Guide on Implementing Right-to-Left (RTL) Support in Material UI React

Question

Guide on Implementing Right-to-Left (RTL) Support in Material UI React

Currently, I am in the process of developing an application designed for LTR usage, but I am interested in adding RTL support as well. The application itself is built on top of Material UI React. By using CSS Flex Box, I have managed to rotate the application to RTL simply by adding dir="rtl" to the body tag. Additionally, I have also included direction="rtl" in the theme, as outlined here.

Despite these efforts, not all aspects have been successfully changed as expected.

For instance, consider the following example: https://i.sstatic.net/JH1dm.png As you can see in the image, there is padding applied to the left side of the text element. In the RTL version, due to the reversal of elements, the padding left property does not have the intended effect in the UI. Ideally, it should be padding right in order to display the small space between the two elements: https://i.sstatic.net/GpPDz.png

It appears that there may be an error in my implementation, as according to the Material UI documentation here, this feature should work seamlessly after incorporating the provided snippet and wrapping the component around it.

Here is an example of my Parent component, App:

... (code provided in original text) ...

Furthermore, here is an example of one of my components (CLList) mentioned in the previous example:

... (code provided in original text) ...

Lastly, the CSS for CLList is represented by the following code snippet:

... (code provided in original text) ...

In conclusion, I am hopeful that the paddingLeft of the label in the CSS will be automatically adjusted to paddingRight in RTL mode. Is this achievable out of the box, or should I consider utilizing a library such as RTL-CSS-JS to automatically adjust the styles based on the dir attribute of the body tag?

In addition, I am uncertain about which of the two libraries to utilize:

@material-ui/core/styles
@material-ui/styles

Could you provide guidance on whether to use the first or second option and clarify the differences between them? Your insights are greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your assistance.

EDIT 1:

After employing rtlCSSJS on my CSS object, I have achieved the desired outcome. However, I am unsure if this is the most optimal approach. The updated CSS for CLList now appears as follows:

... (code provided in original text) ...

javascript css reactjs material-ui

Answer 1

Answer №1

After researching and experimenting, I believe I have come up with a solution to my initial question. However, I welcome any suggestions for further improvements or alternate approaches.

It appears that Material UI utilizes jss-rtl as a default, which serves as a wrapper for rtl-css-js. Therefore, there is no need to directly use rtl-css-js since Material UI handles the task efficiently.

To implement this change, I modified the Parent App component as follows:

import React, { PureComponent } from "react";
import Routes from "./Routes";
import RTL from "./RTL";
// Redux
import { Provider } from "react-redux";
import store from "./app/store";

import LoadingBar from "react-redux-loading-bar";

import { themeObject, colors } from "./styling/theme";

class App extends PureComponent {
  render() {
    return (
      <Provider store={store}>
        <RTL>
          <>
            <LoadingBar
              // className="loading"
              style={{
                backgroundColor: colors.primary[500],
                height: themeObject.spacing.unit,
                zIndex: 9999
              }}
            />
            <Routes />
          </>
        </RTL>
      </Provider>
    );
  }
}

export default App;

In addition to this change, I introduced an RTL component that communicates with Redux to determine the appropriate theme based on language data stored in Redux. This way, the theme used in the application can be dynamically adjusted.

Here is the RTL component for reference:

import React, { PureComponent } from "react";
import PropTypes from "prop-types";
// Redux
import { connect } from "react-redux";
// CSS
import { MuiThemeProvider, createMuiTheme } from "@material-ui/core/styles";
import { create } from "jss";
import rtl from "jss-rtl";
import JssProvider from "react-jss/lib/JssProvider";
import { createGenerateClassName, jssPreset } from "@material-ui/core/styles";

// Theme
import { themeObject } from "./styling/theme";

// Helpers
import get from "lodash/get";
// Configure JSS
const jss = create({ plugins: [...jssPreset().plugins, rtl()] });
const generateClassName = createGenerateClassName();

const G_isRtl = document.body.getAttribute("dir") === "rtl";

class RTL extends PureComponent {
  static propTypes = {
    children: PropTypes.oneOfType([
      PropTypes.array,
      PropTypes.object,
      PropTypes.node
    ]),
    language: PropTypes.object
  };

  render() {
    const { children, language } = this.props;
    const isRtl = get(language, "rtl", G_isRtl);

    const theme = createMuiTheme({
      ...themeObject,
      direction: isRtl ? "rtl" : "ltr"
    });

    return (
      <JssProvider jss={jss} generateClassName={generateClassName}>
        <MuiThemeProvider theme={theme}>{children}</MuiThemeProvider>
      </JssProvider>
    );
  }
}

const mapStateToProps = ({ classified }) => ({
  language: classified.language
});
export default connect(mapStateToProps)(RTL);

By implementing this solution, all child components will seamlessly switch between RTL and LTR layouts based on the language settings. This simplifies the development process and ensures a consistent user experience across different languages.

