How to use ternary operators for conditional styling in JavaScript frameworks

19 Sep 2023

Conditional styling is a common requirement in web development projects. One way to achieve conditional styling is by using ternary operators. Ternary operators provide a concise and efficient way to conditionally apply different CSS properties or classes based on specific conditions.

In this blog post, we will explore how to use ternary operators for conditional styling in JavaScript frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular.

React

React is a popular JavaScript framework for building user interfaces. To use ternary operators for conditional styling in React, follow these steps:

Import the required styling dependencies from the React library:
```
import React from 'react';
import './MyComponent.css';
```

Define your component and specify the conditions for styling:

function MyComponent({ isActive }) {
  return (
    <div className={`container ${isActive ? 'active' : 'inactive'}`}>
      <h1>My Component</h1>
    </div>
  );
}

In this example, the isActive prop is used to conditionally apply the CSS classes 'active' or 'inactive' to the container div.

Create the CSS file and define the styles for each class:
```
.active {
  background-color: green;
}

.inactive {
  background-color: red;
}
```
The background color will be set to green if the component is active and red if it is inactive.
Use the component in your application by passing the isActive prop as either true or false:
```
function App() {
  return <MyComponent isActive={true} />;
}
```
The component will be styled based on the value of the isActive prop.

Vue

Vue is another popular JavaScript framework that provides powerful tools for reactive UI development. To use ternary operators for conditional styling in Vue, follow these steps:

Import the required styling dependencies from the Vue library:
```
import Vue from 'vue';
import './MyComponent.vue';
```

Define your component and specify the conditions for styling:

export default {
  name: 'MyComponent',
  props: {
    isActive: {
      type: Boolean,
      default: false,
    },
  },
};

In this example, the isActive prop is used to conditionally apply different styles to the component.

Create the Vue component file and define the template and styles:

<template>
  <div :class="{ 'active': isActive, 'inactive': !isActive }">
    <h1>My Component</h1>
  </div>
</template>

<style scoped>
.active {
  background-color: green;
}

.inactive {
  background-color: red;
}
</style>

The class binding :class is used to apply the classes based on the condition specified in the template.

Use the component in your application by passing the isActive prop as either true or false:
```
<template>
  <div>
    <my-component :is-active="true" />
  </div>
</template>
```
The component will be styled based on the value of the isActive prop.

Angular

Angular is a TypeScript-based open-source framework for building web applications. To use ternary operators for conditional styling in Angular, follow these steps:

Create your Angular component:

import { Component, Input } from '@angular/core';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-my-component',
  templateUrl: './my-component.component.html',
  styleUrls: ['./my-component.component.css'],
})
export class MyComponent {
  @Input() isActive: boolean = false;
}

In this example, the isActive input property allows you to conditionally style the component.

Create the component template and define the styles for each conditional class:
```
<div [ngClass]="{ 'active': isActive, 'inactive': !isActive }">
  <h1>My Component</h1>
</div>
```
The [ngClass] directive is used to apply the classes based on the condition specified in the template.
Add the CSS styles for each class in the component CSS file:
```
.active {
  background-color: green;
}

.inactive {
  background-color: red;
}
```
The background color will change based on the value of the isActive property.
Use the component in your application by passing the isActive property:
```
<app-my-component [isActive]="true"></app-my-component>
```
The component will be styled based on the value of the isActive property.

Conclusion

Ternary operators provide an elegant way to implement conditional styling in JavaScript frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular. By using ternary operators and CSS classes, you can easily apply different styles based on specific conditions in your components. This approach simplifies the styling process and improves the readability and maintainability of your code.

#React #Vue #Angular