Customization
- @mui/system:
@mui/system includes a set of utility functions that facilitate responsive design and styling. It allows developers to create custom styles based on breakpoints, enabling a more flexible and adaptable UI.
- @mui/styled-engine:
@mui/styled-engine offers a CSS-in-JS approach that allows for dynamic styling based on component props. This enables developers to create highly customizable components that can adapt to different themes and states without sacrificing performance.
- @mui/base:
@mui/base provides unstyled components that allow developers complete control over the styling. This is beneficial for creating unique designs that do not strictly adhere to Material Design guidelines, enabling a tailored user experience.
Performance
- @mui/system:
@mui/system is built for performance with a focus on minimizing the re-renders and optimizing the style calculations. It leverages a system of caching and memoization to enhance the rendering speed of responsive styles.
- @mui/styled-engine:
@mui/styled-engine optimizes styles at runtime, ensuring that only the necessary styles are injected into the DOM. This can improve rendering performance, especially in large applications with many components.
- @mui/base:
Components from @mui/base are lightweight and unstyled, which can lead to better performance as they do not carry the overhead of default styles. This is particularly advantageous in applications where performance is critical and custom styles are preferred.
Design Consistency
- @mui/system:
@mui/system enforces design consistency by providing a set of predefined utility functions that adhere to a design system. This helps maintain uniform spacing, sizing, and color usage throughout the application.
- @mui/styled-engine:
@mui/styled-engine promotes design consistency through its theme capabilities, allowing developers to define a global theme that can be applied across all components. This ensures that the look and feel of the application remains uniform.
- @mui/base:
While @mui/base components are unstyled, they provide a consistent API and structure that aligns with MUI's design principles. This ensures that even when customized, the components maintain a level of consistency in behavior and accessibility.
Learning Curve
- @mui/system:
@mui/system may have a steeper learning curve due to its utility-first approach. Developers need to understand how to effectively use the utility functions for responsive design, but it provides a robust system for building complex layouts.
- @mui/styled-engine:
@mui/styled-engine has a moderate learning curve, especially for developers new to CSS-in-JS patterns. Understanding how to leverage props for dynamic styling can take some time, but it offers powerful capabilities once mastered.
- @mui/base:
The learning curve for @mui/base is relatively low for developers familiar with React, as it focuses on providing foundational components without imposing styling constraints. However, it may require additional effort for styling and customization.
Extensibility
- @mui/system:
@mui/system is designed for extensibility, providing utility functions that can be combined to create new styles and layouts. This allows developers to build upon the existing system to create custom design solutions.
- @mui/styled-engine:
@mui/styled-engine supports extensibility through its theming capabilities and styled components, enabling developers to create new styled components that can inherit styles from existing ones, fostering reusability.
- @mui/base:
@mui/base is highly extensible, allowing developers to build upon its components to create complex UI elements. This flexibility is ideal for applications that require custom behavior or unique design implementations.