Daniele Cammarata

As front-end development continues to evolve, developers seek tools that provide flexibility, ease of use, and beautiful design. ShadCN/UI is a modern UI library for React that aims to fulfill these needs by offering a comprehensive set of components and utilities for building user interfaces. In this blog post, we will explore the features of ShadCN/UI, how to get started with it, and some examples of its components in action.

What is ShadCN/UI?

ShadCN/UI is a modern, open-source UI library built for React. It offers a collection of highly customizable and accessible components designed to help developers create elegant and responsive user interfaces. The library focuses on simplicity, performance, and a consistent design system, making it a great choice for both small projects and large-scale applications.

Key Features

Comprehensive Component Library: ShadCN/UI provides a wide range of components, including buttons, forms, modals, and more. Each component is designed to be flexible and easy to customize.
Accessibility: Accessibility is a core focus of ShadCN/UI. The components are built with ARIA attributes and follow best practices to ensure that your applications are accessible to all users.
Theming and Customization: ShadCN/UI allows for extensive theming and customization, enabling developers to match their application’s look and feel with their brand.
Performance: The library is optimized for performance, ensuring that components load quickly and efficiently.
Documentation and Examples: ShadCN/UI comes with thorough documentation and a variety of examples to help developers get started and make the most of the library.

Getting Started with ShadCN/UI

To start using ShadCN/UI in your React project, follow these simple steps:

1. Install the Library

You can install ShadCN/UI via npm or yarn:

npm install shadcn-ui

yarn add shadcn-ui

2. Import the Components

Once the library is installed, you can start using its components by importing them into your React files. Here is an example of how to use a button component:

import React from 'react';
import { Button } from 'shadcn-ui';

const App = () => {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Welcome to ShadCN/UI</h1>
      <Button onClick={() => alert('Button clicked!')}>Click Me</Button>
    </div>
  );
};

export default App;

3. Customize the Components

ShadCN/UI components are designed to be easily customizable. You can pass props to modify their appearance and behavior. For example, you can customize the button component as follows:

<Button
  size="large"
  variant="primary"
  onClick={() => alert('Primary Button clicked!')}
>
  Primary Button
</Button>

Example Components

Here are some examples of the components available in ShadCN/UI:

Button

<Button variant="secondary" size="small">Secondary Button</Button>

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { Modal, Button } from 'shadcn-ui';

const ModalExample = () => {
  const [isOpen, setIsOpen] = useState(false);

  return (
    <div>
      <Button onClick={() => setIsOpen(true)}>Open Modal</Button>
      <Modal isOpen={isOpen} onClose={() => setIsOpen(false)}>
        <h2>Modal Title</h2>
        <p>This is a modal example.</p>
        <Button onClick={() => setIsOpen(false)}>Close</Button>
      </Modal>
    </div>
  );
};

export default ModalExample;

Form

import React from 'react';
import { Form, Input, Button } from 'shadcn-ui';

const FormExample = () => {
  const handleSubmit = (event) => {
    event.preventDefault();
    alert('Form submitted!');
  };

  return (
    <Form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      <Input type="text" placeholder="Enter your name" required />
      <Input type="email" placeholder="Enter your email" required />
      <Button type="submit">Submit</Button>
    </Form>
  );
};

export default FormExample;

Conclusion

ShadCN/UI is a powerful and flexible UI library for React that offers a wide range of components designed to help you build modern and responsive user interfaces. With its focus on accessibility, performance, and customization, ShadCN/UI is a great choice for developers looking to streamline their front-end development process. Give it a try in your next project and experience the benefits of using a modern UI library.

For more information and to explore the full range of components, visit the ShadCN/UI documentation.

ShadCN/UI: A Modern UI Library for React