Theming Ant Design : A detailed step-by-step guide

Step 1: Create project, install Ant Design and babel-plugin-import

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• Install the antd package (to be able to import components from the library, as seen here).

• ⚠️gotcha alert⚠️ Install the Babel plugin babel-plugin-import. This is only briefly mentioned in the docs, but is very important. We will explain its purpose in a second.

• Configure babel-plugin-import in .babelrc (see in commit). Notice that we pass “css” as our style option. The other possible option is true, but we'll come back to it later.

Step 2: Install less and less-loader, edit Webpack config, edit babel-plugin-import style option

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• Install Less.

• Install the Webpack loader necessary to parse less files, less-loader.

• Add a rule to the Webpack config to appropriately parse less files (see in commit). ⚠️gotcha alert⚠️ Notice the javascriptEnabled: true option set for less-loader: it is required to load Ant Design’s less styles without issues.

• Change the style option of babel-plugin-import to true. When we used “css”, we were simply importing the pre-bundled CSS styles from the library as is. ⚠️gotcha alert⚠️ With true, we import the source files. This means we can modify them during the compilation step (handled by Babel and Webpack), which allows us to customize the theme.‍

Step 3: Override less variables in Webpack config (inline)

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• Add the modifyVars option to less-loader (see in commit), populated with a simple object where the keys are the less variable to override, and the values are what we override them with. This leverages a feature of Less.

Step 4: Override less variables with a theme.less file

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• Add a theme.less file overriding the less variable values from Ant Design (see in commit).

• Add hack key to modifyVars option in less-loader. This will write an @import for our theme file where appropriate in the source styles.

• ⚠️gotcha alert⚠️ Be careful to give the proper path to your .less theme file. This syntax can be tricky (see in commit).

Optional step: Dealing with Ant Design’s global styles

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And reach this masterpiece:

[
  [
    "import", {
      "libraryName": "antd",
      "libraryDirectory": "es",
      "style": "css"
    }
  ]
]

FAQs on Ant Design

• How does the Ant Design UI library's opinionated approach to styles impact the user experience, and what are the implications for developers considering using it in their projects?

  The opinionated approach of Ant Design towards styles can greatly influence the user experience and developer workflows. While it provides a cohesive and consistent design language out of the box, it may limit customization options and clash with existing design systems or brand identities. Developers need to weigh the benefits of using Ant Design's pre-defined styles against the potential challenges of adapting them to fit their specific needs.

• What are some common pitfalls or challenges developers might encounter when attempting to theme Ant Design components, and how can they effectively address these issues?

  When theming Ant Design components, developers may encounter various challenges, such as understanding the intricacies of Ant Design's style customization mechanisms, ensuring compatibility with existing project setups, and addressing conflicts between custom themes and Ant Design's default styles. These challenges require careful consideration and possibly additional research or experimentation to overcome effectively.

• Are there alternative methods or tools available for theming Ant Design components beyond the step-by-step guide provided in the article, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of these alternatives?

  While the article offers a step-by-step guide to theming Ant Design components, developers may explore alternative methods or tools for achieving similar goals. For example, they could leverage community-contributed themes or use alternative UI libraries that offer more flexibility in terms of styling. However, each alternative comes with its own set of trade-offs, such as potential compatibility issues or a steeper learning curve, which developers should evaluate based on their specific project requirements and constraints.