Integrating Next.js with MUI: A Step-by-Step Styling Guide

Styling Next.js Applications with MUI: A Step-by-Step Guide

When it comes to building web applications, speed and efficiency are crucial. This is where frameworks like Next.js and libraries like MUI come in handy. In this article, we’ll explore how to style a Next.js application using MUI, covering the basics of both technologies and providing a comprehensive guide on how to integrate them.

What is MUI?

MUI, formerly Material UI, is an open-source library of components that implements Google’s Material Design system. It provides production-ready components, including buttons, alerts, menus, tables, and more, making it an ideal choice for developers who want to create visually appealing applications quickly.

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a popular framework for developing fully functional web apps with React. It handles project configuration, data fetching, and routing, making it a go-to choice for developers who want to build fast and scalable applications.

Why Combine Next.js and MUI?

Combining Next.js and MUI offers numerous benefits. Next.js allows for pre-rendering every page of your web app, generating HTML in advance on the server side, which leads to improved performance and SEO. However, when combined with MUI, server-side rendering presents some challenges. This article will address these challenges and provide a step-by-step guide on how to integrate MUI with Next.js.

Creating a Next.js Project

To get started, create a new Next.js project by running the following command:

npx create-next-app my-app

Choose the App Router option when prompted, as it simplifies the setup process.

Creating a Custom Theme

To create a custom theme, replace the styles in the page.module.css file with the following CSS:
css
/* Custom theme styles */

Then, update the page.js file to use the custom theme:
“`jsx
import { Switch } from ‘@mui/material’;

function HomePage() {
return (

);
}

export default HomePage;
“`
Implementing the Custom Theme

To implement the custom theme, create a new directory at the root level of your project called utils. Inside this directory, create a file called theme.js and add the following code:
“`javascript
import { createTheme } from ‘@mui/material/styles’;

const theme = createTheme({
palette: {
primary: {
main: ‘#ff9900’,
},
},
});

export default theme;
“`
This file overrides MUI’s default theme settings, changing the primary palette to orange.

Applying the Custom Theme

To apply the custom theme, create a new file called ThemeRegistry.js inside the utils directory and add the following code:
“`javascript
import { ThemeProvider } from ‘@mui/material/styles’;
import theme from ‘./theme’;

const ThemeRegistry = ({ children }) => {
return ;
};

export default ThemeRegistry;
“`
This component ties together the cache, custom theme, and Next’s navigation, preventing style flickering when loading or navigating within your app.

Wrapping Your App with the Theme Registry

Finally, wrap your app with the ThemeRegistry component by updating the layout.js file:
“`jsx
import ThemeRegistry from ‘../utils/ThemeRegistry’;

function Layout({ children }) {
return {children};
}

export default Layout;
“`
Handling Routing with Next.js and MUI

When using MUI with Next.js, you may encounter conflicts between the two libraries’ Link components. To resolve this issue, use the component prop to tie the MUI Link component to Next’s Link component:
“`jsx
import { Link } from ‘@mui/material’;
import NextLink from ‘next/link’;

function HomePage() {
return (

);
}

export default HomePage;
“`
By following these steps, you can successfully style your Next.js application using MUI, leveraging the benefits of both technologies to create a fast, scalable, and visually appealing web app.