Gentleman-Programming Styling Decision Tree
Tailwind class exists? → className="..."
Dynamic value? → style={{ width: `${x}%` }}
Conditional styles? → cn("base", condition && "variant")
Static only? → className="..." (no cn() needed)
Library can't use class?→ style prop with var() constants
Critical Rules
Never Use var() in className
// ❌ NEVER: var() in className
<div className="bg-[var(--color-primary)]" />
<div className="text-[var(--text-color)]" />
// ✅ ALWAYS: Use Tailwind semantic classes
<div className="bg-primary" />
<div className="text-slate-400" />
Never Use Hex Colors
// ❌ NEVER: Hex colors in className
<p className="text-[#ffffff]" />
<div className="bg-[#1e293b]" />
// ✅ ALWAYS: Use Tailwind color classes
<p className="text-white" />
<div className="bg-slate-800" />
The cn() Utility
import { clsx } from "clsx";
import { twMerge } from "tailwind-merge";
export function cn(...inputs: ClassValue[]) {
return twMerge(clsx(inputs));
}
When to Use cn()
// ✅ Conditional classes
<div className={cn("base-class", isActive && "active-class")} />
// ✅ Merging with potential conflicts
<button className={cn("px-4 py-2", className)} /> // className might override
// ✅ Multiple conditions
<div className={cn(
"rounded-lg border",
variant === "primary" && "bg-blue-500 text-white",
variant === "secondary" && "bg-gray-200 text-gray-800",
disabled && "opacity-50 cursor-not-allowed"
)} />
When NOT to Use cn()
// ❌ Static classes - unnecessary wrapper
<div className={cn("flex items-center gap-2")} />
// ✅ Just use className directly
<div className="flex items-center gap-2" />
Style Constants for Charts/Libraries
When libraries don't accept className (like Recharts):
// ✅ Constants with var() - ONLY for library props
const CHART_COLORS = {
primary: "var(--color-primary)",
secondary: "var(--color-secondary)",
text: "var(--color-text)",
gridLine: "var(--color-border)",
};
// Usage with Recharts (can't use className)
<XAxis tick={{ fill: CHART_COLORS.text }} />
<CartesianGrid stroke={CHART_COLORS.gridLine} />
Dynamic Values
// ✅ style prop for truly dynamic values
<div style={{ width: `${percentage}%` }} />
<div style={{ opacity: isVisible ? 1 : 0 }} />
// ✅ CSS custom properties for theming
<div style={{ "--progress": `${value}%` } as React.CSSProperties} />
Common Patterns
Flexbox
<div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-4" />
<div className="flex flex-col gap-2" />
<div className="inline-flex items-center" />
Grid
<div className="grid grid-cols-3 gap-4" />
<div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-4 gap-6" />
Spacing
// Padding
<div className="p-4" /> // All sides
<div className="px-4 py-2" /> // Horizontal, vertical
<div className="pt-4 pb-2" /> // Top, bottom
// Margin
<div className="m-4" />
<div className="mx-auto" /> // Center horizontally
<div className="mt-8 mb-4" />
Typography
<h1 className="text-2xl font-bold text-white" />
<p className="text-sm text-slate-400" />
<span className="text-xs font-medium uppercase tracking-wide" />
Borders & Shadows
<div className="rounded-lg border border-slate-700" />
<div className="rounded-full shadow-lg" />
<div className="ring-2 ring-blue-500 ring-offset-2" />
States
<button className="hover:bg-blue-600 focus:ring-2 active:scale-95" />
<input className="focus:border-blue-500 focus:outline-none" />
<div className="group-hover:opacity-100" />
Responsive
<div className="w-full md:w-1/2 lg:w-1/3" />
<div className="hidden md:block" />
<div className="text-sm md:text-base lg:text-lg" />
Dark Mode
<div className="bg-white dark:bg-slate-900" />
<p className="text-gray-900 dark:text-white" />
Arbitrary Values (Escape Hatch)
// ✅ OK for one-off values not in design system
<div className="w-[327px]" />
<div className="top-[117px]" />
<div className="grid-cols-[1fr_2fr_1fr]" />
// ❌ Don't use for colors - use theme instead
<div className="bg-[#1e293b]" /> // NO
Keywords
tailwind, css, styling, cn, utility classes, responsive