Styled-Components in React Native: A Beginner’s Guide

Unlock the Power of Styled-Components in React Native

When it comes to developing a React Native app, styling is a crucial aspect that can make or break the user experience. While React Native provides a default way of styling components using the StyleSheet API, there’s a more efficient and flexible approach – using styled-components. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of using styled-components in React Native and how to get started with it.

What are Styled-Components?

Styled-components is an open-source CSS-in-JS library that allows you to define UI components and styles in a single file location. This approach enables you to couple styling with its suitable component, resulting in an optimized developer experience when working with large applications.

The Difference Between StyleSheet and Styled-Components

When using StyleSheet, you define style classes and then apply them to your components using the style property. In contrast, styled-components allow you to create components that are inherently styled, eliminating the need to separately declare style classes.

Benefits of Using Styled-Components

One significant advantage of styled-components is that it allows you to use plain CSS over styles defined using JavaScript objects. This makes it easier for developers with a web-based background to work with React Native. Additionally, styled-components enable you to use CSS naming conventions, making it more intuitive and flexible.

Getting Started with Styled-Components

To install styled-components, create a new React Native project and execute the following command: npm install styled-components. Then, import the styled-components library and start creating your first styled component.

Implementing Props in Styled-Components

Styled-components allow you to consume props in custom components, making your code more DRY and reusable. You can pass props to your components and use them to dynamically style your UI elements.

Building an App Screen from Scratch

Let’s build an app screen using styled-components to demonstrate its capabilities. We’ll create a header section, add a safe area view component, display an avatar using the Image component, and use the position absolute property to create an online indicator.

Adding a SafeAreaView Component

Create a new component file called Header.js and add the following code snippet:
“`jsx
import { SafeAreaView } from ‘eact-native’;
import { styled } from ‘tyled-components/native’;

const HeaderContainer = styled(SafeAreaView)
flex: 1;
background-color: #f0f0f0;
padding: 20px;
;

const HeaderTitle = styled.Text
font-size: 24px;
font-weight: bold;
color: #333;
;

const IconButton = styled.TouchableOpacity
padding: 10px;
border-radius: 50px;
background-color: #fff;
;

export default function Header({ headerTitle }) {
return (

{headerTitle}




);
}
“`
Displaying an Avatar using the Image Component

Create a new component file called Avatar.js and add the following code snippet:
“`jsx
import { Image } from ‘eact-native’;
import { styled } from ‘tyled-components/native’;

const AvatarImage = styled(Image)
width: 64px;
height: 64px;
border-radius: 50px;
margin: 10px;
;

export default function Avatar({ source }) {
return ;
}
“`
Using Position Absolute Property to Create an Online Indicator

Create a new component file called OnlineIndicator.js and add the following code snippet:
“`jsx
import { View } from ‘eact-native’;
import { styled } from ‘tyled-components/native’;

const OnlineIndicatorContainer = styled(View)
position: absolute;
top: 0;
right: 0;
width: 20px;
height: 20px;
border-radius: 50px;
background-color: #00ff00;
;

export default function OnlineIndicator() {
return ;
}
“`
Adding a TextInput

Create a new component file called InputContainer.js and add the following code snippet:
“`jsx
import { TextInput } from ‘eact-native’;
import { styled } from ‘tyled-components/native’;

const InputField = styled(TextInput)
padding: 10px;
border-radius: 10px;
border-width: 1px;
border-color: #ccc;
;

export default function InputContainer() {
return ;
}
“`
Mapping through a List of Menu Items using ScrollView

Create a new component file called Card.js and add the following code snippet:
“`jsx
import { ScrollView, View, Text, Image } from ‘eact-native’;
import { styled } from ‘tyled-components/native’;

const CardContainer = styled(View)
padding: 20px;
margin: 10px;
border-radius: 10px;
background-color: #fff;
;

const CardImage = styled(Image)
width: 100px;
height: 100px;
border-radius: 50px;
margin: 10px;
;

const CardTitle = styled(Text)
font-size: 18px;
font-weight: bold;
color: #333;
;

const CardDescription = styled(Text)
font-size: 14px;
color: #666;
;

export default function Card({ data }) {
return (


{data.title}
{data.description}

);
}
“`
Considerations when using Styled-Components

When using styled-components, consider the following:

• Framework agnosticism: Styled-components are not framework-agnostic and cannot be used with other mobile JavaScript frameworks.
• App speed/loading: Inline styles are a faster alternative to a CSS-in-JS approach like styled-components.
• Style guides and readability: Be mindful of naming conventions and style guides to avoid confusion during debugging.

By leveraging the power of styled-components, you can create a more efficient and flexible styling system for your React Native app. Try it out and see the benefits for yourself!