My approach to a component-based CSS

Slides to my talk at the c't conference in Cologne about my approach to a functional, component-based CSS architecture.

Transcript

1. My approach to a Component-based CSS
2. ! " Frontend Engineer Twitter: @mirjam_diala Github: programmiri
3. DAE?
4. It's just about making things pretty. Right?
5. How we handle CSS
6. 1. Methology ... BEM & OOSCSS & SMACSS & DRY CSS & ACSS & ...
7. 2. Pre Processors ... SASS & SCSS & Stylus & ...
8. 3. Just don't write CSS CSS-in-JS: ... JSS & Styled Components & Emotion & Radium & ...
9. The C in CSS stands for "Calm down" ¯\_(ϑ)_/¯
10. Component-based CSS
11. Component-based what now? official definition my current approach
12. Better description • Functional Component-based CSS • Component-based functional CSS !
13. We’re not designing pages, we’re designing systems of components.1 — Stephen Hay 1 From his book "Responsive Design Workflow". Read more: http://bradfrost.com/blog/post/bdconf-stephen-hay-presents- responsive-design-workflow/
14. Components let you split the UI into independent, reusable pieces, and think about each piece in isolation.2 2 https://reactjs.org/docs/components-and-props.html
15. Style every component separately • components are easily reusable • easy to delete components • no side-effects when adding or removing styles
16. Nice! But...
17. .component-one { position: relative; font-family: 'Fancy Font'; font-weight: 500; font-size: 20px; color: var(--color-blue); margin-bottom: 2rem; padding: 1rem 1.5rem; background-color: var(--color-black); } .component-two { position: relative; font-family: 'Fancy Font'; font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; color: var(--color-blue); margin-top: 2rem; padding: 1rem 1.5rem; background-color: var(--color-black); }
18. What about repetition?
19. Style every component separately
20. Functional CSS to the rescue!
21. .arial { font-family: Arial; } .font-1rem { font-size: 1rem; } .font-1.5rem { font-size: 1.5rem; } .font-color-primary { color: var(--color-primary) } .font-color-highlight { color: yellow; } <h2 class="font-1.5-rem font-color-primary arial">Headline</h2>
22. Nice! But...
23. What about redesigns?
24. Style everything with functional classes
25. We need a compromise
26. Why? Separation of concerns does not really work with CSS
27. First try: content-specific classes <p class="profil-lead"> I'm Mirjam and I'm a cat AND dog person! </p> .profil-lead { font-size: 150%; color: yellow; }
28. Second try: style-specific classes <p class="text-highlight text-big"> I'm Mirjam and I'm a cat AND dog person! </p> .text-big { font-size: 150%; } .text-highlight { color: yellow; }
29. So, what to do?
30. My current approach for separation Basic general styles like: font styles, colors Utility (functional) classes repeating styles that can be used universally CSS Component Counterpart to our website component
31. Basic - Characteristics • They are like a styleguide. • They tell you how your brand looks and behaves.
32. Basic - Example
33. :root { --font-headline: 'Domine', serif; --font-standard: 'Roboto', sans-serif; } html { font-size: 16px; } body { font-family: var(--font-standard); font-weight: 200; } h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { font-family: var(--font-headline); } .h1 { font-size: 3.5rem; }
34. Utility - Characteristics • They help you with all styles you would write over and over again. • They support you - and your team! - with a consistent style.
35. Utility - Example
36. .display-flex { display: flex; } .display-inline-flex { display: inline-flex; } .flex-direction-row { flex-direction: row; } .flex-direction-column { flex-direction: column; } .text-center { text-align: center; } .text-left { text-align: left; }
37. .margin-0 { margin: var(--spacer-0); } .margin-1 { margin: var(--spacer-1); } .margin-2 { margin: var(--spacer-2); } .padding-bottom-0 { padding-bottom: var(--spacer-0); } .padding-bottom-1 { padding-bottom: var(--spacer-1); } .padding-bottom-2 { padding-bottom: var(--spacer-2); }
38. CSS Component - Characteristics • They determine the rules how a specific website component has to look like. • This component style will work in every place of the markup.
39. CSS Component - Example
