Package Exports

tailwind-dark-theme
tailwind-dark-theme/package.json

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🌙 tailwind-dark-theme

Powered by Payiano Team | GitHub

A powerful Tailwind CSS plugin that provides automatic dark/light theme switching with inverted color schemes and custom theme variables.

⚡ Automatic Color Inversion: Dark theme automatically inverts Tailwind colors (white ↔ black, gray-50 ↔ gray-950, etc.) providing seamless theme transitions.

⚡ Custom Theme Variables: Define custom color variables for both light and dark modes with flexible configuration that integrates perfectly with your design system.

⚡ Zero Configuration: Works out of the box with sensible defaults while offering extensive customization options for advanced use cases.

⚡ Selective Dark Mode: Use darkless class to prevent dark mode application in specific areas, giving you granular control over your theming.

Compatibility

Tested with Node 20+, Tailwind CSS 3.0+ and modern build tools. Compatible with Vite, Webpack, and other bundlers that support Tailwind CSS plugins.

Installation

Install the plugin from npm with your preferred package manager:

# NPM
npm install tailwind-dark-theme

# Yarn
yarn add tailwind-dark-theme

# PNPM
pnpm add tailwind-dark-theme

Usage

Basic Setup

Import and use the getTailwindConfig function in your tailwind.config.js:

import { getTailwindConfig } from "tailwind-dark-theme";

export default getTailwindConfig();

Enable dark mode by adding the dark class to your HTML or body element:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html class="dark">
  <head>
    <title>My App</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <!-- Your app content -->
  </body>
</html>

Or toggle it dynamically:

// Enable dark mode
document.documentElement.classList.add("dark");

// Disable dark mode
document.documentElement.classList.remove("dark");

Advanced Configuration

You can customize the plugin with both standard Tailwind config and extended theme options:

import { getTailwindConfig, TwMainColorVariants } from "tailwind-dark-theme";

export default getTailwindConfig(
  // Standard Tailwind CSS configuration
  {
    content: ["./src/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx,vue}"],
    theme: {
      extend: {
        fontFamily: {
          sans: ["Inter", "sans-serif"],
        },
      },
    },
  },
  // Extended theme configuration
  {
    lightVars: {
      "--color-primary": "#3b82f6",
      "--bg-primary": "#3b82f6",
    },
    darkVars: {
      "--color-primary": "#60a5fa",
      "--bg-primary": "#60a5fa",
    },
    lightMainColor: TwMainColorVariants.slate,
    darkMainColor: TwMainColorVariants.zinc,
  }
);

See the API Reference section for detailed configuration options.

API Reference

`getTailwindConfig(config?, extended?)`

Generates a complete Tailwind CSS configuration with theme support.

Parameters

config (optional): Partial<Config>

Standard Tailwind CSS configuration object
All standard Tailwind options are supported
Your custom configuration will be merged with the theme defaults

extended (optional): ITwExtendedType

Extended theme configuration for custom colors and variables
Allows customization of light/dark theme colors and main color variants

Returns

A complete Tailwind CSS configuration object ready to be exported.

Extended Configuration (`ITwExtendedType`)

interface ITwExtendedType {
  lightVars?: TwColors; // Custom variables for light theme
  darkVars?: TwColors; // Custom variables for dark theme
  lightMainColor?: TwMainColorVariants; // Main color variant for light theme
  darkMainColor?: TwMainColorVariants; // Main color variant for dark theme
}

Properties

lightVars: Custom color variables for light theme. Values can be any valid CSS color format (#ffffff, white, hsl(0, 0%, 100%)) or CSS variable references. Important: Variable names must start with --color- or --bg- prefix.
darkVars: Custom color variables for dark theme. Similar to lightVars, these can be any valid color format or CSS variable references. Important: Variable names must start with --color- or --bg- prefix.
lightMainColor: Main color variant for light theme. Must be one of: gray, zinc, stone, slate, neutral.
darkMainColor: Main color variant for dark theme. Must be one of: gray, zinc, stone, slate, neutral.

CSS Variable Naming Convention

When defining custom variables in lightVars and darkVars, you must use specific prefixes:

--color- prefix: For text colors and general color variables
--bg- prefix: For background colors

This naming convention is required because:

Direct CSS Generation: Variables are used exactly as defined to generate CSS
Tailwind Integration: Ensures variables work seamlessly with Tailwind's color system
Type Specificity: Clearly distinguishes between color and background usage
Avoiding Conflicts: Prevents naming conflicts with existing CSS variables

Examples of correct variable names:

--color-primary - For text color usage
--bg-primary - For background color usage
--color-success-DEFAULT - For default success text color
--bg-error-700 - For error background shade 700

Usage Examples

Basic Usage

// tailwind.config.js
import { getTailwindConfig } from "tailwind-dark-theme";

export default getTailwindConfig();

Custom Tailwind Configuration

// tailwind.config.js
import { getTailwindConfig } from "tailwind-dark-theme";

export default getTailwindConfig({
  content: [
    "./src/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx,vue}",
    "./pages/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx,vue}",
  ],
  theme: {
    extend: {
      fontFamily: {
        sans: ["Inter", "sans-serif"],
      },
      spacing: {
        18: "4.5rem",
      },
    },
  },
});

