the components you actually use

When to Use

• Agent or user needs to decide which component fits a UI requirement
• User describes a UI pattern and needs a matching component name
• User wants to explore what components are available
• User needs links to official docs or live examples for a specific component
• Starting a new feature and mapping requirements to components
• Reworking existing UI with new or different component requirements

Available Packages

Ignite UI for Web Components is distributed across several packages depending on your needs:

Package Routing

If the request only says "grid", choose by features:

• Advanced features such as editing, paging, summaries, grouping, hierarchical data, or pivot behavior -> igniteui-webcomponents-grids
• Lightweight table -> igniteui-grid-lite

Component Catalogue by UI Pattern

Use the table below to map a UI need to the right component, then follow the documentation link.

Inputs & Forms

All inputs are form-associated and integrate natively with <form>.

Buttons & Actions

Scheduling & Date Pickers

Notifications & Feedback

Progress Indicators

Layouts & Containers

Navigation

Lists & Data Display

Charting & Visualization

Charts are provided by the igniteui-webcomponents-charts package (commercial). Use IgcCategoryChartComponent or IgcFinancialChartComponent for simpler domain-specific scenarios; use IgcDataChartComponent for full flexibility (mixed series, numeric/time axes, scatter, polar, etc.).

Conversational / AI

Step-by-Step: Choosing Components for a UI

Follow these steps when an agent or user describes a UI requirement:

Step 1 — Identify UI patterns

Break the described UI into atomic patterns. Examples:

• "A booking form" → date input, text inputs, button, maybe a calendar picker
• "An admin dashboard" → navbar, nav drawer, cards, data grid, charts
• "A notification center" → snackbar or toast, badge, list
• "A settings page" → tabs or accordion, switch, input, select, button

Step 2 — Map patterns to components

Use the Component Catalogue tables above to find matching components. When in doubt:

Step 3 — Check the package

Confirm which package provides the component:

• MIT components (inputs, layout, notifications, scheduling, chat) → igniteui-webcomponents
• Advanced grids (Data Grid, Tree Grid, Hierarchical Grid, Pivot Grid) → igniteui-webcomponents-grids (commercial)
• Lightweight grid (Grid Lite) → igniteui-grid-lite (MIT)
• Docking layout → igniteui-dockmanager (commercial)
• Charts & visualizations (Category Chart, Data Chart, Financial Chart, Pie Chart, Sparkline, Treemap, etc.) → igniteui-webcomponents-charts (commercial)

Step 4 — Link to official resources

Always direct the user to the official documentation linked in the tables above. Key entry points:

• Component overview: Ignite UI Web Components Docs
• Live Storybook demos: https://igniteui.github.io/igniteui-webcomponents
• npm package: https://www.npmjs.com/package/igniteui-webcomponents
• GitHub repository: https://github.com/IgniteUI/igniteui-webcomponents
• Changelog / releases: https://github.com/IgniteUI/igniteui-webcomponents/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md

Step 5 — Provide a starter code snippet

Once components are identified, give the user a minimal working snippet. Example for an admin dashboard shell:

import {
  defineComponents,
  IgcNavbarComponent,
  IgcNavDrawerComponent,
  IgcCardComponent,
  IgcIconComponent,
  IgcButtonComponent,
  registerIconFromText,
} from 'igniteui-webcomponents';

defineComponents(
  IgcNavbarComponent,
  IgcNavDrawerComponent,
  IgcCardComponent,
  IgcIconComponent,
  IgcButtonComponent
);

registerIconFromText('menu', '<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path d="M3 18h18v-2H3v2zm0-5h18v-2H3v2zm0-7v2h18V6H3z"/></svg>', 'material');
registerIconFromText('home', '<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path d="M10 20v-6h4v6h5v-8h3L12 3 2 12h3v8z"/></svg>', 'material');
registerIconFromText('build', '<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path d="M22.7 19l-9.1-9.1c.9-2.3.4-5-1.5-6.9-2-2-5-2.4-7.4-1.3L9 6 6 9 1.6 4.7C.4 7.1.9 10.1 2.9 12.1c1.9 1.9 4.6 2.4 6.9 1.5l9.1 9.1c.4.4 1 .4 1.4 0l2.3-2.3c.5-.4.5-1.1.1-1.4z"/></svg>', 'material');

