Styling Strategies in Next.js

Posted in Javascript

Styling is a crucial aspect of any web application, and Next.js offers flexibility in choosing your preferred styling approach. In this tutorial, we’ll explore different styling strategies in Next.js, including CSS modules and styled-components.

1. CSS Modules

CSS Modules provide local scoping for styles, preventing global style conflicts. With Next.js, you can use CSS Modules by creating a CSS file with the .module.css extension.

Here’s an example:

/* styles.module.css */

.container {
  max-width: 800px;
  margin: 0 auto;
}

.title {
  color: #333;
}

And in your React component:

// MyComponent.js

import React from 'react';
import styles from './styles.module.css';

const MyComponent = () => {
  return (
    <div className={styles.container}>
      <h1 className={styles.title}>Styled Component</h1>
    </div>
  );
};

export default MyComponent;

2. styled-components

styled-components is a popular CSS-in-JS library that allows you to write actual CSS code within your JavaScript files. It offers a dynamic and component-based approach to styling.

First, install styled-components:

npm install styled-components

Then, use it in your components:

// MyStyledComponent.js

import styled from 'styled-components';

const Container = styled.div`
  max-width: 800px;
  margin: 0 auto;
`;

const Title = styled.h1`
  color: #333;
`;

const MyStyledComponent = () => {
  return (
    <Container>
      <Title>Styled Component</Title>
    </Container>
  );
};

export default MyStyledComponent;

3. Theming in styled-components

styled-components also supports theming, allowing you to define a theme and use it throughout your application.

// theme.js

export const theme = {
  primaryColor: '#3498db',
  secondaryColor: '#2ecc71',
};

// MyThemedComponent.js

import styled, { ThemeProvider } from 'styled-components';
import { theme } from './theme';

const Container = styled.div`
  background-color: ${props => props.theme.primaryColor};
  color: white;
  padding: 16px;
`;

const MyThemedComponent = () => {
  return (
    <ThemeProvider theme={theme}>
      <Container>Themed Component</Container>
    </ThemeProvider>
  );
};

export default MyThemedComponent;

Conclusion

Next.js offers flexibility when it comes to styling your components. Whether you prefer the local scoping of CSS Modules or the dynamic nature of styled-components, you can choose the approach that best fits your project.

In the upcoming tutorials, we’ll explore state management in Next.js, including using Redux for managing your application’s state.

Stay tuned for the next tutorial where we’ll dive into state management with Next.js.

Happy coding!