Extended Theme Configuration

// tailwind.config.js
import { getTailwindConfig, TwMainColorVariants } from "tailwind-dark-theme";

export default getTailwindConfig(
  {
    content: ["./src/**/*.{js,ts,vue}"],
  },
  {
    // Custom variables for light theme
    lightVars: {
      "--color-primary": "#3b82f6", // Primary text color
      "--bg-primary": "#3b82f6", // Primary background color
      "--color-secondary": "#10b981", // Secondary text color
      "--bg-secondary": "#10b981", // Secondary background color
      "--color-accent": "#f59e0b", // Accent text color
      "--bg-accent": "#f59e0b", // Accent background color
      "--color-surface": "#ffffff", // Surface text color
      "--bg-surface": "#ffffff", // Surface background color
      "--color-on-surface": "#1f2937", // Text on surface color
      "--bg-header": "#ffffff", // Header background
      "--bg-sidebar": "#f8fafc", // Sidebar background
    },
    // Custom variables for dark theme
    darkVars: {
      "--color-primary": "#60a5fa", // Primary text color (dark)
      "--bg-primary": "#60a5fa", // Primary background color (dark)
      "--color-secondary": "#34d399", // Secondary text color (dark)
      "--bg-secondary": "#34d399", // Secondary background color (dark)
      "--color-accent": "#fbbf24", // Accent text color (dark)
      "--bg-accent": "#fbbf24", // Accent background color (dark)
      "--color-surface": "#1f2937", // Surface text color (dark)
      "--bg-surface": "#1f2937", // Surface background color (dark)
      "--color-on-surface": "#f9fafb", // Text on surface color (dark)
      "--bg-header": "#0f172a", // Header background (dark)
      "--bg-sidebar": "#1e293b", // Sidebar background (dark)
    },
    // Main color variants
    lightMainColor: TwMainColorVariants.slate,
    darkMainColor: TwMainColorVariants.zinc,
  }
);

Real-world Example with Color Constants

// Using with color constants (like DEFAULT_COLORS)
import { getTailwindConfig } from "tailwind-dark-theme";
import { DEFAULT_COLORS } from "./colors";

export default getTailwindConfig(
  {
    content: ["./src/**/*.{js,ts,vue}"],
  },
  {
    lightVars: {
      "--bg-error-500": DEFAULT_COLORS.error[500],
      "--bg-success-500": DEFAULT_COLORS.success[500],
      "--color-success-DEFAULT": DEFAULT_COLORS.success.DEFAULT,
      "--color-warning-700": DEFAULT_COLORS.warning[700],
      "--bg-neutral-50": DEFAULT_COLORS.neutral[50],
    },
    darkVars: {
      "--bg-error-700": DEFAULT_COLORS.error[700],
      "--bg-success-700": DEFAULT_COLORS.success[700],
      "--color-success-DEFAULT": DEFAULT_COLORS.success[400],
      "--color-warning-400": DEFAULT_COLORS.warning[400],
      "--bg-neutral-950": DEFAULT_COLORS.neutral[950],
    },
  }
);


