Coding & Refactoringlow risk

react18-legacy-context

Provides the complete migration pattern for React legacy context API (contextTypes, childContextTypes, getChildContext) to the modern createContext API. Use this skill whenever migrating legacy context in class components - this is always a cross-file migration requiring the provider AND all consumers to be updated together. Use it before touching any contextTypes or childContextTypes code, because migrating only the provider without the consumers (or vice versa) will cause a runtime failure. Always read this skill before writing any context migration - the cross-file coordination steps here prevent the most common context migration bugs.

github/awesome-copilot·skills/react18-legacy-context/SKILL.md
100/ 100Quality

Install this skill

Choose your coding agent and copy a project or personal installation command.

Pinned to the indexed commit
Project installation.agents/skills/react18-legacy-context
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot/tree/0aaced533251f5b86c69dfbc5e55db74c4b4d1af/skills/react18-legacy-context -a codex -y
Personal installation~/.agents/skills/react18-legacy-context
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot/tree/0aaced533251f5b86c69dfbc5e55db74c4b4d1af/skills/react18-legacy-context -a codex -g -y
Manual folder.agents/skills/react18-legacy-contextOfficial docs ↗
Project installation.claude/skills/react18-legacy-context
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot/tree/0aaced533251f5b86c69dfbc5e55db74c4b4d1af/skills/react18-legacy-context -a claude-code -y
Personal installation~/.claude/skills/react18-legacy-context
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot/tree/0aaced533251f5b86c69dfbc5e55db74c4b4d1af/skills/react18-legacy-context -a claude-code -g -y
Manual folder.claude/skills/react18-legacy-contextOfficial docs ↗
Project installation.agents/skills/react18-legacy-context
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot/tree/0aaced533251f5b86c69dfbc5e55db74c4b4d1af/skills/react18-legacy-context -a github-copilot -y
Personal installation~/.copilot/skills/react18-legacy-context
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot/tree/0aaced533251f5b86c69dfbc5e55db74c4b4d1af/skills/react18-legacy-context -a github-copilot -g -y
Manual folder.agents/skills/react18-legacy-contextOfficial docs ↗
Project installation.agents/skills/react18-legacy-context
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot/tree/0aaced533251f5b86c69dfbc5e55db74c4b4d1af/skills/react18-legacy-context -a cursor -y
Personal installation~/.cursor/skills/react18-legacy-context
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot/tree/0aaced533251f5b86c69dfbc5e55db74c4b4d1af/skills/react18-legacy-context -a cursor -g -y
Manual folder.agents/skills/react18-legacy-contextOfficial docs ↗
Project installation.agents/skills/react18-legacy-context
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot/tree/0aaced533251f5b86c69dfbc5e55db74c4b4d1af/skills/react18-legacy-context -a gemini-cli -y
Personal installation~/.gemini/skills/react18-legacy-context
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot/tree/0aaced533251f5b86c69dfbc5e55db74c4b4d1af/skills/react18-legacy-context -a gemini-cli -g -y
Native Gemini CLIgemini skills install https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot.git --scope workspace --path skills/react18-legacy-context
Manual folder.agents/skills/react18-legacy-contextOfficial docs ↗
⚠ Installation uses the open-source skills CLI. Inspect the source and permissions before running the command.

Skill instructions

View source on GitHub ↗
# React 18 Legacy Context Migration

Legacy context (`contextTypes`, `childContextTypes`, `getChildContext`) was deprecated in React 16.3 and warns in React 18.3.1. It is **removed in React 19**.

## This Is Always a Cross-File Migration

Unlike most other migrations that touch one file at a time, context migration requires coordinating:
1. Create the context object (usually a new file)
2. Update the **provider** component
3. Update **every consumer** component

Missing any consumer leaves the app broken - it will read from the wrong context or get `undefined`.

## Migration Steps (Always Follow This Order)

```
Step 1: Find the provider (childContextTypes + getChildContext)
Step 2: Find ALL consumers (contextTypes)
Step 3: Create the context file
Step 4: Update the provider
Step 5: Update each consumer (class components → contextType, function components → useContext)
Step 6: Verify - run the app, check no legacy context warnings remain
```

## Scan Commands

```bash
# Find all providers
grep -rn "childContextTypes\|getChildContext" src/ --include="*.js" --include="*.jsx" | grep -v "\.test\."

# Find all consumers
grep -rn "contextTypes\s*=" src/ --include="*.js" --include="*.jsx" | grep -v "\.test\."

# Find this.context usage (may be legacy or modern - check which)
grep -rn "this\.context\." src/ --include="*.js" --include="*.jsx" | grep -v "\.test\."
```

## Reference Files

- **`references/single-context.md`** - complete migration for one context (theme, auth, etc.) with provider + class consumer + function consumer
- **`references/multi-context.md`** - apps with multiple legacy contexts (nested providers, multiple consumers of different contexts)
- **`references/context-file-template.md`** - the standard file structure for a new context module