marcusgoll Key Principle: OKLCH tokens remain the source of truth. shadcn CSS variables are aliases that reference OKLCH tokens, not hardcoded values.
This skill is auto-invoked when:
- User runs
/init --tokens --shadcn - User asks to add shadcn components to a project
- Customizing shadcn theme colors or styles
- Setting up Next.js with shadcn/ui
Benefits:
- WCAG-compliant colors via OKLCH with perceptual uniformity
- Full shadcn component library compatibility
- 8 customization options without manual CSS editing
- Automatic dark mode support
- Menu-specific theming with variants
Step 2: Review generated files
design/systems/shadcn-variables.css- CSS variablescomponents.json- shadcn CLI configcomponents/ui/menu-variants.ts- Menu styling
Step 3: Import in globals.css
@import '../design/systems/shadcn-variables.css';
Step 4: Add components
npx shadcn@latest add button card dropdown-menu
After:
- 8 questions → complete theme system
- OKLCH ensures WCAG-compliant contrast
- Menu variants via tailwind-variants
- Automatic dark mode via CSS variables
Use AskUserQuestion tool with these questions in sequence:
- Style Preset → Determines shadcn style + density
- Base Color → Generates OKLCH primary scale (11 shades)
- Theme Mode → Configures light/dark/system preference
- Icon Library → Sets package and components.json config
- Font Family → Configures next/font
- Border Radius → Sets --radius CSS variable
- Menu Color → Generates menu background tokens
- Menu Accent → Generates menu active state tokens
Run the token generation script:
node .spec-flow/scripts/node/generate-shadcn-tokens.js --config answers.json
Generated files:
design/systems/shadcn-variables.css- shadcn CSS variable aliasesdesign/systems/tokens.json- Full token definitionscomponents.json- shadcn CLI configurationcomponents/ui/menu-variants.ts- Menu styling with tailwind-variants
Based on questionnaire answers:
# Icon library (based on choice)
pnpm add lucide-react # or @heroicons/react or @phosphor-icons/react
# shadcn dependencies
pnpm add tailwindcss-animate class-variance-authority clsx tailwind-merge
# For menu variants
pnpm add tailwind-variants
Update app/layout.tsx with font configuration:
import { Inter } from 'next/font/google'
const fontSans = Inter({
subsets: ['latin'],
variable: '--font-sans',
})
export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
return (
<html lang="en" className={fontSans.variable}>
<body>{children}</body>
</html>
)
}
Now users can add components that automatically use the generated theme:
npx shadcn@latest add button
npx shadcn@latest add card
npx shadcn@latest add dropdown-menu
npx shadcn@latest add dialog
Components will use CSS variables from shadcn-variables.css.
| OKLCH Token | shadcn Variable | Usage |
|---|---|---|
--color-neutral-50 |
--background |
Page background |
--color-neutral-900 |
--foreground |
Primary text |
--color-primary-600 |
--primary |
Brand actions |
--color-neutral-50 |
--primary-foreground |
Text on primary |
--color-neutral-100 |
--muted |
Subtle backgrounds |
--color-neutral-500 |
--muted-foreground |
Secondary text |
--color-error-fg |
--destructive |
Delete actions |
--color-neutral-200 |
--border |
Dividers, inputs |
Menu Token System
Menu Color Options:
| Choice | Effect |
|---|---|
background |
Uses page background |
surface |
Elevated card with shadow |
primaryTint |
5% primary color wash |
glass |
Transparent + blur |
Menu Accent Options:
| Choice | Effect |
|---|---|
border |
3px left border on active |
background |
Full background highlight |
iconTint |
Only icon changes color |
combined |
Border + subtle background |
Border Radius Scale
| Choice | Value | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| None | 0 |
Sharp corners |
| Small | 0.25rem |
Minimal |
| Medium | 0.5rem |
Modern (default) |
| Large | 0.75rem |
Soft |
| Full | 9999px |
Pills |
Icon Library Integration
| Choice | Package | Import |
|---|---|---|
| Lucide | lucide-react |
import { Icon } from 'lucide-react' |
| Heroicons | @heroicons/react |
import { Icon } from '@heroicons/react/24/outline' |
| Phosphor | @phosphor-icons/react |
import { Icon } from '@phosphor-icons/react' |
WARN (non-blocking):
- Font not configured in layout.tsx
- Dark mode class not on html element
- Menu variants file missing
Validation commands:
# Check components.json exists
test -f components.json && echo "✓ components.json"
# Check shadcn variables
grep -q "shadcn/ui CSS Variable Aliases" design/systems/shadcn-variables.css && echo "✓ shadcn variables"
# Check icon library
pnpm list lucide-react 2>/dev/null || pnpm list @heroicons/react 2>/dev/null && echo "✓ icon library"
Answer 8 questions...
Style: Default
Color: Blue
Theme: System preference
Icons: Lucide
Font: Inter
Radius: Medium
Menu Color: Background
Menu Accent: Left border
2. Files generated automatically
3. Import in globals.css
@import '../design/systems/shadcn-variables.css';
4. Install icon library
pnpm add lucide-react
5. Add components
npx shadcn@latest add button card dropdown-menu
6. Use in components
import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button' Click me
</example>
<example name="Custom Primary Color">
When user selects "Custom" for base color:
```typescript
// AskUserQuestion for custom hue
{
question: "Enter OKLCH hue value (0-360)",
header: "Custom Hue",
options: [
{ label: "Teal (175)", description: "Modern, tech-forward" },
{ label: "Coral (15)", description: "Warm, energetic" },
{ label: "Other", description: "Enter exact value" }
]
}
// Result: Full 11-shade scale generated from hue
// oklch(98% 0.045 175) → oklch(14% 0.045 175)
export function Sidebar() { const styles = menuStyles({ menuColor: 'background', menuAccent: 'border' })
return ( Home Settings ) }
</example>
</examples>
<troubleshooting>
## Common Issues
**Colors not applying**:
- Verify `@import '../design/systems/shadcn-variables.css'` in globals.css
- Check import order (shadcn-variables before @tailwind directives)
- Ensure Tailwind config has `cssVariables: true`
**Dark mode not working**:
- Add `className="dark"` to html element for class-based dark mode
- Or use `suppressHydrationWarning` with next-themes
- Verify `.dark` CSS block exists in shadcn-variables.css
**Menu variants not found**:
- Install tailwind-variants: `pnpm add tailwind-variants`
- Check `components/ui/menu-variants.ts` exists
- Verify import path in your component
**Icons not loading**:
- Verify correct package installed based on questionnaire choice
- Check import syntax matches package (lucide vs heroicons)
- Ensure tree-shaking is enabled in bundler
**Radius not applying**:
- Check `--radius` variable in :root
- Verify Tailwind config has borderRadius extension
- Some components use `calc(var(--radius) - 2px)` for nested elements
</troubleshooting>
<related_skills>
- `design-tokens` - Core OKLCH token system (this skill extends it)
- `theme-consistency` - Enforces token usage in prototypes
- `mockup-extraction` - Extracts component patterns from mockups
- `frontend-dev` - Uses generated tokens in implementation
</related_skills>