<igc-navbar>
  <igc-icon name="menu" collection="material" slot="start"></igc-icon>
  <h1>My Dashboard</h1>
</igc-navbar>

<igc-nav-drawer>
  <igc-nav-drawer-item>
    <igc-icon name="home" collection="material" slot="icon"></igc-icon>
    <span slot="content">Home</span>
  </igc-nav-drawer-item>
  <igc-nav-drawer-item>
    <igc-icon name="build" collection="material" slot="icon"></igc-icon>
    <span slot="content">Settings</span>
  </igc-nav-drawer-item>
</igc-nav-drawer>

<igc-card>
  <igc-card-header>
    <h3 slot="title">Summary</h3>
  </igc-card-header>
  <igc-card-content>Dashboard content here</igc-card-content>
</igc-card>

Common UI Scenarios → Recommended Component Sets

Login / Authentication Form

• <igc-input> — email and password fields
• <igc-checkbox> — "Remember me"
• <igc-button> — submit
• <igc-snackbar> — error/success feedback
• Docs: Input · Button · Snackbar

User Profile / Settings Page

• <igc-avatar> — profile picture
• <igc-tabs> — section navigation (Profile, Security, Notifications)
• <igc-input> / <igc-textarea> — editable fields
• <igc-switch> — feature toggles
• <igc-select> — preference dropdowns
• <igc-button> — save/cancel actions
• Docs: Avatar · Tabs · Switch

Data Table / Admin List View

• <igc-input> — search bar
• <igc-combo> — filter dropdowns
• <igc-grid> (Grid Lite) or Data Grid — tabular data
• <igc-button> / <igc-icon-button> — actions
• <igc-dialog> — confirm delete modal
• <igc-badge> — status indicators
• Docs: Grid Lite · Data Grid · Dialog

Booking / Reservation Form

• <igc-date-range-picker> — check-in / check-out
• <igc-input> — guest details
• <igc-select> — room type
• <igc-stepper> — multi-step booking flow
• <igc-button> — next / confirm
• <igc-toast> — booking confirmation
• Docs: Date Range Picker · Stepper

Analytics / Reporting Dashboard

• <igc-navbar> — top bar
• <igc-nav-drawer> — side navigation
• <igc-card> — KPI summary cards
• <igc-tabs> or <igc-tile-manager> — section layout
• Data Grid or Pivot Grid — detailed data tables
• <igc-linear-progress> / <igc-circular-progress> — loading states
• Docs: Tile Manager · Pivot Grid

Notification / Activity Feed

• <igc-list> — activity items
• <igc-avatar> — user avatars in each item
• <igc-badge> — unread count
• <igc-snackbar> — real-time alerts
• <igc-chip> — filter tags (All, Mentions, Replies)
• Docs: List · Badge · Chip

AI / Chatbot Interface

• <igc-chat> — full chat UI with message threading
• <igc-input> or <igc-textarea> — message input
• <igc-icon-button> — send button
• <igc-avatar> — bot and user avatars
• <igc-circular-progress> — "thinking" indicator
• Docs: Chat · Avatar

Common Issues & Solutions

"I can't find a component for X"

1. Check the full component list in the official docs
2. Consider composing two simpler components (e.g., <igc-card> + <igc-list> for a list card)

"Which grid should I use?"

"I need React support"

Use the igniteui-react package. Components are wrapped with React-friendly event bindings and props. See the igniteui-wc-integrate-with-framework skill for setup.

"How do I get commercial components?"

Visit https://www.infragistics.com/products/ignite-ui-web-components or contact Infragistics sales for licensing information.

Additional Resources