Angular Material is a UI component library for Angular applications that provides a wide range of pre-built components designed following the Material Design guidelines. However, many developers encounter the issue where Angular Material’s default styles seem to override their custom themes. In this article, we will delve into why this happens, explore the implications, and provide strategies for effectively managing styles in your Angular applications.
Understanding the Issue
When developers apply custom themes to their Angular applications using Angular Material, they might notice that the default styles provided by Angular Material take precedence, leading to unexpected design results. Here is an example scenario that highlights the problem:
Original Code Snippet
@import '~@angular/material/theming';
// Define a custom theme
@include mat-core();
$my-primary: mat-palette($mat-indigo);
$my-accent: mat-palette($mat-pink, A200, A100, A400);
$my-warn: mat-palette($mat-red);
$my-theme: mat-light-theme($my-primary, $my-accent, $my-warn);
// Global styles
body {
font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif;
}
.my-custom-button {
background-color: #ff5722;
color: white;
border-radius: 4px;
}
In this scenario, the intention is to create a custom button style that should be applied consistently throughout the application. However, when both Angular Material default styles and custom styles exist, the latter may not appear as expected due to CSS specificity and load order.
Why Do Default Styles Override Custom Themes?
1. CSS Specificity
CSS specificity plays a significant role in how styles are applied. Angular Material components come with predefined styles that are generally more specific than custom styles, which can result in their default styles being applied instead. The more specific a CSS rule is, the higher precedence it has over less specific rules.
2. Load Order of Styles
Angular Material’s default styles are typically loaded after your custom styles. When the browser renders the page, it applies styles in the order they are declared. Thus, if the Angular Material styles are loaded last, they will override earlier declared styles.
3. Angular Material's Design Philosophy
Angular Material was designed with a particular aesthetic in mind, aiming for a consistent user experience across all applications that use its components. This consistency means that it prioritizes its styles to ensure that its components render as intended.
Strategies for Managing Styles
1. Use View Encapsulation
Angular’s view encapsulation allows you to scope styles to a particular component. This can help prevent Angular Material styles from leaking into your custom styles. You can set encapsulation on a component like this:
import { Component, ViewEncapsulation } from '@angular/core';
@Component({
selector: 'app-custom-button',
templateUrl: './custom-button.component.html',
styleUrls: ['./custom-button.component.scss'],
encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation.None // or ViewEncapsulation.Emulated
})
export class CustomButtonComponent {}
2. Increase Specificity
By increasing the specificity of your custom styles, you can ensure they take precedence over Angular Material styles. For instance, instead of just using .my-custom-button, you can make it more specific:
.mat-button.my-custom-button {
background-color: #ff5722 !important; // Using !important as a last resort
}
3. Custom Themes with @angular/material Functions
To create a more robust theme solution, utilize Angular Material's theming functions to customize the components completely. This will ensure your custom styles are built on top of Angular Material's existing theming system.
$my-custom-theme: (
color: (
primary: $my-primary,
accent: $my-accent,
),
);
// Include the custom theme
@include angular-material-theme($my-custom-theme);
Conclusion
Understanding why Angular Material’s default styles override custom themes is essential for effectively managing styles in Angular applications. By paying attention to CSS specificity, load order, and utilizing Angular’s features such as view encapsulation, developers can create a visually appealing and cohesive design tailored to their brand.
Useful Resources
By mastering these techniques, you can leverage Angular Material's robust features while maintaining your unique design vision. Happy coding!
