Tailwind 4
Tailwind CSS 4 patterns and best practices.
Install
npx skills add Gentleman-Programming/Gentleman-Skills --skill tailwind-4 -g -a claude-code -y- Repository
- Gentleman-Programming/Gentleman-Skills661
- Category
- Design
- Updated
- 7mo ago
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Context cost
- Lightabout 1,104 tokens
- Runs scripts
- No, instructions only
What it does
Tailwind CSS 4 patterns and best practices. Trigger: When styling with Tailwind - cn(), theme variables, no var() in className.
Styling Decision Tree
Tailwind class exists? → className="..."
Dynamic value? → style={{ width: `${x}%` }}
Conditional styles? → cn("base", condition && "variant")
Static only? → className="..." (no cn() needed)
Library can't use class?→ style prop with var() constants
Critical Rules
Never Use var() in className
// ❌ NEVER: var() in className
<div className="bg-[var(--color-primary)]" />
<div className="text-[var(--text-color)]" />
// ✅ ALWAYS: Use Tailwind semantic classes
<div className="bg-primary" />
<div className="text-slate-400" />
Never Use Hex Colors
// ❌ NEVER: Hex colors in className
<p className="text-[#ffffff]" />
<div className="bg-[#1e293b]" />
// ✅ ALWAYS: Use Tailwind color classes
<p className="text-white" />
<div className="bg-slate-800" />
The cn() Utility
import { clsx } from "clsx";
import { twMerge } from "tailwind-merge";
export function cn(...inputs: ClassValue[]) {
return twMerge(clsx(inputs));
}
When to Use cn()
// ✅ Conditional classes
<div className={cn("base-class", isActive && "active-class")} />
// ✅ Merging with potential conflicts
<button className={cn("px-4 py-2", className)} /> // className might override
// ✅ Multiple conditions
<div className={cn(
"rounded-lg border",
variant === "primary" && "bg-blue-500 text-white",
variant === "secondary" && "bg-gray-200 text-gray-800",
disabled && "opacity-50 cursor-not-allowed"
)} />
When NOT to Use cn()
// ❌ Static classes - unnecessary wrapper
<div className={cn("flex items-center gap-2")} />
// ✅ Just use className directly
<div className="flex items-center gap-2" />
Style Constants for Charts/Libraries
When libraries don't accept className (like Recharts):