### Using Custom Variables in CSS

After defining custom variables with proper prefixes, you can use them directly in your CSS:

```css
/* Use the variables directly as defined */
.my-component {
  color: var(--color-primary);           /* Text color */
  background-color: var(--bg-primary);   /* Background color */
  border-color: var(--color-accent);     /* Border color */
}

/* Header styling */
.header {
  background-color: var(--bg-header);
  color: var(--color-on-surface);
}

/* Use with Tailwind utilities */
.text-primary {
  color: var(--color-primary);
}

.bg-surface {
  background-color: var(--bg-surface);
}

Variable Usage Pattern:

Use variables exactly as you defined them in lightVars/darkVars
--color-* variables for text colors and general color usage
--bg-* variables for background colors

Color Inversion

The plugin automatically inverts Tailwind's default color palette in dark mode:

Light Mode	Dark Mode
`white`	`black`
`gray-50`	`gray-950`
`gray-100`	`gray-900`
`gray-200`	`gray-800`
`...`	`...`
`gray-900`	`gray-100`
`gray-950`	`gray-50`
`black`	`white`

This applies to all color variants (red, blue, green, etc.) and their numeric scales.

Dark Mode Controls

Global Dark Mode

<!-- Enable dark mode globally -->
<html class="dark">
  <body>
    <!-- All content will use dark theme -->
  </body>
</html>

Preventing Dark Mode in Specific Areas

Use the darkless class to prevent dark mode application in specific components:

<div class="dark">
  <!-- This section uses dark theme -->
  <div class="bg-gray-900 text-white">Dark themed content</div>

  <!-- This section stays in light theme -->
  <div class="darkless bg-white text-black">Always light themed content</div>
</div>

Dynamic Theme Switching

// Theme toggle function
function toggleTheme() {
  const html = document.documentElement;
  const isDark = html.classList.contains("dark");

  if (isDark) {
    html.classList.remove("dark");
    localStorage.setItem("theme", "light");
  } else {
    html.classList.add("dark");
    localStorage.setItem("theme", "dark");
  }
}

// Initialize theme from localStorage
function initTheme() {
  const savedTheme = localStorage.getItem("theme");
  const prefersDark = window.matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: dark)").matches;

  if (savedTheme === "dark" || (!savedTheme && prefersDark)) {
    document.documentElement.classList.add("dark");
  }
}

// Call on page load
initTheme();

React/Vue Theme Hook Example

// React Hook
import { useState, useEffect } from "react";

export function useTheme() {
  const [isDark, setIsDark] = useState(false);

  useEffect(() => {
    const savedTheme = localStorage.getItem("theme");
    const prefersDark = window.matchMedia(
      "(prefers-color-scheme: dark)"
    ).matches;
    const shouldBeDark = savedTheme === "dark" || (!savedTheme && prefersDark);

    setIsDark(shouldBeDark);
    document.documentElement.classList.toggle("dark", shouldBeDark);
  }, []);

  const toggleTheme = () => {
    const newIsDark = !isDark;
    setIsDark(newIsDark);
    document.documentElement.classList.toggle("dark", newIsDark);
    localStorage.setItem("theme", newIsDark ? "dark" : "light");
  };

  return { isDark, toggleTheme };
}

Complete Example

Here's a complete example showing all features:

// tailwind.config.js
import { getTailwindConfig, TwMainColorVariants } from "tailwind-dark-theme";

export default getTailwindConfig(
  {
    content: ["./index.html", "./src/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx,vue}"],
    theme: {
      extend: {
        fontFamily: {
          sans: ["Inter", "sans-serif"],
        },
        colors: {
          brand: {
            50: "#eff6ff",
            500: "#3b82f6",
            900: "#1e3a8a",
          },
        },
      },
    },
  },
  {
    lightVars: {
      "--color-header": "#1e293b", // Header text color
      "--bg-header": "#ffffff", // Header background color
      "--color-sidebar": "#64748b", // Sidebar text color
      "--bg-sidebar": "#f8fafc", // Sidebar background color
      "--color-content": "#1e293b", // Content text color
      "--bg-content": "#ffffff", // Content background color
      "--color-border": "#e2e8f0", // Border color
      "--color-text-primary": "#1e293b", // Primary text color
      "--color-text-secondary": "#64748b", // Secondary text color
    },
    darkVars: {
      "--color-header": "#f1f5f9", // Header text color (dark)
      "--bg-header": "#0f172a", // Header background color (dark)
      "--color-sidebar": "#94a3b8", // Sidebar text color (dark)
      "--bg-sidebar": "#1e293b", // Sidebar background color (dark)
      "--color-content": "#f1f5f9", // Content text color (dark)
      "--bg-content": "#0f172a", // Content background color (dark)
      "--color-border": "#334155", // Border color (dark)
      "--color-text-primary": "#f1f5f9", // Primary text color (dark)
      "--color-text-secondary": "#94a3b8", // Secondary text color (dark)
    },
    lightMainColor: TwMainColorVariants.slate,
    darkMainColor: TwMainColorVariants.slate,
  }
);

<!-- index.html -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <title>My App</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <div id="app">
      <!-- Header (always dark theme) -->
      <header class="darkless bg-gray-900 text-white p-4">
        <h1>My App</h1>
        <button onclick="toggleTheme()" class="bg-blue-500 px-4 py-2 rounded">
          Toggle Theme
        </button>
      </header>

      <!-- Main content (respects theme) -->
      <main class="bg-white dark:bg-gray-900 text-black dark:text-white p-6">
        <div class="bg-gray-100 dark:bg-gray-800 p-4 rounded">
          <h2>This content changes with theme</h2>
          <p class="text-gray-600 dark:text-gray-300">
            Background and text colors automatically invert in dark mode.
          </p>
        </div>

        <!-- Card with custom variables -->
        <div
          style="background-color: var(--bg-content); border-color: var(--color-border);"
          class="border p-4 rounded mt-4"
        >
          <h3 style="color: var(--color-text-primary)">Custom themed card</h3>
          <p style="color: var(--color-text-secondary)">
            Using custom CSS variables with proper prefixes
          </p>

          <!-- Example showing both color and background variable usage -->
          <div
            style="background-color: var(--bg-header); color: var(--color-header);"
            class="p-2 rounded mt-2"
          >
            Header-styled section using --bg-header and --color-header
          </div>
        </div>
      </main>
    </div>

    <script>
      function toggleTheme() {
        document.documentElement.classList.toggle("dark");
      }
    </script>
  </body>
</html>

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open issues or pull requests if you want to suggest improvements or fixes.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Code of Conduct

This project follows the Contributor Code of Conduct. By participating, you agree to abide by its terms.

Sponsoring

If you find this project helpful, please consider supporting me on Buy Me a Coffee! Your support helps me continue developing open-source software.