data-state styling
React chapter 117 · Radix data-state · Headless UI · Ariakit · source: radix-ui/primitives (data-state, data-disabled, data-orientation)
The problem
Open/closed becomes className={"menu " + (open ? "is-open" : "is-closed")}. CSS is coupled to BEM invented in JS. Disabled, orientation, and swipe add more flags. The stylesheet cannot target state the DOM already knows.
The pattern that fixes it
Put machine state on the node: data-state="open" | "closed". CSS is [data-state=open]. Radix, Headless UI, and Ariakit style this way so design tokens never import the component. Same idea as aria-expanded, dedicated to styling.
Keep learning
- Previous: CSS variable tokens
- Next: :where() zero specificity
- Related: clsx / classnames
- Related: cn / tailwind-merge
- Related: CVA variants
- Related: CSS variable tokens
- Related: :where() zero specificity
- Related: sx / style props
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