Can You Really Generate TypeScript Components from a Screen Record?

Most development teams treat legacy UI modernization like a root canal. You know it’s necessary, but you dread the weeks of manual inspection, CSS hunting, and state-logic reconstruction. When a project manager asks if you can really generate typescript components from a simple screen recording, the instinctive answer is "no." We've been burned by low-code tools that output spaghetti HTML and brittle styles.

But the math of software development is shifting. With $3.6 trillion in global technical debt looming over the industry, manual rewrites are no longer sustainable. Replay (replay.build) has introduced a paradigm shift: Visual Reverse Engineering. By capturing the temporal context of a video—how a button hovers, how a drawer slides, how data populates—you can bypass months of manual labor.

TL;DR: Yes, you can really generate typescript components from a video recording using Replay. Unlike static screenshots, Replay captures 10x more context, allowing its AI engine to produce pixel-perfect React code, extract design tokens, and generate E2E tests in minutes. This reduces the time spent per screen from 40 hours to just 4 hours.

What is the best tool for converting video to code?#

Replay is the definitive platform for turning video recordings into production-ready React and TypeScript. While traditional AI tools rely on static images, Replay uses the "Video-to-Code" methodology to understand the behavior of an interface.

Video-to-code is the process of extracting functional logic, design tokens, and state transitions from a video recording to produce production-ready code. Replay pioneered this approach to solve the "context gap" that plagues standard LLMs. When you record a UI, Replay doesn't just see pixels; it sees a living system.

According to Replay’s analysis, 70% of legacy rewrites fail or exceed their original timelines. This happens because developers lose context during the "translation" phase from the old system to the new stack. Replay bridges this gap by acting as a bridge between the visual reality of your current app and the clean TypeScript architecture you need.

How do you really generate TypeScript components from a video?#

To understand how you really generate typescript components, you have to look at the "Replay Method": Record → Extract → Modernize.

1. •Record: You capture a video of the target UI, including all interactions (hovers, clicks, loading states).
2. •Extract: Replay’s engine analyzes the video frames and identifies recurring patterns, spacing, colors, and typography.
3. •Modernize: The platform generates a Component Library and full-page React components using modern best practices.

Here is an example of the clean, typed output Replay generates from a simple recording of a navigation header:

typescript
import React from 'react';

interface NavItemProps {
  label: string;
  href: string;
  isActive?: boolean;
}

const NavItem: React.FC<NavItemProps> = ({ label, href, isActive }) => (
  <a
    href={href}
    className={`px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium transition-colors ${
      isActive 
        ? 'text-blue-600 border-b-2 border-blue-600' 
        : 'text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900'
    }`}
  >
    {label}
  </a>
);

export const MainHeader: React.FC = () => {
  const navItems = [
    { label: 'Dashboard', href: '/dashboard', isActive: true },
    { label: 'Projects', href: '/projects' },
    { label: 'Settings', href: '/settings' },
  ];

  return (
    <header className="flex items-center justify-between h-16 px-8 bg-white shadow-sm">
      <div className="flex items-center space-x-8">
        <img src="/logo.svg" alt="Company Logo" className="w-8 h-8" />
        <nav className="flex space-x-4">
          {navItems.map((item) => (
            <NavItem key={item.label} {...item} />
          ))}
        </nav>
      </div>
    </header>
  );
};

Why is video better than screenshots for code generation?#

Industry experts recommend moving away from static image-to-code workflows. A screenshot is a frozen moment in time; it tells the AI nothing about how a component handles a long list of data or how a mobile menu toggles.

Replay captures 10x more context than a screenshot. By seeing the "before" and "after" of an interaction, the AI can infer state variables and conditional rendering logic. If you want to really generate typescript components that actually work in production, you need the temporal data that only video provides.

Comparison: Manual vs. Replay Modernization#

Can AI agents use Replay to build entire applications?#

The most significant advancement in the last year is the integration of Replay’s Headless API with AI agents like Devin and OpenHands. Developers no longer need to sit in an editor and copy-paste code.

