Responsive Column Layout using React and Tailwind

Column Layout is mostly used in web pages to display content side by side on big screens. This helps to display a large amount of information on a small screen. In case of small screens information cannot be seen side by side, so we try to display it in row format. To achieve this we use the responsiveness concept.

Let us have a look at how the final layout will look like:

What is responsive design in web development?

A responsive design is a design that displays content to users in multiple screen sizes such as mobile, tablet, monitor, etc. in an organized and optimal manner. This ensures that the application looks correct in different screen sizes.

Why is a responsive column layout useful?

A responsive column layout utilizes the screen space in the most efficient way possible. This ensures that information is being displayed without compromising the User Experience. Column Layout can also be used to show comparison between multiple components.

Prerequisites:

• React
• Tailwind
• Responsiveness in Tailwind

Approach to Creating a Responsive Column Layout:

• Set up a basic react project and install the required dependencies.
• Create the basic layout consisting of Columns and add content to it.
• Style the content using Tailwind.
• Add Tailwind classes to make the column layout responsive.

Steps to create the layout:

Steps to create the feature:

Step 1: Set up the project using the command

 npx create-react-app <<Project_Name>>

Step 2: Navigate to the folder using the command

cd <<Project_Name>>

Step 3: Install the required dependencies using the command

npm install -D tailwindcss

Step 4: Create the tailwind config file using the command

npx tailwindcss init

Step 5: Rewrite the tailwind.config.js file as folllows

/** @type {import('tailwindcss').Config} */
module.exports = {
  content: [
    "./src/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}",
  ],
  theme: {
    extend: {},
  },
  plugins: [],
}

Step 6: Create a folder called components in src directory and create the files Content.js, data.js, and Navbar.js

Project Structure:

The updated dependencies in package.json will look like:

"dependencies": {
    "@testing-library/jest-dom": "^5.17.0",
    "@testing-library/react": "^13.4.0",
    "@testing-library/user-event": "^13.5.0",
    "react": "^18.2.0",
    "react-dom": "^18.2.0",
    "react-scripts": "5.0.1",
    "web-vitals": "^2.1.4"
  }
"devDependencies": {
    "tailwindcss": "^3.3.3"
  }

Example: Write the following code in respective files:

• App.js: This file imports all the components
• ThreeCol.js: This file creates the responsive design for column layout
• index.css: This file includes tailwind css classes