How to Convert Video to React UI With Accessibility Best Practices - A Replay AI Guide

TL;DR: Replay uses video analysis and AI to generate accessible React UI code, understanding user behavior to create functional components, going beyond simple screenshot-to-code conversion.

The Accessibility Gap in AI-Powered UI Generation#

Generating UI code with AI is rapidly evolving, but a critical piece is often missing: accessibility. Many tools focus on visual appearance, neglecting the crucial aspects that make UIs usable for everyone, including those with disabilities. This isn't just about ethical considerations; accessible websites often perform better in search engine rankings and reach a wider audience.

Traditional screenshot-to-code solutions fall short because they only "see" the static image. They don't understand the intent behind user interactions or the semantic meaning of UI elements. This leads to code that may look correct but is fundamentally inaccessible. Replay, on the other hand, takes a different approach.

Replay utilizes video analysis, powered by Gemini, to understand user behavior and reconstruct functional, accessible React UI components. It leverages "Behavior-Driven Reconstruction," treating the video as the source of truth. This allows Replay to infer user intent, reconstruct complex interactions, and generate code that adheres to accessibility best practices.

Replay: Behavior-Driven UI Reconstruction#

Replay goes beyond simple visual replication. It analyzes the video to understand:

• •User Flows: How users navigate between pages and interact with different elements.
• •Input Methods: How users enter data (keyboard, mouse, touch).
• •Semantic Meaning: Identifies elements like forms, buttons, and navigation menus.

This understanding enables Replay to generate code that is not only visually accurate but also semantically correct and accessible.

Core Features for Accessible React UI#

Replay offers several key features that contribute to generating accessible React UIs:

• •Multi-page Generation: Reconstructs entire product flows, ensuring consistent accessibility across multiple pages.
• •Supabase Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Supabase for data management, allowing for dynamic and accessible content.
• •Style Injection: Applies consistent styling based on the video, ensuring visual coherence and accessibility.
• •Product Flow Maps: Visualizes user flows and interactions, making it easier to understand and maintain the accessibility of the UI.

Building an Accessible React Form with Replay: A Step-by-Step Guide#

Let's walk through a practical example of using Replay to generate an accessible React form from a video recording. Assume you have a video of a user filling out a simple contact form.

Step 1: Upload and Analyze the Video#

Upload the video to Replay. The AI engine will analyze the video, identifying form elements, input fields, and button interactions. This process takes a few minutes, depending on the length and complexity of the video.

Step 2: Review and Refine the Generated Code#

Once the analysis is complete, Replay generates the React code. Review the code to ensure accuracy and make any necessary adjustments. Pay close attention to the following:

• •Semantic HTML: Ensure that form elements are using the correct semantic HTML tags (e.g.,
  text

  <form>
  ,
  text

  <label>
  ,
  text

  <input>
  ,
  text

  <button>
  ).
• •ARIA Attributes: Check for appropriate ARIA attributes to provide additional information to assistive technologies.
• •Keyboard Navigation: Verify that all form elements are accessible via keyboard navigation.
• •Contrast Ratios: Ensure that text and background colors meet accessibility contrast requirements.

💡 Pro Tip: Replay automatically infers the role of each element. However, always double-check the generated code and add ARIA attributes where necessary to improve accessibility.

Step 3: Implement Accessibility Best Practices#

Replay strives to automatically incorporate accessibility best practices. However, manual review is always recommended. Here's an example of how you might enhance the generated code:

typescript
// Generated code from Replay (example)
import React from 'react';

const ContactForm = () => {
  return (
    <form>
      <label htmlFor="name">Name:</label>
      <input type="text" id="name" name="name" />
      <label htmlFor="email">Email:</label>
      <input type="email" id="email" name="email" />
      <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </form>
  );
};

export default ContactForm;

Let's enhance this code for better accessibility:

typescript
import React from 'react';

const ContactForm = () => {
  return (
    <form>
      <div>
        <label htmlFor="name">Name:</label>
        <input
          type="text"
          id="name"
          name="name"
          aria-required="true" // Indicate required field
          aria-describedby="name-hint" // Link to hint text
        />
        <div id="name-hint" className="hint">
          Please enter your full name.
        </div>
      </div>

      <div>
        <label htmlFor="email">Email:</label>
        <input
          type="email"
          id="email"
          name="email"
          aria-required="true"
          aria-describedby="email-hint"
        />
        <div id="email-hint" className="hint">
          A valid email address is required.
        </div>
      </div>

      <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </form>
  );
};

export default ContactForm;

Key accessibility enhancements:

• •
  text

  aria-required="true"
  : Indicates that the name and email fields are required.
• •
  text

  aria-describedby="[id]"
  : Links each input field to a corresponding hint text element, providing additional context for users of assistive technologies.
• •Semantic HTML: Using
  text

  <div>
  elements for better structure and styling control.

⚠️ Warning: Always test your generated UI with assistive technologies like screen readers to ensure that it is fully accessible. Automated tools can help, but they are not a substitute for real-world testing.

Step 4: Integrate with Supabase (Optional)#

If your form data needs to be stored, you can easily integrate Replay with Supabase. Replay can generate the necessary API calls and database schema based on the video analysis. Ensure that your Supabase tables are designed with accessibility in mind (e.g., using descriptive column names).

The Power of Behavior-Driven Reconstruction#

Replay's behavior-driven approach offers several advantages over traditional methods:

• •Improved Accessibility: By understanding user intent, Replay generates code that is inherently more accessible.
• •Reduced Development Time: Automates the process of UI reconstruction, freeing up developers to focus on more complex tasks.
• •Higher Accuracy: Video analysis provides a more accurate representation of the desired UI compared to static screenshots.
• •Enhanced Maintainability: The generated code is well-structured and easy to maintain.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited features. Paid plans are available for more advanced features and higher usage limits.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

While both tools aim to generate UI code, Replay uses video as input and focuses on understanding user behavior to create functional and accessible components. V0.dev primarily uses text prompts and may not always prioritize accessibility. Replay's behavior-driven approach is a fundamental difference.

What types of videos work best with Replay?#

Videos with clear and consistent user interactions tend to produce the best results. Avoid videos with excessive noise or distractions.

What frameworks does Replay support?#

Currently, Replay primarily supports React. Support for other frameworks is planned for future releases.

How does Replay handle dynamic content?#

Replay can infer data structures and API calls based on the video analysis. It can also integrate with Supabase to manage dynamic content.

Conclusion: The Future of Accessible UI Generation#

Replay represents a significant step forward in AI-powered UI generation. By focusing on user behavior and accessibility, Replay empowers developers to create UIs that are not only visually appealing but also usable by everyone. The ability to convert video into working, accessible React code opens up new possibilities for rapid prototyping, UI reconstruction, and inclusive design.

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