John Yaghobieh

Posted on Feb 27

Bear UI 1.1.2 + ForgeStack Ecosystem Update (Kiln, Crucible, CLI)

#react #javascript #ui #tailwindcss

The ForgeStack ecosystem just got a major quality pass, and Bear UI 1.1.2 is the center of it.

This update is not only about new components — it also improves docs, theming control, release flow, and the developer experience across tools like Kiln, Crucible, and the ForgeStack CLI.

What’s New in Bear UI 1.1.2

New components

FormField (TextField-style behavior)
- outlined, filled, and standard
- label starts inside, floats on focus/value
AspectRatio
- clean media/layout ratio container
PasswordInput
- visibility toggle
- shift/caps indicator option
- custom icon props
AlertDialog
- confirmation flows with a11y defaults
InputGroup
- grouped field labels, helper/error structure

Existing component upgrades

Input
- clearable, onClear, success, aria-invalid
- character counter support
Button
- loadingText, aria-busy
- icon size consistency fixes
ResizableTextarea / RichEditor
- improved counter/label/error behavior

Theming Improvements (Big One)

A key goal was making components truly themeable through BearProvider.

Now you can centrally override styles (like border, color, font size) for more field-level components, including FormField and Input, instead of styling each usage manually.

Example:

<BearProvider
  components={{
    FormField: {
      input: { borderColor: '#ec4899', fontSize: '15px' },
      label: { color: '#ec4899' },
      outlined: { borderColor: '#f472b6' },
    },
    Input: {
      input: { borderColor: '#ec4899' },
      label: { color: '#ec4899' },
    },
  }}
>
  <App />
</BearProvider>

Portal Updates (bearui.com)

Reworked nav structure
New Theming & Customization documentation sections
Better Store presentation (MUI-inspired structure, no payment flow)
Improved topbar UX:
- command-palette style search trigger (⌘K / Ctrl+K)
- release/notification updates
- settings and cookie preferences
Added Spanish-ready UI strings foundation for key sections

ForgeStack Ecosystem News

Kiln

Kiln direction is being refined around publishing workflow and better integration patterns with the broader stack.

Crucible

Crucible continues to evolve as part of the ecosystem roadmap, with focus on practical developer workflows and interoperability.

ForgeStack CLI

Template flow is expanding and becoming more visible in the portal:

npx create-forge my-app --template react

This is the fastest way to bootstrap with Bear + ForgeStack conventions.

Why this release matters

1.1.2 is a “developer quality” release:

better component behavior parity with familiar UI patterns
cleaner theming system
stronger docs and discoverability
tighter ecosystem story (Bear + CLI + tools)

If you already use Bear, this release removes friction.

If you are new, it makes the first-run experience much smoother.

DEV Community