Storybook Addon Controls

The @storybook/addon-controls package is a deprecated migration helper for Storybook 9.0+. It does not provide any functional API - instead, it throws an error when imported to guide users through the Storybook 9.0 migration process. The controls functionality has been consolidated into other Storybook packages as part of the package structure changes.

Package Information

• Package Name: @storybook/addon-controls
• Package Type: npm
• Language: TypeScript
• Installation: npm install @storybook/addon-controls (not recommended)
• Status: Deprecated - Migration helper only

Core Imports

All import patterns result in the same migration error being thrown:

import '@storybook/addon-controls';

CommonJS:

const controls = require('@storybook/addon-controls');

Import from specific entry points:

import '@storybook/addon-controls/preview';
import '@storybook/addon-controls/manager';
import '@storybook/addon-controls/register';

Basic Usage

This package intentionally has no functional usage. All imports immediately throw an error to guide migration:

// This will throw an error
import '@storybook/addon-controls';

// Error thrown:
// "Your Storybook project is referring to package @storybook/addon-controls, 
// which no longer exists in Storybook 9.0 and above. Please refer to the 
// Storybook 9 migration guide for instructions on how to fix this issue: 
// https://storybook.js.org/docs/9/migration-guide#package-structure-changes"

Architecture

This package uses a simple error-throwing architecture:

• Error Module: Single error.ts file containing the migration error message
• Entry Points: All entry points (index.ts, preview.tsx, manager.tsx) import and execute the error module
• Build Process: The package builds to distribution files that preserve the error-throwing behavior
• Zero Dependencies: No runtime dependencies - pure error throwing functionality

Capabilities

Migration Error Handling

The sole capability of this package is to throw a descriptive error that guides users to the migration documentation.

/**
 * All entry points import this error module which immediately throws
 * a migration error with guidance to the Storybook 9 migration guide
 */
declare const migrationError: never;

Error Details:

• Error Type: Error
• Error Message: "Your Storybook project is referring to package @storybook/addon-controls, which no longer exists in Storybook 9.0 and above. Please refer to the Storybook 9 migration guide for instructions on how to fix this issue: https://storybook.js.org/docs/9/migration-guide#package-structure-changes"
• Migration Guide: https://storybook.js.org/docs/9/migration-guide#package-structure-changes

Migration Information

Package Structure Changes

In Storybook 9.0+, the controls functionality has been consolidated into other packages. Users must:

1. Remove references to @storybook/addon-controls from their configuration
2. Follow the Storybook 9 migration guide to update their setup
3. Use the new package structure for controls functionality

Replacement

The controls functionality is now built into the core Storybook experience and does not require a separate addon package. Refer to the official Storybook documentation for current controls usage patterns.

Entry Points

All package entry points defined in package.json lead to the same error-throwing behavior:

// Main entry (.)
declare module '@storybook/addon-controls' {
  // Immediately throws migration error
}

// Preview entry (./preview)  
declare module '@storybook/addon-controls/preview' {
  // Immediately throws migration error
}

// Manager entry (./manager and ./register)
declare module '@storybook/addon-controls/manager' {
  // Immediately throws migration error
}

declare module '@storybook/addon-controls/register' {
  // Immediately throws migration error  
}

Error Handling

Since this package only throws errors, there is no error handling beyond the migration error itself. Users encountering this error should follow the migration guide rather than attempting to catch or handle the error.