Lastly, I would like to note that following the instructions in the official documentation did not yield the desired results for me. The solution I have provided is largely based on the insights shared in this particular answer.

Answer 2

After researching and experimenting, I believe I have come up with a solution to my initial question. However, I welcome any suggestions for further improvements or alternate approaches.

It appears that Material UI utilizes jss-rtl as a default, which serves as a wrapper for rtl-css-js. Therefore, there is no need to directly use rtl-css-js since Material UI handles the task efficiently.

To implement this change, I modified the Parent App component as follows:

import React, { PureComponent } from "react";
import Routes from "./Routes";
import RTL from "./RTL";
// Redux
import { Provider } from "react-redux";
import store from "./app/store";

import LoadingBar from "react-redux-loading-bar";

import { themeObject, colors } from "./styling/theme";

class App extends PureComponent {
  render() {
    return (
      <Provider store={store}>
        <RTL>
          <>
            <LoadingBar
              // className="loading"
              style={{
                backgroundColor: colors.primary[500],
                height: themeObject.spacing.unit,
                zIndex: 9999
              }}
            />
            <Routes />
          </>
        </RTL>
      </Provider>
    );
  }
}

export default App;

In addition to this change, I introduced an RTL component that communicates with Redux to determine the appropriate theme based on language data stored in Redux. This way, the theme used in the application can be dynamically adjusted.

Here is the RTL component for reference:

import React, { PureComponent } from "react";
import PropTypes from "prop-types";
// Redux
import { connect } from "react-redux";
// CSS
import { MuiThemeProvider, createMuiTheme } from "@material-ui/core/styles";
import { create } from "jss";
import rtl from "jss-rtl";
import JssProvider from "react-jss/lib/JssProvider";
import { createGenerateClassName, jssPreset } from "@material-ui/core/styles";

// Theme
import { themeObject } from "./styling/theme";

// Helpers
import get from "lodash/get";
// Configure JSS
const jss = create({ plugins: [...jssPreset().plugins, rtl()] });
const generateClassName = createGenerateClassName();

const G_isRtl = document.body.getAttribute("dir") === "rtl";

class RTL extends PureComponent {
  static propTypes = {
    children: PropTypes.oneOfType([
      PropTypes.array,
      PropTypes.object,
      PropTypes.node
    ]),
    language: PropTypes.object
  };

  render() {
    const { children, language } = this.props;
    const isRtl = get(language, "rtl", G_isRtl);

    const theme = createMuiTheme({
      ...themeObject,
      direction: isRtl ? "rtl" : "ltr"
    });

    return (
      <JssProvider jss={jss} generateClassName={generateClassName}>
        <MuiThemeProvider theme={theme}>{children}</MuiThemeProvider>
      </JssProvider>
    );
  }
}

const mapStateToProps = ({ classified }) => ({
  language: classified.language
});
export default connect(mapStateToProps)(RTL);

By implementing this solution, all child components will seamlessly switch between RTL and LTR layouts based on the language settings. This simplifies the development process and ensures a consistent user experience across different languages.

Lastly, I would like to note that following the instructions in the official documentation did not yield the desired results for me. The solution I have provided is largely based on the insights shared in this particular answer.

Answer 3

Answer №2

import React, { useState, createContext, useMemo, useEffect } from 'react';
import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
import { ThemeProvider, createTheme } from '@mui/material/styles';
import { SnackbarProvider } from 'notistack';
import { Box } from '@mui/material';
import languageList from 'shared/languageList';
import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
import rtlPlugin from 'stylis-plugin-rtl';
import { CacheProvider } from '@emotion/react';
import createCache from '@emotion/cache';
import { prefixer } from 'stylis';

export const AppThemeContext = createContext({});

const AppTheme = ({ children }) => {
  const { i18n } = useTranslation();
  const [dir, setDir] = useState(i18n.language === 'ar' ? 'rtl' : 'ltr');
  const [language, setLanguage] = useState(i18n.language);      

  const toggleLanguage = async (language) => {
    setLanguage(language.value);
    switch (language.value) {
      case 'ar':
        document.body.setAttribute('dir', 'rtl');
        setDir('rtl');
        await i18n.changeLanguage('ar');
        break;
      case 'en':
        document.body.setAttribute('dir', 'ltr');
        setDir('ltr');
        await i18n.changeLanguage('en');
        break;
    }
  };

  const theme = useMemo(() => {
    const arabicFont = '""serif", "Arial", "sans-serif"';
    const englishFont = '"Roboto","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif';

    const typography = {
      button: {
        textTransform: 'capitalize',
      },
      fontSize: dir === 'rtl' ? 15 : 14,
      fontFamily: dir === 'rtl' ? arabicFont : englishFont,
    };