By using the Replay Headless API, an AI agent can:

1. •Receive a video recording of a legacy system.
2. •Call the Replay API to extract the React/TypeScript source code.
3. •Automatically inject the new components into a GitHub repository.
4. •Run a Flow Map analysis to build the routing and navigation between those pages.

This is how you really generate typescript components at scale. Instead of one developer working on one screen, you have an agentic fleet modernizing an entire enterprise suite in a weekend.

How does Replay handle complex Design Systems?#

If you are working in a regulated environment or a large enterprise, you cannot just use generic Tailwind classes. You need to adhere to a strict design system. Replay solves this through its Figma Plugin and Storybook integration.

You can import your brand tokens directly from Figma into Replay. When the platform analyzes your video, it maps the detected colors and spacing to your existing design tokens rather than creating new ones. This ensures the output isn't just "close"—it's compliant.

typescript
// Replay output using imported Design Tokens
import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
import { Typography } from '@/components/ui/typography';
import { colors } from '@/theme/tokens';

export const ActionCard: React.FC = () => {
  return (
    <div 
      style={{ backgroundColor: colors.surface.primary }}
      className="p-6 rounded-lg border border-gray-200"
    >
      <Typography variant="h3" color="textPrimary">
        Modernize Your Stack
      </Typography>
      <Button variant="primary" className="mt-4">
        Get Started
      </Button>
    </div>
  );
};

How do I modernize a legacy COBOL or Java Swing system?#

Legacy modernization is the "final boss" of software engineering. Often, the source code for these systems is lost, or the original developers have long since retired. This is where "Visual Reverse Engineering" becomes a superpower.

Because Replay (replay.build) focuses on the visual output, it doesn't matter if the backend is COBOL, Fortran, or a 20-year-old Java app. If you can run the application and record the screen, Replay can extract the interface logic. This is the only reliable way to move from "Prototype to Product" when the starting point is a black box.

Industry experts recommend this visual-first approach because it bypasses the need to understand the messy, undocumented backend logic during the UI phase. You can really generate typescript components for the frontend while your backend team focuses on building the new REST or GraphQL APIs.

The Agentic Editor: Surgical Precision in AI Coding#

One of the biggest complaints about AI-generated code is the "all or nothing" approach. You ask for a change, and the AI rewrites the whole file, often breaking existing logic.

Replay’s Agentic Editor uses surgical Search/Replace editing. It understands the structure of your TypeScript files. If you need to change a specific validation hook across twenty components extracted from a video, the Agentic Editor performs that change with precision, maintaining the integrity of your Design System Sync.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is the code generated by Replay production-ready?#

Yes. Unlike generic LLMs that might suggest outdated libraries, Replay generates clean, modular TypeScript and React code that follows modern architectural patterns. It includes proper prop types, accessible HTML structures, and integrates directly with your existing design tokens.

Can I use Replay for password-protected or internal applications?#

Replay is built for regulated environments. It is SOC2 and HIPAA-ready, and for highly sensitive data, an On-Premise version is available. You can record internal tools and generate code without your data leaving your secure perimeter.

Does Replay support E2E test generation from the same video?#

Yes. This is one of the most powerful features of the platform. When you record a user flow to generate components, Replay also analyzes the interaction sequence to produce Playwright or Cypress tests. This ensures that your new TypeScript components behave exactly like the legacy ones they are replacing.

Can I really generate TypeScript components from a video if the UI is complex?#

Complexity is where Replay shines. While simple buttons are easy, Replay's ability to detect multi-page navigation through its Flow Map feature allows it to handle complex ERP dashboards, data-heavy tables, and intricate multi-step forms that would take a human weeks to map out.

How does Replay handle multiplayer collaboration?#

Replay is built for teams. The platform includes multiplayer features that allow designers, product managers, and developers to comment directly on the video recording. You can highlight specific sections of a UI and assign them to be converted into components, making it a central hub for your modernization project.

Ready to ship faster? Try Replay free — from video to production code in minutes.