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Styling the Threaded Comment Section

The threaded-style comment section requires a style configuration object to properly style its UI. This object holds all the values needed for styling various elements of the threaded comment system, including unlimited nesting levels, vote buttons, threading lines, and discussion-focused layout elements. Using the default configuration is straightforward, and for most use cases, it provides a good balance of aesthetics and usability for threaded discussions. However, you can also customize it extensively to align with your app’s visual identity.

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Getting the Style Configuration

To use the threaded comment section, you must pass a styleConfig object to the useThreadedComments hook. You can obtain this configuration object using the useThreadedStyle hook.
Default Configuration
For a basic setup, you can use the default configuration by simply calling useThreadedStyle without any arguments: 
const styleConfig = useThreadedStyle();
Pass this styleConfig to the useThreadedComments hook along with the entityId and any other optional properties.
Custom Configuration
If you wish to customize the styles, you can pass a partial configuration object to the useThreadedStyle hook. Only the styles you want to change need to be included in the object. Here’s an example: 
import React, { useMemo } from "react";
import { useThreadedStyle, UseThreadedStyleProps } from "@replyke/comments-threaded-react-js";

const customStyles = useMemo<Partial<UseThreadedStyleProps>>(
  () => ({
    commentFeedProps: {
      backgroundColor: "#fafafa",
    },
    commentProps: {
      upvoteColor: "#22c55e",
      downvoteColor: "#ef4444",
      threadingLineColor: "#d1d5db",
      authorFontWeight: 600,
    },
    newCommentFormProps: {
      verticalPadding: 16,
      horizontalPadding: 24,
      textareaBackgroundColor: "#ffffff",
    },
  }),
  []
);

const styleConfig = useThreadedStyle(customStyles);
The returned styleConfig will include your customizations while retaining the default values for all other properties.

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Style Configuration Object Interface

The style configuration object has the following structure: 
export type ThreadedStyleConfig = {
  type: "threaded";
  commentFeedProps: CommentFeedStyleProps;
  commentProps: CommentStyleProps;
  newCommentFormProps: NewCommentFormStyleProps;
};
Each section below details the properties available for customization:
CommentFeedStyleProps
Styles the comment feed container: 
export type CommentFeedStyleProps = {
  backgroundColor: string;  // Background color of the comment feed
  commentsGap: number;      // Space between individual comments (usually 0 for threaded)
};
CommentStyleProps
Styles individual comments with threaded-specific features: 
export interface CommentStyleProps {
  // Spacing and layout
  horizontalItemsGap: number;        // Gap between horizontal items
  verticalItemsGap: number;          // Gap between vertical items

  // Avatar styling
  authorAvatarSize: number;          // Size of the author's avatar

  // Typography - Author
  authorFontSize: number;            // Font size for the author's name
  authorFontWeight: FontWeight;      // Font weight for the author's name
  authorFontColor: string;           // Font color for the author's name

  // Typography - Timestamp
  fromNowFontSize: number;           // Font size for the timestamp
  fromNowFontColor: string;          // Font color for the timestamp

  // Typography - Comment body
  commentBodyFontSize: number;       // Font size for the comment text
  commentBodyFontColor: string;      // Font color for the comment text

  // Actions and reply button
  actionsItemGap: number;            // Gap between action items
  replyButtonFontSize: number;       // Font size for the reply button
  replyButtonFontWeight: FontWeight; // Font weight for the reply button
  replyButtonFontColor: string;      // Font color for the reply button

  // Vote system (Reddit-style)
  voteIconSize: number;              // Size of vote icons (up/down arrows)
  upvoteColor: string;               // Color for upvote when active
  upvoteHoverColor: string;          // Background color for upvote on hover
  downvoteColor: string;             // Color for downvote when active
  downvoteHoverColor: string;        // Background color for downvote on hover
  voteContainerBackground: string;   // Background color for vote button container
  neutralVoteColor: string;          // Color for inactive vote buttons

  // Score display
  scoreTextSize: number;             // Font size for the score text
  scoreTextWeight: FontWeight;       // Font weight for the score text
  scoreTextColor: string;            // Font color for neutral score
  positiveScoreColor: string;        // Font color for positive score
  negativeScoreColor: string;        // Font color for negative score

  // Threading lines (visual connections between nested comments)
  threadingLineColor: string;        // Color for threading lines

  // Reply sections
  repliesGap: number;                // Gap between replies
  repliesPaddingTop: number;         // Padding above replies section
  viewRepliesPaddingTop: number;     // Padding above "view replies" text

  // Text labels
  viewMoreRepliesText: string;       // Text for "view more replies" action
  hideRepliesText: string;           // Text for "hide replies" action
  justNowText: string;               // Text to display for very recent comments
}
NewCommentFormStyleProps
Styles the new comment input form: 
export type NewCommentFormStyleProps = {
  // Form container
  backgroundColor: string;          // Background color of the form
  itemsGap: number;                 // Gap between items in the form
  verticalPadding: number;          // Vertical padding inside the form
  paddingLeft: number;              // Left padding inside the form
  paddingRight: number;             // Right padding inside the form

  // Avatar (for consistency, though threaded comments don't typically show avatars in forms)
  withAvatar: boolean;              // Whether to show the user's avatar
  authorAvatarSize: number;         // Size of the user's avatar

  // Textarea styling
  placeholderText: string;          // Placeholder text for the input
  textareaTextSize: number;         // Font size of the textarea text
  textareaTextColor: string;        // Text color of the textarea text
  textareaBackgroundColor: string;  // Background color of the textarea

  // Submit button
  postButtonText: string;           // Text on the post button
  postButtonFontSize: number;       // Font size for the post button text
  postButtonFontWeight: FontWeight; // Font weight for the post button text
  postButtonFontColor: string;      // Font color for the post button text
};

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Key Differences from Social Comments

The threaded styling system includes several unique features:
  1. Vote System: Upvote/downvote buttons with hover states and score colors
  2. Threading Lines: Visual connections showing comment hierarchy
  3. Extended Score Display: Positive, negative, and neutral score colors
  4. Enhanced Textarea: Additional styling options for discussion-focused input
  5. Unlimited Nesting Support: Styles that work at any nesting depth

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FontWeight Type

You can use the following types for font weights: 
export type FontWeight =
  | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 | 600 | 700 | 800 | 900
  | "100" | "200" | "300" | "400" | "500" | "600" | "700" | "800" | "900";

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Best Practices for Threaded Comments

  1. Use Consistent Colors: Keep upvote/downvote colors consistent with your app’s success/error colors
  2. Subtle Threading Lines: Use muted colors for threading lines to avoid visual clutter
  3. Clear Hierarchy: Ensure sufficient contrast between nested comment levels
  4. Readable Typography: Use appropriate font sizes and weights for extended reading
  5. Accessible Vote Buttons: Ensure vote buttons have clear hover states and sufficient size for interaction

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Conclusion

The useThreadedStyle hook provides comprehensive control over the appearance of your threaded comment section. Whether you stick with the default forum-style appearance or create a completely custom design, this configuration system ensures your comment section supports deep discussions while maintaining visual clarity and usability at any nesting level.
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