    return createTheme({
      direction: dir,
      typography,
    });
  }, [dir, colorMode]);

  const direction = useMemo(() => {
    return dir === 'ltr' ? 'left' : 'right';
  }, [dir]);
  // this is the most important part
  const cacheRtl = useMemo(() => {
    if (dir === 'rtl') {
      return createCache({
        key: 'muirtl',
        stylisPlugins: [prefixer, rtlPlugin],
      });
    } else {
      return createCache({ key: 'css' });
    }
  }, [dir]);

  useEffect(async () => {
    await toggleLanguage({ value: language });
  }, []);

  const toggleColorMode = () =>
    setColorMode((prevMode) => (prevMode === 'light' ? 'dark' : 'light'));

  return (
    <AppThemeContext.Provider
      value={{
        language,
        toggleLanguage,
        languageList,
        direction,
        colorMode,
        toggleColorMode,
      }}>
      <Box component="main">
        <CacheProvider value={cacheRtl}>
          <ThemeProvider theme={theme}>
            <SnackbarProvider maxSnack={3}>{children}</SnackbarProvider>
          </ThemeProvider>
        </CacheProvider>
      </Box>
    </AppThemeContext.Provider>
  );
};

AppTheme.propTypes = {
  children: PropTypes.any,
};

export default AppTheme;

Key Points to Remember:

Utilizing MUI version 5 for the project
Emotion CSS is the default styling engine in MUI version 5
Configuring RTL or LTR using CacheProvider
ThemeProvider should always be enclosed within CacheProvider
Remember to employ useMemo when passing values to CacheProvider or when switching styling engines, like StylesProvider for JSS & StyleSheetManager for styled-components

Answer 4

import React, { useState, createContext, useMemo, useEffect } from 'react';
import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
import { ThemeProvider, createTheme } from '@mui/material/styles';
import { SnackbarProvider } from 'notistack';
import { Box } from '@mui/material';
import languageList from 'shared/languageList';
import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
import rtlPlugin from 'stylis-plugin-rtl';
import { CacheProvider } from '@emotion/react';
import createCache from '@emotion/cache';
import { prefixer } from 'stylis';

export const AppThemeContext = createContext({});

const AppTheme = ({ children }) => {
  const { i18n } = useTranslation();
  const [dir, setDir] = useState(i18n.language === 'ar' ? 'rtl' : 'ltr');
  const [language, setLanguage] = useState(i18n.language);      

  const toggleLanguage = async (language) => {
    setLanguage(language.value);
    switch (language.value) {
      case 'ar':
        document.body.setAttribute('dir', 'rtl');
        setDir('rtl');
        await i18n.changeLanguage('ar');
        break;
      case 'en':
        document.body.setAttribute('dir', 'ltr');
        setDir('ltr');
        await i18n.changeLanguage('en');
        break;
    }
  };

  const theme = useMemo(() => {
    const arabicFont = '""serif", "Arial", "sans-serif"';
    const englishFont = '"Roboto","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif';

    const typography = {
      button: {
        textTransform: 'capitalize',
      },
      fontSize: dir === 'rtl' ? 15 : 14,
      fontFamily: dir === 'rtl' ? arabicFont : englishFont,
    };

    return createTheme({
      direction: dir,
      typography,
    });
  }, [dir, colorMode]);

  const direction = useMemo(() => {
    return dir === 'ltr' ? 'left' : 'right';
  }, [dir]);
  // this is the most important part
  const cacheRtl = useMemo(() => {
    if (dir === 'rtl') {
      return createCache({
        key: 'muirtl',
        stylisPlugins: [prefixer, rtlPlugin],
      });
    } else {
      return createCache({ key: 'css' });
    }
  }, [dir]);

  useEffect(async () => {
    await toggleLanguage({ value: language });
  }, []);

  const toggleColorMode = () =>
    setColorMode((prevMode) => (prevMode === 'light' ? 'dark' : 'light'));

  return (
    <AppThemeContext.Provider
      value={{
        language,
        toggleLanguage,
        languageList,
        direction,
        colorMode,
        toggleColorMode,
      }}>
      <Box component="main">
        <CacheProvider value={cacheRtl}>
          <ThemeProvider theme={theme}>
            <SnackbarProvider maxSnack={3}>{children}</SnackbarProvider>
          </ThemeProvider>
        </CacheProvider>
      </Box>
    </AppThemeContext.Provider>
  );
};

AppTheme.propTypes = {
  children: PropTypes.any,
};

export default AppTheme;

Key Points to Remember:

Utilizing MUI version 5 for the project
Emotion CSS is the default styling engine in MUI version 5
Configuring RTL or LTR using CacheProvider
ThemeProvider should always be enclosed within CacheProvider
Remember to employ useMemo when passing values to CacheProvider or when switching styling engines, like StylesProvider for JSS & StyleSheetManager for styled-components