40. .Button { display: inline-block; font-weight: 500; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid transparent; padding: 0.375rem 0.75rem; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.5; border-radius: 0.25rem; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, background-color 0.15s ease-in-out, border-color 0.15s ease-in-out, box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out; } .Button:hover { border: 1px solid var(--color-black); } .Button.Button-primary { background-color: var(--color-primary); } .Button.Button-secondary { color: var(--color-white); background-color: var(--color-secondary); }
41. .App { display: grid; width: 100%; min-height: 100vh; grid-template-columns: 1fr 5fr 4fr 4fr 1fr; grid-template-rows: 1fr 5fr 0.5fr; grid-template-areas: "...... header header header ......" "...... sidebar content content ......." "footer footer footer footer footer"; } .App .App-header { grid-area: header; } .App .App-login-notice { grid-column: sidebar / content; } .App .App-note-options { grid-area: sidebar; } .App .App-note-section { grid-area: content / content; }
42. General Rules
43. 1. Use classes • use classes to define styles • use styles on elements very carefully • don't use IDs to style
44. 2. Naming: consistent and clear • use speaking class names • use semantic class names • don't generate unexpected results (side effects) • mirror website components name
45. Basic and Utility: Naming approach .text-lg { font-size: 150%; } .d-flex { display-flex; } .background-warning { background-color: var(--color-warning) } // ( ᐛ )و
46. Nope! .background-red { background-color: var(--color-warning); // var(--color-warning)= orange; font-weight: bold; } // <(ҹ^´)>
47. CSS Component: Naming approach .Quote { width: 75%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; } .Quote .Quote-text { margin-top: 2rem; margin-bottom: 2rem; border-left: 10px solid var(--color-primary); padding-top: 1rem; padding-bottom: 1rem; padding-left: 2rem; font-size: 1.25rem; } .Quote .Quote-cite { font-style: italic; padding-left: 2rem; } .Quote .Quote-cite:before { content: '– '; }
48. #LPT: Prioritize More important than PascalCase vs use-hyphens vs i-like__bem Be consistent!
49. How to use it
50. Compositions Use composition to define appearance. <div class="col-2 borderd border-dark padding-2 text-center margin-right-2"> <p> Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. </p> <button class="Button Button-primary" role="button">Get the Thing!</button> </div>
51. "display-flex align-items-center justify-content-center padding-3 background-primary" Embrace compositions! ❤
52. Build CSS components when it's useful • its style can't be accomplished easily with utility and basic classes • it's is a piece of content • it will be used in the same manner at least thrice
53. Build independent components Style components should only contain styles that define their unique appearance. They're independent from their environment. You should be able to put them anywhere in the markup.
54. Beispiel <button class="Button Button-primary margin-2" role="button"> Get the Thing! </button>
55. How to use it - summary • Use compositions • Duplication cheaper than wrong abstraction • Discipline
56. No-Go
57. Nest components, not styles Components can be nested in other components, but never nest CSS components to overwrite styles. <div class="Card Card-primary"> <p> Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. </p> <p>Lorem ipsum some more.</p> <button class="Button Button-primary" role="button">Get the Thing!</button> </div> <!-- (*^-^) -->
58. .Card-primary { .Button-primary { font-size: 0.8rem; } } // ( ಠ ಠ )
60. #LifeProTips*) *) they work for every CSS project
61. My #LPT so far Don't write CSS on the side, think about an useful architecture.
62. My #LPT so far Plan your styleguide carefully.
63. My #LPT so far Use and adapt this styleguide
64. My #LPT so far Commit to and write down naming rules
65. My #LPT so far Commit and write down rules for CSS.
66. My #LPT so far Refactor early and o!en - we all know CSS grows rampart if you don't look at it for 5 minutes.
67. My #LPT so far Use basic and utility components generously.
68. My #LPT so far Unify rules and styles when possible.
69. My #LPT so far If you add the third variation of a style to a (dynamic) website component, think about creating a new one.
70. And that's it! Examples: github.com/programmiri/ component-based-functional-css-examples See, that's kinda too long for a good name. Twitter: @mirjam_diala Github: programmiri