jgamaraalv CSS Architecture
Overview
Build maintainable CSS systems using methodologies like BEM (Block Element Modifier), SMACSS, and CSS-in-JS patterns with proper organization and conventions.
Quick Start
Minimal working example:
/* Block - standalone component */
.button {
display: inline-block;
padding: 10px 20px;
border: none;
border-radius: 4px;
cursor: pointer;
font-size: 16px;
transition: all 0.3s ease;
}
/* Element - component part */
.button__icon {
margin-right: 8px;
vertical-align: middle;
}
/* Modifier - variant */
.button--primary {
background-color: #007bff;
color: white;
}
.button--primary:hover {
background-color: #0056b3;
// ... (see reference guides for full implementation)
References
Each file is loaded on demand — read one only when the task needs that depth (progressive disclosure).
references/bem-block-element-modifier-pattern.md— the BEM (Block · Element · Modifier) naming methodology and conventions · read when establishing class-naming rules or component-scoped CSS.references/smacss-scalable-and-modular-architecture-for-css.md— the SMACSS category split (base, layout, module, state, theme) · read when organizing a large stylesheet into scalable layers.references/css-in-js-with-styled-components.md— CSS-in-JS with styled-components: themed, co-located, component-scoped styles · read when styling in a JS/React runtime rather than static CSS.references/css-variables-custom-properties.md— CSS custom properties for design tokens, theming, and runtime theme switching · read when building a token system or dark/light theming.references/utility-first-css-tailwind-pattern.md— the utility-first (Tailwind) approach and when to extract components · read when adopting or reviewing utility-class styling.
A starter component lives at templates/component-template.tsx · copy it when scaffolding a new styled component.
Best Practices
✅ DO
- Follow established patterns and conventions
- Write clean, maintainable code
- Add appropriate documentation
- Test thoroughly before deploying
❌ DON'T
- Skip testing or validation
- Ignore error handling
- Hard-code configuration values