Answer 5

Answer №3

If you're tired of sifting through confusing documentation and incomplete information, then forget all that noise. Let me show you a simple way to make your v4.mui.com website support RTL (right-to-left) layout. No need to overcomplicate things - just follow these steps:

Create a new file called 'stylesprovider.js' in your 'utils' folder and add the following code:

import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import './index.css';
import App from './App';
import {Suspense} from 'react';
import {createStore, applyMiddleware, compose} from 'redux'
import {Provider} from 'react-redux'
import thunk from 'redux-thunk'
import reducers from './reducers/'
import './i18n';

import RTL from "./utils/stylesprovider";
import {createTheme} from "@material-ui/core";
const store = createStore(reducers, applyMiddleware(thunk))


ReactDOM.render(
    <RTL>
    <Provider store={store} >
        <Suspense fallback="...is loading">
            <App/>
        </Suspense>
    </Provider>
    </RTL>,
    document.getElementById('root')
);

Next, make similar changes to your index file:

import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import './index.css';
import App from './App';
import {Suspense} from 'react';
import {createStore, applyMiddleware, compose} from 'redux'
import {Provider} from 'react-redux'
import thunk from 'redux-thunk'
import reducers from './reducers/'
import './i18n';

import RTL from "./utils/stylesprovider";
const store = createStore(reducers, applyMiddleware(thunk))


ReactDOM.render(
    <RTL>
    <Provider store={store} >
        <Suspense fallback="...is loading">
            <App/>
        </Suspense>
    </Provider>
    </RTL>,
    document.getElementById('root')
);

Lastly, don't forget to install the necessary plugin with:

npm install jss-rtl

Answer 6

If you're tired of sifting through confusing documentation and incomplete information, then forget all that noise. Let me show you a simple way to make your v4.mui.com website support RTL (right-to-left) layout. No need to overcomplicate things - just follow these steps:

Create a new file called 'stylesprovider.js' in your 'utils' folder and add the following code:

import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import './index.css';
import App from './App';
import {Suspense} from 'react';
import {createStore, applyMiddleware, compose} from 'redux'
import {Provider} from 'react-redux'
import thunk from 'redux-thunk'
import reducers from './reducers/'
import './i18n';

import RTL from "./utils/stylesprovider";
import {createTheme} from "@material-ui/core";
const store = createStore(reducers, applyMiddleware(thunk))


ReactDOM.render(
    <RTL>
    <Provider store={store} >
        <Suspense fallback="...is loading">
            <App/>
        </Suspense>
    </Provider>
    </RTL>,
    document.getElementById('root')
);

Next, make similar changes to your index file:

import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import './index.css';
import App from './App';
import {Suspense} from 'react';
import {createStore, applyMiddleware, compose} from 'redux'
import {Provider} from 'react-redux'
import thunk from 'redux-thunk'
import reducers from './reducers/'
import './i18n';

import RTL from "./utils/stylesprovider";
const store = createStore(reducers, applyMiddleware(thunk))


ReactDOM.render(
    <RTL>
    <Provider store={store} >
        <Suspense fallback="...is loading">
            <App/>
        </Suspense>
    </Provider>
    </RTL>,
    document.getElementById('root')
);

Lastly, don't forget to install the necessary plugin with:

npm install jss-rtl

Guide on Implementing Right-to-Left (RTL) Support in Material UI React

Answer №1

Answer №2

Answer №3

Similar questions

Error 9 in Firebase: The function 'initializeApp' could not be located within the 'firebase/app' module

Restricting the input on a React component to only accept alphabet characters from A to Z instead of allowing any keyboard

Issues with jQuery code functionality within web forms

Verification is required for additional elements within the div block once a single checkbox has been selected

How to stop Mouseenter event from bubbling up in an unordered list of hyperlinks using Vue 3

Issues with Flex layout in Firefox causing functionality errors

Tips for aligning text to the left within a Bootstrap accordion

Is there a way to specifically transmit ComponentArt CallbackEventArgs from a JavaScript function during a callback?

Error Encountered: Invalid hook call - Hooks are designed to be called within a function

The use of jquery's split() and indexOf functions may lead to the error message "Property or method not supported by the object."

Customizing font sizes for individual fonts within the same font family

What is the process for implementing a decorator pattern using typescript?

hiding html elements by using the display property set to none instead of physically removing

Removing punctuation from time duration using Moment.js duration format can be achieved through a simple process

Generate a Flask template using data retrieved from an Ajax request

To prevent the default alignment in case the text exceeds the input length, stop the automatic alignment

What is the best way to implement pseudo selectors in Material UI using the styled API?

CSS3 transition applied to a jQuery direction-aware hover effect

How can I create square corners within other square corners?

How can I resolve the iconv-lite error that occurs when setting up create-react-app?