# 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, "~> 0.3", 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, "~> 0.3", only: :dev}
]
end
```
Once installed, change your `config/config.exs` to pick your
Tailwind version of choice:
```elixir
config :tailwind, version: "4.0.9"
```
Note that `:tailwind` 0.3+ supports Tailwind v4+. If you need to use Tailwind v3, use
```
{:tailwind, "~> 0.2.0", only: :dev}
```
instead, and refer to [the README in the 0.2 branch](https://github.com/phoenixframework/tailwind/blob/v0.2/README.md).
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: "4.0.9",
default: [
args: ~w(
--input=assets/css/app.css
--output=priv/static/assets/app.css
),
cd: Path.expand("..", __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
Note that applications generated with Phoenix older than 1.8 still use Tailwind v3 by default.
If you're using Tailwind v3 please refer to [the README in the v0.2 branch](https://github.com/phoenixframework/tailwind/blob/v0.2/README.md#adding-to-phoenix)
instead.
To add Tailwind v4 to an application using Phoenix, first add this package
as a dependency in your `mix.exs`:
```elixir
def deps do
[
{:phoenix, "~> 1.7"},
{:tailwind, "~> 0.3", 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 build 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: "4.0.9",
default: [
args: ~w(
--input=assets/css/app.css
--output=priv/static/assets/app.css
),
cd: Path.expand("..", __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: "4.0.9",
default: [
args: ...,
cd: Path.expand("../apps/<folder_ending_with_web>", __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.
## Updating from Tailwind v3 to v4
For a typical Phoenix application, updating from Tailwind v3 to v4 requires the following steps:
1. Update the `:tailwind` library to version 0.3+
```diff
defp deps do
[
- {:tailwind, "~> 0.2", runtime: Mix.env() == :dev},
+ {:tailwind, "~> 0.3", runtime: Mix.env() == :dev},
]
end
```
2. Adjust the configuration to run Tailwind from the root of your repo (or the web app in an umbrella project):
```diff
config :tailwind,
- version: "3.4.13",
+ version: "4.0.9",
default: [
args: ~w(
- --config=tailwind.config.js
- --input=css/app.css
- --output=../priv/static/assets/app.css
+ --config=assets/tailwind.config.js
+ --input=assets/css/app.css
+ --output=priv/static/assets/app.css
),
- cd: Path.expand("../assets", __DIR__)
+ cd: Path.expand("..", __DIR__)
]
```
This allows Tailwind to automatically pick up classes from your project. Tailwind v4 does not require explicit configuration of sources.
3. Adjust the Tailwind imports in your app.css
```diff
-@import "tailwindcss/base";
-@import "tailwindcss/components";
-@import "tailwindcss/utilities";
+@import "tailwindcss";
```
4. Follow the [Tailwind v4 upgrade guide](https://tailwindcss.com/docs/upgrade-guide) to address deprecations.
5. Optional: remove the `tailwind.config.js` and switch to the new CSS based configuration. For more information, see the previously mentioned upgrade guide and the [documentation on functions and directives](https://tailwindcss.com/docs/functions-and-directives).
## License
Copyright (c) 2022 Chris McCord.
Copyright (c) 2021 Wojtek Mach, José Valim.
tailwind source code is licensed under the [MIT License](LICENSE.md).
