Create a Sidebar Using ReactJS

Faraz

By Faraz -

Learn how to create a sidebar in ReactJS with this detailed guide. Includes setup and step-by-step instructions.

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Introduction

Creating a sidebar in ReactJS is a common task when developing modern web applications. A sidebar can help organize your app's navigation and improve user experience. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of building a responsive sidebar using ReactJS. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, this step-by-step tutorial will provide clear instructions to help you achieve a professional-looking sidebar.

Setup Environment

Before we dive into coding, let's set up our environment. You'll need a few tools to get started:

  1. Node.js and npm: Ensure you have Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) installed on your computer. These tools are necessary for managing React packages and running your React application.
  2. Create React App: We'll use Create React App, a tool that sets up a new React project with a single command. If you don't have it installed, you can do so with the following command: 
    npx create-react-app sidebar-component
  3. Code Editor: You'll need a code editor like Visual Studio Code (VSCode) to write and manage your code.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Create a New React Project

First, create a new React project using Create React App:

npx create-react-app sidebar-component
cd sidebar-component

2. Add Font Awesome Icon and Poppins Font

Add Font Awesome and Poppins Font to your public/index.html file by including the following link in the <head> section:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Poppins:wght@400;500;600;700&display=swap">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/6.0.0-beta3/css/all.min.css">

3. Create Sidebar Component

In your React project, create a new file named Sidebar.js inside the src directory. Add the following code to Sidebar.js:

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import './Sidebar.css'; // Ensure to include your CSS styles

const Sidebar = () => {
  const [isCollapsed, setIsCollapsed] = useState(false);
  const [activeDropdown, setActiveDropdown] = useState(null);

  const toggleSidebar = () => {
    setIsCollapsed(!isCollapsed);
  };

  const toggleDropdown = (index) => {
    setActiveDropdown(activeDropdown === index ? null : index);
  };

  return (
    <div className={`sidebar ${isCollapsed ? 'collapsed' : ''}`}>
      <div className="sidebar-header">
        <h3 className="brand">
          <i className="fas fa-anchor"></i>
          <span>MyApp</span>
        </h3>
        <div className="toggle-btn" onClick={toggleSidebar}>
          <i className={`fas ${isCollapsed ? 'fa-chevron-right' : 'fa-chevron-left'} toggle-icon`}></i>
        </div>
      </div>
      <ul className="nav-links">
        <li>
          <a href="#" className="nav-item">
            <span className="nav-icon"><i className="fas fa-home"></i></span>
            <span>Home</span>
          </a>
        </li>
        <li>
          <a href="#" className="nav-item">
            <span className="nav-icon"><i className="fas fa-user"></i></span>
            <span>Profile</span>
          </a>
        </li>
        <li>
          <a href="#" className="nav-item">
            <span className="nav-icon"><i className="fa-solid fa-chart-line"></i></span>
            <span>Dashboard</span>
          </a>
        </li>
        <li className={`dropdown ${activeDropdown === 0 ? 'active' : ''}`}>
          <a href="#" className="nav-item dropdown-toggle" onClick={() => toggleDropdown(0)}>
            <div>
              <span className="nav-icon"><i className="fas fa-cogs"></i></span>
              <span>Settings</span>
            </div>
            <i className={`fas ${activeDropdown === 0 ? 'fa-chevron-down' : 'fa-chevron-right'} dropdown-icon`}></i>
          </a>
          <ul className="dropdown-menu">
            <li><a href="#" className="dropdown-item">General</a></li>
            <li><a href="#" className="dropdown-item">Privacy</a></li>
            <li><a href="#" className="dropdown-item">Notifications</a></li>
          </ul>
        </li>
      </ul>
    </div>
  );
};

export default Sidebar;

4. Add CSS Styles

Create a file named Sidebar.css in the src directory and add the following styles:

body {
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
    font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;
    display: flex;
    height: 100vh;
    overflow-x: hidden;
    background: #f3f4f6;
  }
  
  /* Sidebar Styling */
  .sidebar {
    width: 250px;
    height: 100%;
    background: linear-gradient(45deg, #3a3a52, #2b2d42);
    padding-top: 20px;
    position: fixed;
    transition: width 0.5s ease, background 0.3s ease;
    box-shadow: 0 0 15px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
  }
  
  .sidebar-header {
    padding: 0 20px;
    margin-bottom: 40px;
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    transition: all 0.3s ease;
  }
  
  .brand {
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    color: #fff;
  }
  
  .brand i {
    margin-right: 10px;
    font-size: 28px;
  }
  
  .nav-links {
    list-style-type: none;
    padding: 0;
    margin-top: 20px;
  }
  
  .nav-item {
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    padding: 12px 20px;
    color: #fff;
    text-decoration: none;
    transition: background 0.3s ease, padding-left 0.3s ease;
    position: relative;
  }
  
