# 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)
_Note_: The stand-alone Tailwind client bundles first-class Tailwind packages
within the precompiled executable. For third-party Tailwind plugin support (e.g. DaisyUI),
the node package must be used. See the [Tailwind Node.js installation instructions](https://tailwindcss.com/docs/installation)
if you require third-party plugin support.
## 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, "~> 0.2", 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, "~> 0.2", only: :dev}
]
end
```
Once installed, change your `config/config.exs` to pick your
tailwind version of choice:
```elixir
config :tailwind, version: "3.2.4"
```
Now you can install tailwind by running:
```bash
$ mix tailwind.install
```
or if your platform isn't officially supported by Tailwind,
you can supply a third party path to the binary the installer wants
(beware that we cannot guarantee the compatibility of any third party executable):
```bash
$ mix tailwind.install https://people.freebsd.org/~dch/pub/tailwind/v3.2.6/tailwindcss-freebsd-x64
```
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: "3.2.4",
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 will need Phoenix v1.6+
and the following steps.
First add it as a dependency in your `mix.exs`:
```elixir
def deps do
[
{:phoenix, "~> 1.6"},
{:tailwind, "~> 0.1.8", runtime: Mix.env() == :dev}
]
end
```
Also, in `mix.exs`, add `tailwind` to the `assets.deploy`
alias for deployments (with the `--minify` option):
```elixir
"assets.deploy": ["tailwind default --minify", ..., "phx.digest"]
```
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: "3.2.4",
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: "3.2.4",
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, run the command:
```bash
$ mix tailwind.install
```
This command installs Tailwind and updates your `assets/css/app.css`
and `assets/js/app.js` with the necessary changes to start using Tailwind
right away. It also generates a default configuration file called
`assets/tailwind.config.js` for you. This is the file we referenced
when we configured `tailwind` in `config/config.exs`. See
`mix help tailwind.install` to learn more.
## License
Copyright (c) 2022 Chris McCord.
Copyright (c) 2021 Wojtek Mach, José Valim.
tailwind source code is licensed under the [MIT License](LICENSE.md).
