Bear UI 1.1.2 + ForgeStack Ecosystem Update (Kiln, Crucible, CLI)
Published: (February 27, 2026 at 04:59 PM EST)
2 min read
Source: Dev.to
Source: Dev.to
Overview
The ForgeStack ecosystem received a major quality update, centered around Bear UI 1.1.2.
Beyond new components, the release improves documentation, theming control, release flow, and the developer experience across tools such as Kiln, Crucible, and the ForgeStack CLI.
Component Updates
| Component | New Features / Improvements |
|---|---|
| FormField (TextField‑style) | - Outlined, filled, and standard variants - Label starts inside and floats on focus/value |
| AspectRatio | Clean media/layout ratio container |
| PasswordInput | - Visibility toggle - Shift/caps indicator option - Custom icon props |
| AlertDialog | Confirmation flows with accessible defaults |
| InputGroup | Grouped field labels, helper/error structure |
| Input | - Clearable, onClear, success state, aria-invalid- Character counter support |
| Button | - loadingText, aria-busy- Icon size consistency fixes |
| ResizableTextarea / RichEditor | Improved counter/label/error behavior |
Theming & Customization
A key goal was making components truly themeable through BearProvider.
Now you can centrally override styles (e.g., border, color, font size) for field‑level components instead of styling each usage manually.
Navigation, Documentation & UI Enhancements
- Reworked navigation structure.
- New theming & customization documentation sections.
- Improved store presentation (MUI‑inspired structure, no payment flow).
- Updated top‑bar UX:
- Command‑palette style search trigger (
⌘K/Ctrl+K). - Release/notification updates.
- Settings and cookie preferences.
- Command‑palette style search trigger (
- Added Spanish‑ready UI strings foundation for key sections.
Ecosystem Updates
- Kiln: Refined focus on publishing workflow and tighter integration with the broader stack.
- Crucible: Continuing evolution with emphasis on practical developer workflows and interoperability.
- Template Flow: More visible in the portal. Example bootstrap command:
npx create-forge my-app --template reactThis is the fastest way to start a project with Bear + ForgeStack conventions.
Release Highlights (1.1.2)
- “Developer quality” release with better component behavior parity to familiar UI patterns.
- Cleaner theming system.
- Stronger documentation 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.
Resources
- Bear UI docs:
- Bear npm package: