# Tailwind
[](https://github.com/phoenixframework/tailwind/actions/workflows/main.yml)
Mix tasks for installing and invoking [tailwindcss](https://tailwindcss.com) via the
stand-alone [tailwindcss cli](https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/tree/master/standalone-cli)
## Installation
If you are going to build assets in production, then you add
`tailwind` as dependency on all environments but only start it
in dev:
```elixir
def deps do
[
{:tailwind, "~> 0.1", runtime: Mix.env() == :dev}
]
end
```
However, if your assets are precompiled during development,
then it only needs to be a dev dependency:
```elixir
def deps do
[
{:tailwind, "~> 0.1", only: :dev}
]
end
```
Once installed, change your `config/config.exs` to pick your
tailwind version of choice:
```elixir
config :tailwind, version: "3.0.10"
```
Now you can install tailwind by running:
```bash
$ mix tailwind.install
```
And invoke tailwind with:
```bash
$ mix tailwind default
```
The executable is kept at `_build/tailwind-TARGET`.
Where `TARGET` is your system target architecture.
## Profiles
The first argument to `tailwind` is the execution profile.
You can define multiple execution profiles with the current
directory, the OS environment, and default arguments to the
`tailwind` task:
```elixir
config :tailwind,
version: "3.0.10",
default: [
args: ~w(
--config=tailwind.config.js
--input=css/app.css
--output=../priv/static/assets/app.css
),
cd: Path.expand("../assets", __DIR__)
]
```
When `mix tailwind default` is invoked, the task arguments will be appended
to the ones configured above. Note profiles must be configured in your
`config/config.exs`, as `tailwind` runs without starting your application
(and therefore it won't pick settings in `config/runtime.exs`).
## Adding to Phoenix
To add `tailwind` to an application using Phoenix, you need only four steps. Installation requires that Phoenix watchers can accept module-function-args tuples which is not built into Phoenix 1.5.9.
First add it as a dependency in your `mix.exs`:
```elixir
def deps do
[
{:phoenix, "~> 1.6"},
{:tailwind, "~> 0.1", runtime: Mix.env() == :dev}
]
end
```
Now let's change `config/config.exs` to tell `tailwind` to use
configuration in `assets/tailwind.config.js` for building our css
bundle into `priv/static/assets`. We'll also give it our `assets/css/app.css`
as our css entry point:
```elixir
config :tailwind,
version: "3.0.10",
default: [
args: ~w(
--config=tailwind.config.js
--input=css/app.css
--output=../priv/static/assets/app.css
),
cd: Path.expand("../assets", __DIR__)
]
```
> Make sure the "assets" directory from priv/static is listed in the
> :only option for Plug.Static in your lib/my_app_web/endpoint.ex
If your Phoenix application is using an umbrella structure, you should specify
the web application's asset directory in the configuration:
```elixir
config :tailwind,
version: "3.0.10",
default: [
args: ...,
cd: Path.expand("../apps/<folder_ending_with_web>/assets", __DIR__)
]
```
For development, we want to enable watch mode. So find the `watchers`
configuration in your `config/dev.exs` and add:
```elixir
tailwind: {Tailwind, :install_and_run, [:default, ~w(--watch)]}
```
Note we are enabling the file system watcher.
Finally, back in your `mix.exs`, make sure you have a `assets.deploy`
alias for deployments, which will also use the `--minify` option:
```elixir
"assets.deploy": ["tailwind default --minify", ..., "phx.digest"]
```
## Tailwind Configuration
The first time this package is installed, a default tailwind configuration
will be placed in a new `assets/tailwind.config.js` file. See
the [tailwind documentation](https://tailwindcss.com/docs/configuration)
on configuration options.
_Note_: The stand-alone Tailwind client bundles first-class tailwind packages
within the precompiled executable. For third-party Tailwind plugin support,
the node package must be used. See the [tailwind nodejs installation instructions](https://tailwindcss.com/docs/installation) if you require third-party plugin support.
## License
Copyright (c) 2021 Wojtek Mach, José Valim.
tailwind source code is licensed under the [MIT License](LICENSE.md).
