In the ever-evolving realm of web development, ensuring your web layout is responsive can significantly enhance user experience. This guide walks you through setting up a React application that utilizes CSS modules with VW (viewport width) units for responsive design. We will cover the essential steps, from the initial setup to deploying a fully functional app that looks great on any screen size.

Step 1: Create Your React App

Let’s kick things off by setting up your React environment:

• Open your terminal and run the following command to create a new React app:

npx create-react-app react-vw-layout

• Navigate into your new project directory:

cd react-vw-layout

• Start your development server:

npm start

Step 2: Eject from Create-React-App

Once your app is running, you will need to eject the configurations so that we can customize them:

• Run the following command:

npm run eject

• Confirm the action by typing ‘y’ and hitting Enter.

Step 3: Install PostCSS and Add Necessary Plugins

Now it’s time to install PostCSS along with multiple plugins to handle CSS units effectively:

• Run this command for installation:

npm install --save postcss-aspect-ratio-mini postcss-px-to-viewport postcss-write-svg postcss-cssnext postcss-viewport-units cssnano

• Next, modify the webpack.config.dev.js file to include PostCSS configurations.

Step 4: Configure Your App Component

Now let’s create our main application component and stylesheet:

• In your App.js file, add the following code:

import React, { Component } from 'react';
import './App.css';

class App extends Component {
    render() {
        return (
            

                hello vw-layout
            
        );
    }
}

export default App;

• In the App.css file, add styles that utilize VW units to ensure responsiveness:

.App {
    width: 750px;
    height: 200px;
    background: #f27a7a;
    color: #ffffff;
    line-height: 200px;
    text-align: center;
}

Step 5: Add Buggyfill for VW Units

To make VW units compatible across various browsers, especially older ones, you will need to include a buggyfill:

• In your public/index.html, add the following script tag just before the closing </head> tag:

<script src="https://g.alicdn.com/fdilab/lib/3rd/viewport-units-buggyfill/0.6.2/viewport-units-buggyfill.hacks.min.js"></script>
<script>
  window.onload = function () {
    window.viewportUnitsBuggyfill.init();
  };
</script>

Step 6: Test Your Application

By now, your application should be running smoothly. To test it, simply visit http://localhost:3000 in your web browser and ensure everything displays correctly.

Troubleshooting Tips

• If you encounter issues with styles not showing as expected:
  • Check your PostCSS configurations and insert it correctly in your webpack config.
  • Make sure you have installed all necessary PostCSS plugins.
• If the buggyfill isn’t loading:
  • Verify your script tag in index.html is correctly placed.
  • Ensure there are no typos in the script’s URL.

For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.

Conclusion

Setting up a responsive, VW-based layout using React and CSS Modules can be a powerful addition to your web development toolkit. With these steps, your application is not just visually appealing but also adaptable across devices.

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.