How to Get Started with Trousers: A Stylish CSS-in-JS Library for React

Sep 10, 2023 | Programming

Welcome to the world of Trousers, a fast and semantic CSS-in-JS library that makes crafting stylish React components a breeze! In this guide, we will walk you through the essential steps to get Trousers up and running in your application, all while providing troubleshooting tips to ensure a smooth experience.

Table of Contents

Get Started

Installation

To include Trousers in your project, you can easily install it via npm or yarn:

  • npm install --save trousers
  • yarn add trousers

Basic Example

Here’s how to create a simple purple button using Trousers:

jsx
import { css, useStyles } from '@trousers/core';

const Button = (props) => {
    const className = useStyles(css`
        background-color: rebeccapurple;
        color: white;
    `);
    return ;
};

export default Button;

Complete Example

Now let’s create a themed button with a primary variant:

jsx
import useStyles from '@trousers/core';
import styleCollector from '@trousers/collector';

const styles = (props) =>
    styleCollector(button).element`
        background-color: $theme = theme.backgroundColor;
        border: none;
        color: $theme = theme.textColor;
        margin: 0 10px;
        padding: 10px 20px 14px 20px;

        :hover {
            background-color: $theme = theme.hoverColor;
            color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);
        }

        .modifier(primary, props.primary) {
            background-color: #f95b5b;
            color: #ffffff;

            :hover {
                background-color: #e45454;
            }
        }
    `;

const Button = (props) => {
    const buttonClassNames = useStyles(styles(props));
    return ;
};

export default Button;

const MyApp = (props) => {
    const theme = {
        backgroundColor: 'blue',
        textColor: 'white',
        hoverColor: 'lightblue',
    };

    return (
        
            
        
    );
};

Motivation

In the ever-evolving world of web development, components need to be flexible and reusable. Imagine a button that could change color based on its state—clicked, hovered, or loading. Trousers allows you to manage these variations effortlessly. Think of it like a wardrobe where every piece (our button) can have different looks (styles) for different occasions (states).

Features

Now, let’s explore the exciting features that make Trousers stand out:

Hooks-first

Embracing React’s hooks, your Trousers components can easily access context and state without the added complexity.

Composable API

Using a monorepo architecture, Trousers allows you to customize and tailor features to suit your application needs—just like how a tailor fits a suit to perfection!

CSS Prop

Trousers supports a convenient CSS prop, allowing you to apply styles directly without the overhead of additional hooks.

Theme Support

Seamlessly create multiple themes for your components, allowing for greater flexibility and aesthetics in your applications.

Global Styles

Implement global styles effortlessly using the useGlobals hook, ensuring a cohesive look across your entire application.

Server Side Rendering (SSR)

Follow a straightforward approach for SSR with Trousers, capturing styles on the server side to optimize rendering performance.

Object Notation Support

If you prefer traditional CSS syntax, Trousers allows you to pass CSS as objects, making it highly adaptable for different coding styles!

Custom Style Collectors

Need to create bespoke styling solutions? Trousers lets you define custom style collectors that cater to your specific needs.

API Reference

For detailed API information, you can refer to the respective packages available in the Trousers monorepo:

FAQ

Can’t you do this in styled-components and emotion?

Of course! Styled-components and Emotion are fantastic libraries in their own right. However, Trousers emphasizes clarity and syntactic simplicity for defining states.

What does this have to do with hooks?

Trousers takes advantage of React hooks to simplify access to context without requiring excessive configurations from the user.

Troubleshooting

As with any tool, you might encounter some challenges. Here are some common troubleshooting tips:

  • Styles not applying? Check to ensure the components are wrapped in the ThemeProvider.
  • Installation issues? Ensure you’re connected to the internet and try reinstalling the package.
  • Need further assistance? For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.

At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.

Now that you’re armed with the knowledge of Trousers, it’s time to add that stylish flair to your React applications. Happy coding!

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