  .nav-icon{
    font-size: 16px;
    width: 35px;
    min-width: 35px;
    height: 35px;
    line-height: 35px;
    text-align: center;
    display: inline-block;
    margin-right: 10px;
    border-radius: 2px;
    transition: transform 0.3s ease;
  }
  
  .nav-item:hover {
    background: #575b8a;
    padding-left: 30px;
  }
  
  .nav-item:hover i {
    animation: shake 0.5s;
  }
  
  @keyframes shake {
    0%, 100% { transform: translateX(0); }
    25% { transform: translateX(-2px); }
    50% { transform: translateX(2px); }
    75% { transform: translateX(-2px); }
  }
  
  /* Dropdown Menu Styling */
  .dropdown {
    position: relative;
  }
  
  .dropdown-menu {
    display: none;
    list-style-type: none;
    padding: 0;
    margin: 0;
    background: #3a3a52;
    position: absolute;
    left: 0;
    top: 100%;
    width: 100%;
    transition: opacity 0.3s ease;
  }
  
  .dropdown-menu .dropdown-item {
    display: block;
    padding: 10px 20px;
    color: #fff;
    text-decoration: none;
    transition: background 0.3s ease;
  }
  
  .dropdown-menu .dropdown-item:hover {
    background: #575b8a;
  }
  
  .dropdown-toggle {
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: space-between;
  }
  
  .dropdown-icon {
    font-size: 14px;
    transition: transform 0.3s ease;
  }
  
  /* Show dropdown menu when active */
  .dropdown.active .dropdown-menu {
    display: block;
  }
  
  /* Sidebar collapse styles */
  .sidebar.collapsed {
    width: 80px;
    background: linear-gradient(45deg, #2b2d42, #3a3a52);
  }
  
  .sidebar.collapsed .nav-item span,
  .sidebar.collapsed .sidebar-header h3 span,
  .sidebar.collapsed .nav-item .dropdown-icon,
  .sidebar.collapsed .dropdown-menu{
    display: none; 
  }
  
  .sidebar.collapsed .nav-item .nav-icon {
    display: block;
  }
  
  .sidebar.collapsed .sidebar-header h3 {
    justify-content: center;
  }
  
  .main-content {
    margin-left: 250px;
    padding: 40px;
    width: calc(100% - 250px);
    transition: margin-left 0.5s ease;
    background: #f3f4f6;
  }
  
  .sidebar.collapsed ~ .main-content {
    margin-left: 80px;
    width: calc(100% - 80px);
  }
  
  .toggle-btn {
    width: 20px;
    height: 20px;
    background: #6c63ff;
    color: #fff;
    border-radius: 50%;
    display: flex;
    justify-content: center;
    align-items: center;
    cursor: pointer;
    transition: transform 0.3s ease;
    position: absolute;
    right: -10px;
  }
  
  .toggle-btn .toggle-icon {
    font-size: 10px;
    transition: transform 0.3s ease;
  }
  
  /* Smooth Hover Animation */
  .nav-item::before {
    content: '';
    position: absolute;
    left: 0;
    top: 0;
    width: 5px;
    height: 100%;
    background: #6c63ff;
    transition: transform 0.3s ease;
    transform: scaleY(0);
    transform-origin: bottom;
  }
  
  .nav-item:hover::before {
    transform: scaleY(1);
    transform-origin: top;
  }

5. Integrate Sidebar into Main App

Modify the App.js file to include the Sidebar component:

import React from 'react';
import Sidebar from './Sidebar';
import './Sidebar.css';

const App = () => {
  return (
    <div className="app">
      <Sidebar />
      <div className="main-content">
        <h1>Sidebar Components using React</h1>
        <p>Your content goes here...</p>
      </div>
    </div>
  );
};

export default App;

6. Run Your React App

Finally, run your React app to see the sidebar in action:

npm start

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we walked through creating a sidebar in ReactJS. We set up a new React project, added Font Awesome for icons, built the Sidebar component, and styled it using CSS. This sidebar includes a toggle feature for collapsing and expanding, and a dropdown menu for additional options.

By following these steps, you should now have a fully functional and responsive sidebar that enhances your ReactJS application. Customize the sidebar further based on your needs and preferences.

Sidebar Live Demo ⟶

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That’s a wrap!

I hope you enjoyed this article

Did you like it? Let me know in the comments below 🔥 and you can support me by buying me a coffee.

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Thanks!
Faraz 😊

Tags: how to create a sidebar in reactjs, step-by-step reactjs sidebar tutorial, responsive sidebar design using react, react sidebar, sidebar reactjs, create sidebar react, sidebar navigation menu, sidebar menu react
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