Applying CSS stylesheet only to active component - css

Question

I'm working on a ReactJS app that has a header at the top, a menu on the left, and the "frame" in the middle is where routes and their corresponding components are loaded. I want to be able to apply a CSS stylesheet to specific components only when they are loaded. I also don't want them applied all the time or to the top header or left menu.
My expectation was that adding import 'custom.css'; to a specific component would only apply the stylesheet's styles to that component and it's children when the route is active. Instead, it applies it to the entire page even when the route/component are not loaded.
I understand that an alternative approach is styled components, but, for my use-case, a design company is supplying a stylesheet (which should remain unchanged) that we need to consume only for the sub-module I'm working on and I don't want its styles to affect the rest of the app.
How can I have a stylesheet only applied to my active route/component?

Answer 1

Use simple CSS technique. Suppose you have two components with different css files (say about.css and contact.css). Now consider your both CSS file have one common class with different style properties, like:
about.css
.container{
max-width: 400px;
}
contact.css
.container{
max-width: 500px;
}
Yes in ReactJS both the CSS files will load at the same time and will override any one of the style. so to solve this problem add class to differentiate this styles, like:
about.css
.about-component.container{
max-width: 400px;
}
contact.css
.contact-component.container{
max-width: 500px;
}

Answer 2

If you want apply only when the component is mounted, you can use the lifecycle.
The follow example is based in the idea you are using sass, React, sass-node and have the loaders into webpack.
<pre>
import React from 'react';
import './styles.scss';
class MyComponent {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = { className: '' }
}
componentDidMount() {
this.setState({
className: 'myOwnClass'
});
}
render(){
return (
<div className={this.state.className}>This is a example</div>
);
}
}
export default myComponent;
</pre>

Answer 3

To be able to only call that specific CSS when you need it you can use CSS Modules. You may need to update your version of react.
When saving your CSS file save it with a ".module.css" eg. "styles.module.css". The CSS in these files can only be used and accessed by hte components where are they are imported. As stated in a tutorial from W3Schools.
Let's say this is your CSS code in styles.module.css:
.container {
color: white;
}
.cont-child {
background-color: red;
}
Then in your JS file you can import the CSS file like this if the JS and CSS files are in the same directory. Make sure you point to the correct path.
import styles from './styles.module.css'
Then in your HTML section you can use it like this:
class Home extends React.Component {
render() {
return(
<main className={ styles.container } >
<div className={ styles["cont-child"]} >
Some div text about something...
</div>
</main>
);
}
}
I currently use both ways to access the selectors, since the styles variable acts like an object. I placed both of them here because the second option is capable of fetching selectors named like "btn-active". Which comes in handy in some situations. Camelcasing is considered cleaner though.
Please note: I originally posted this answer as a reply to a similar question here React CSS - how to apply CSS to specific pages only

Answer 4

I want to be able to apply a CSS stylesheet to specific components
only when they are loaded.
Why not apply the styles inline via React.js?
Step 1. Create the style object for the component:
var componentOneStyle = {
color: 'white',
backgroundColor: 'red'
};
Step 2. Populate the component's style attribute with the style object:
ReactDOM.render(<div style={componentOneStyle}>This is Component One</div>, mountNode);