#What is React Highlight Popover?

React Highlight Popover is a free, open-source, headless React component by omsimos, designed to create customizable popovers that appear when users select text, compatible with shadcn-ui projects. It’s ideal for developers building interactive features like text annotations, translation tools, or comment systems in Next.js or React applications, such as note-taking apps or content editors.

Built with React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and shadcn-ui, it offers a lightweight, zero-dependency solution for rendering popovers with selected text. The component uses a renderPopover prop for custom UI and a useHighlightPopover hook for state management. It integrates via NPM and supports shadcn-ui’s accessible design.

#Features ⚡️

• Text Selection Popover: Displays a popover when text is selected, customizable via renderPopover.

• Zero Dependencies: Lightweight, no external libraries required.

• useHighlightPopover Hook: Access internal state (showPopover, currentSelection) for custom logic.

• Customizable Events: Supports onSelectionStart, onSelectionEnd, onPopoverShow, and onPopoverHide.

• Offset Control: Adjust popover position with offset prop (e.g., { x: 0, y: -10 }).

• Min Selection Length: Set minimum characters to trigger popover (e.g., minSelectionLength={5}).

• Accessible Design: Inherits shadcn-ui’s WAI-ARIA compliance.

• Responsive Styling: Tailwind CSS ensures adaptability.

#Pros and Cons

#Pros ✅

• shadcn-ui Compatibility: Seamlessly integrates with shadcn-ui’s ecosystem.

• Free and Open-Source: MIT license allows unrestricted use.

• Lightweight: Zero dependencies reduce bundle size.

• Flexible: Headless design and hook enable custom UI and behavior.

#Cons ⚠️

• React Dependency: Limited to React/shadcn-ui ecosystems.

• Setup Requirements: Needs shadcn-ui and Tailwind CSS installed.

• Client-Side Focus: Popover logic is client-side; server-side actions require custom setup.

• Basic Styling: Headless nature requires custom Tailwind CSS for polished UI.

• Early Stage: Limited community traction compared to shadcn-chat (1.3k stars).

#Included Components

• HighlightPopover: Main component wrapping content and rendering the popover.

• useHighlightPopover: Hook for accessing popover state and selection data.

#Pricing 💸

React Highlight Popover is completely free under the MIT license, with no premium tiers.

#Integrations 🧰

• React: Core framework for the component.

• shadcn-ui: Provides accessible UI primitives.

• Tailwind CSS: Utility-first styling for custom popover designs.

• Next.js: Optimized for Next.js projects (v14.2+).

• TypeScript: Ensures type safety.