Styled Components vs. InStyle Components in React: Practical Illustration

In the realm of contemporary web development, React has emerged as the predominant library for crafting dynamic and engaging user interfaces. To elevate the development process and bolster code sustainability, web developers frequently embrace CSS-in-JS solutions. Two frequently embraced choices for this specific objective are “Styled Components” and “InStyle Components.” In the following text, we will delve into both of these alternatives and offer a hands-on demonstration, facilitating your determination of the more appropriate option for your particular project.

Styled Components

Styled Components, a extensively employed CSS-in-JS library tailored for React, empowers developers to compose CSS code right within their JavaScript files, effectively encapsulating styles directly within the components. To illustrate its usage in a React application, let’s delve into a straightforward example:

import styled from 'styled-components';

const Button = styled.button`
  background-color: #007bff;
  color: #fff;
  padding: 10px 20px;
  border: none;
  cursor: pointer;
`;

function MyComponent() {
  return (
    <div>
      <Button>Click Me</Button>
    </div>
  );
}

InStyle Components

InStyle Components is another CSS-in-JS library for React. It offers a similar approach to encapsulating styles within your components. Here’s how you can use InStyle Components:

import React from 'react';
import { style } from 'instyle';

const styles = style({
  button: {
    backgroundColor: '#007bff',
    color: '#fff',
    padding: '10px 20px',
    border: 'none',
    cursor: 'pointer',
  },
});

function MyComponent() {
  return (
    <div>
      <button className={styles.button}>Click Me</button>
    </div>
  );
}

Practical Illustration: Styled Components vs. InStyle Components

Next, we’ll contrast both approaches through the execution of a hands-on illustration.

Envision a situation in which you aim to craft a roster of elements featuring a hover functionality. In this context, there will be a List component responsible for displaying individual Item components. Every Item is expected to undergo a background color transformation upon hovering.

Styled Components Implementation:

import React from 'react';
import styled from 'styled-components';

const List = styled.ul`
  list-style-type: none;
`;

const Item = styled.li`
  padding: 10px;
  transition: background-color 0.3s;

  &:hover {
    background-color: #f2f2f2;
  }
`;

function StyledComponentExample() {
  return (
    <List>
      <Item>Item 1</Item>
      <Item>Item 2</Item>
      <Item>Item 3</Item>
    </List>
  );
}

InStyle Components Implementation:

import React from 'react';
import { style } from 'instyle';

const styles = style({
  list: {
    listStyleType: 'none',
  },
  item: {
    padding: '10px',
    transition: 'background-color 0.3s',
    '&:hover': {
      backgroundColor: '#f2f2f2',
    },
  },
});

function InStyleComponentExample() {
  return (
    <ul className={styles.list}>
      <li className={styles.item}>Item 1</li>
      <li className={styles.item}>Item 2</li>
      <li className={styles.item}>Item 3</li>
    </ul>
  );
}

Both Styled Components and InStyle Components provide an effective way to style your React components. The choice between them may come down to personal preference, team familiarity, or the specific requirements of your project.

Conclusion

In summary, the choice between Styled Components and InStyle Components hinges on your project requirements and the extent of control you seek over your styling. Both alternatives provide a convenient method for handling your CSS in a JavaScript ecosystem, guaranteeing that your styles remain enclosed and easily maintainable within your components. Ultimately, your decision should harmonize with your development objectives and the specific demands of your project.

Styled Components vs. InStyle Components in React: Practical Illustration