react-modal vs react-dock vs react-sidebar
React UI Components for Overlays and Sidebars
react-modalreact-dockreact-sidebarSimilar Packages:
React UI Components for Overlays and Sidebars

React UI Components for Overlays and Sidebars are specialized libraries designed to create overlay interfaces in web applications. These components enhance user experience by providing focused interaction areas without navigating away from the current page. They are commonly used for displaying forms, notifications, or additional content while maintaining the context of the underlying application. Examples include modals, sidebars, and docked panels, each serving unique purposes in UI design. These components are highly customizable, allowing developers to tailor their appearance and behavior to fit the application's design language.

Npm Package Weekly Downloads Trend
3 Years
Github Stars Ranking
Stat Detail
Package
Downloads
Stars
Size
Issues
Publish
License
react-modal2,380,8517,408188 kB204a year agoMIT
react-dock114,93614,31335.5 kB2319 months agoMIT
react-sidebar20,9181,462-367 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: react-modal vs react-dock vs react-sidebar

Accessibility

  • react-modal:

    react-modal is designed with accessibility in mind, following WAI-ARIA guidelines. It ensures focus management, keyboard navigation, and screen reader compatibility out of the box, making it a reliable choice for accessible applications.

  • react-dock:

    react-dock provides basic accessibility features, but it requires additional implementation to ensure full keyboard navigation and screen reader support, especially for draggable elements.

  • react-sidebar:

    react-sidebar offers good accessibility features, including keyboard navigation and ARIA roles. However, developers should ensure proper implementation of focus management and screen reader support, especially for dynamic content.

Customization

  • react-modal:

    react-modal provides extensive customization options for the modal's appearance, animations, and content. Developers can easily style the modal using CSS and override default behaviors to fit their application's design requirements.

  • react-dock:

    react-dock allows for moderate customization of the docked panel's appearance and behavior, including its position, size, and drag-and-drop functionality. However, it may require additional styling and configuration to achieve highly customized designs.

  • react-sidebar:

    react-sidebar offers flexible customization of the sidebar's layout, width, and toggle behavior. It supports both controlled and uncontrolled modes, allowing developers to create highly customizable sidebars that integrate seamlessly with their application's UI.

Use Case

  • react-modal:

    react-modal is best suited for scenarios requiring focused user interactions, such as forms, confirmations, or alerts. It is versatile and can be used in various applications where temporary, modal-like interactions are needed.

  • react-dock:

    react-dock is ideal for applications that need a space-efficient, draggable panel for tools, settings, or additional content. It works well in design tools, dashboards, and any interface where screen real estate is limited.

  • react-sidebar:

    react-sidebar is perfect for applications that require a persistent or toggleable navigation area, such as dashboards, admin panels, or content-heavy sites. It provides a dedicated space for navigation or additional controls without disrupting the main content flow.

Ease of Use: Code Examples

  • react-modal:

    react-modal Example

    import React from 'react';
    import Modal from 'react-modal';
    
    const App = () => {
      const [isOpen, setIsOpen] = React.useState(false);
    
      return (
        <div>
          <button onClick={() => setIsOpen(true)}>Open Modal</button>
          <Modal isOpen={isOpen} onRequestClose={() => setIsOpen(false)}>
            <h2>Modal Title</h2>
            <button onClick={() => setIsOpen(false)}>Close</button>
          </Modal>
        </div>
      );
    };
    
    export default App;
    
  • react-dock:

    react-dock Example

    import React from 'react';
    import { Dock } from 'react-dock';
    
    const App = () => {
      return (
        <Dock
          position="right"
          isOpen={true}
          size={300}
          onToggle={() => {}}
        >
          <div>Docked Content</div>
        </Dock>
      );
    };
    
    export default App;
    
  • react-sidebar:

    react-sidebar Example

    import React, { useState } from 'react';
    import Sidebar from 'react-sidebar';
    
    const App = () => {
      const [sidebarOpen, setSidebarOpen] = useState(false);
    
      return (
        <Sidebar
          sidebar={<b>Sidebar content</b>}
          open={sidebarOpen}
          onSetOpen={setSidebarOpen}
          styles={{ sidebar: { background: "#fff" } }}
        >
          <button onClick={() => setSidebarOpen(true)}>Open Sidebar</button>
        </Sidebar>
      );
    };
    
    export default App;
    
How to Choose: react-modal vs react-dock vs react-sidebar
  • react-modal:

    Select react-modal if you require a fully accessible, customizable modal dialog that supports complex content, forms, and interactions. It is perfect for scenarios where you need to capture user input, display important information, or confirm actions without navigating away from the current page.

  • react-dock:

    Choose react-dock if you need a dockable panel that can be positioned at the edges of the screen, allowing users to drag and drop it as needed. It is ideal for applications that require a flexible, space-saving solution for displaying additional content or tools.

  • react-sidebar:

    Opt for react-sidebar if you want a responsive sidebar component that can be toggled open and closed, providing a persistent or temporary navigation area. It is well-suited for applications that need a dedicated space for navigation links, filters, or additional controls without obstructing the main content.

README for react-modal

react-modal

Accessible modal dialog component for React.JS

Build Status Coverage Status gzip size Join the chat at https://gitter.im/react-modal/Lobby

Table of Contents

Installation

To install, you can use npm or yarn:

$ npm install --save react-modal
$ yarn add react-modal

To install react-modal in React CDN app:

  • Add this CDN script tag after React CDN scripts and before your JS files (for example from cdnjs):

       <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/react-modal/3.14.3/react-modal.min.js"
       integrity="sha512-MY2jfK3DBnVzdS2V8MXo5lRtr0mNRroUI9hoLVv2/yL3vrJTam3VzASuKQ96fLEpyYIT4a8o7YgtUs5lPjiLVQ=="
       crossorigin="anonymous"
       referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></script>
    
  • Use <ReactModal> tag inside your React CDN app.

API documentation

The primary documentation for react-modal is the reference book, which describes the API and gives examples of its usage.

Examples

Here is a simple example of react-modal being used in an app with some custom styles and focusable input elements within the modal content:

import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import Modal from 'react-modal';

const customStyles = {
  content: {
    top: '50%',
    left: '50%',
    right: 'auto',
    bottom: 'auto',
    marginRight: '-50%',
    transform: 'translate(-50%, -50%)',
  },
};

// Make sure to bind modal to your appElement (https://reactcommunity.org/react-modal/accessibility/)
Modal.setAppElement('#yourAppElement');

function App() {
  let subtitle;
  const [modalIsOpen, setIsOpen] = React.useState(false);

  function openModal() {
    setIsOpen(true);
  }

  function afterOpenModal() {
    // references are now sync'd and can be accessed.
    subtitle.style.color = '#f00';
  }

  function closeModal() {
    setIsOpen(false);
  }

  return (
    <div>
      <button onClick={openModal}>Open Modal</button>
      <Modal
        isOpen={modalIsOpen}
        onAfterOpen={afterOpenModal}
        onRequestClose={closeModal}
        style={customStyles}
        contentLabel="Example Modal"
      >
        <h2 ref={(_subtitle) => (subtitle = _subtitle)}>Hello</h2>
        <button onClick={closeModal}>close</button>
        <div>I am a modal</div>
        <form>
          <input />
          <button>tab navigation</button>
          <button>stays</button>
          <button>inside</button>
          <button>the modal</button>
        </form>
      </Modal>
    </div>
  );
}

ReactDOM.render(<App />, appElement);

You can find more examples in the examples directory, which you can run in a local development server using npm start or yarn run start.

Demos

There are several demos hosted on CodePen which demonstrate various features of react-modal: