Using React with Popper and styled-components

Tooltips and popovers are crucial for enhancing user experience in applications by providing additional context or navigation options. While creating these elements using CSS is straightforward, positioning them can be challenging, often necessitating JavaScript solutions like Popper.js. Popper.js is a lightweight JavaScript library designed to manage popover positioning efficiently, particularly useful in React applications through its react-popper extension. The article delves into the integration of Popper in React, highlighting the setup of a new project with Vite, styling using the styled-components library, and the use of the usePopper hook for positioning. It also explores adding functionalities, such as toggle visibility on hover, and extends Popper's capabilities with custom modifiers and React Portals for improved DOM management. Additionally, the text compares Popper with its successor, Floating UI, noting that while Floating UI offers advanced features and broader platform support, Popper still holds substantial community support and resources despite its maintenance status. The article concludes by emphasizing Popper's utility in creating dynamic, well-positioned popovers and suggests transitioning to Floating UI for future-proofing projects.