Offering users the ability to switch between light and dark themes is a standard practice in modern web development. Tailwind CSS, a utility-first CSS framework, simplifies the implementation and customization of themes, including dynamic dark mode switching.

This tutorial integrates information from multiple sources to guide you through setting up Tailwind CSS with React and Next.js, configuring dynamic dark mode functionality, and ensuring seamless theme transitions.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following prerequisites met before proceeding:

• Basic knowledge of React, Next.js, and JavaScript
• Node.js installed on your development machine
• Create React App or a similar React setup for React applications
• Next.js setup for Next.js applications

Step 1: Setting Up Tailwind CSS

1. Installation: Begin by installing Tailwind CSS and its dependencies using npm or yarn:

npm install -D tailwindcss@latest postcss@latest autoprefixer@latest

1. Initialization: Initialize Tailwind CSS configuration by executing:

npx tailwindcss init

1. Configuration: Modify tailwind.config.js to enable dark mode variants based on class:

// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  darkMode: 'class', // Enable dark mode variant based on class
  // Additional configuration options
};

Step 2: Creating the Theme Provider Component

Develop a ThemeProvider component using React context to manage and dynamically switch themes.

// components/features/ThemeProvider.js
import { createContext, useState, useEffect, useContext } from 'react';

const ThemeContext = createContext();

export const ThemeProvider = ({ children }) => {
  const [theme, setTheme] = useState('system');

  useEffect(() => {
    const storedTheme = localStorage.getItem('theme') || 'system';
    setTheme(storedTheme);
    applyTheme(storedTheme);
  }, []);

  const applyTheme = (theme) => {
    const root = document.documentElement;
    const isDarkMode = theme === 'dark' || (theme === 'system' && window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches);

    root.classList.toggle('dark', isDarkMode);
    root.classList.toggle('light',!isDarkMode);
  };

  const toggleTheme = (newTheme) => {
    setTheme(newTheme);
    localStorage.setItem('theme', newTheme);
    applyTheme(newTheme);
  };

  return (
    <ThemeContext.Provider value={{ theme, toggleTheme }}>
      {children}
    </ThemeContext.Provider>
  );
};

export const useTheme = () => useContext(ThemeContext);

Step 3: Implementing Dynamic Dark Mode in Next.js Pages

Integrate the ThemeProvider and ThemeToggle components into your Next.js pages to facilitate theme toggling.

Updating globals.css for Global Styles

Adjust globals.css to define global styles and support dark mode:

/* globals.css */
@tailwind base;
@tailwind components;
@tailwind utilities;

:root {
  --foreground-rgb: 0, 0, 0;
  --background-start-rgb: 214, 219, 220;
  --background-end-rgb: 255, 255, 255;
}

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
  :root {
    --foreground-rgb: 255, 255, 255;
    --background-start-rgb: 0, 0, 0;
    --background-end-rgb: 0, 0, 0;
  }
}

body {
  color: rgb(var(--foreground-rgb));
  background: linear-gradient(to bottom, transparent, rgb(var(--background-end-rgb)) rgb(var(--background-start-rgb));
}

@layer utilities {
 .text-balance {
    text-wrap: balance;
  }
}

Creating a ThemeToggle Component

Develop a ThemeToggle component to allow users to switch themes:

// components/features/ThemeToggle.js
import { useTheme } from './ThemeProvider';

const ThemeToggle = () => {
  const { theme, toggleTheme } = useTheme();

  const handleChange = (event) => {
    toggleTheme(event.target.value);
  };

  return (
    <div className="p-4">
      <select value={theme} onChange={handleChange} className="p-2 bg-green-500 text-white rounded-md focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-green-300">
        <option value="light">Light</option>
        <option value="dark">Dark</option>
        <option value="system">System</option>
      </select>
    </div>
  );
};

export default ThemeToggle;

Integrating Layout Component

Wrap your entire Next.js application with the ThemeProvider in a Layout component for consistent theming:

// components/Layout.js
import { Inter } from 'next/font/google';
import './globals.css';
import { ThemeProvider } from './features/ThemeProvider';

const inter = Inter({ subsets: ['latin'] });

const Layout = ({ children }) => {
  return (
    <html lang="en">
      <body className={inter.className}>
        <ThemeProvider>
          {children}
        </ThemeProvider>
      </body>
    </html>
  );
};

export default Layout;

Step 4: Applying Tailwind Classes for Dynamic Dark Mode

After setting up the dynamic dark mode functionality, the next step is to utilize Tailwind CSS classes within your React components. This allows you to create a responsive and visually appealing interface that adapts to the selected theme.

Example Implementation

Below is an example of how to apply Tailwind CSS classes in a React component to support dynamic dark mode. This example assumes you have already implemented the ThemeProvider and useTheme hook as described in the previous steps.

// src/App.js or any other component file
import { useTheme } from './features/ThemeProvider';

const App = () => {
  const { theme } = useTheme();

  return (
    <div className={`bg-white dark:bg-gray-800 min-h-screen ${theme}`}>
      <header className="p-4 bg-blue-500 dark:bg-gray-900">
        <h1 className="text-2xl text-white dark:text-gray-100">Dynamic Dark Mode with Tailwind CSS</h1>
      </header>
      <main className="container mx-auto py-8">
        <p className="text-gray-800 dark:text-white">
          Hello, world This is a demonstration of Tailwind CSS with dynamic dark mode switching in React.
        </p>
        {/* Add your components and content here */}
      </main>
    </div>
  );
};

export default App;

In this example, the App component uses the useTheme hook to access the current theme. The className attribute of the outermost <div> dynamically changes based on the current theme (light, dark, or system).

Tailwind CSS classes prefixed with dark: are applied automatically when the dark mode is active, thanks to the darkMode configuration in tailwind.config.js.

This approach allows you to design components that seamlessly adapt to both light and dark themes, enhancing the user experience across different environments and preferences.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you've successfully integrated Tailwind CSS with dynamic dark mode switching in a React application. Users can now toggle between light and dark modes seamlessly, with Tailwind's utility-first approach making it easy to style components based on the current theme.

Customize styles further to match your design preferences, ensuring a cohesive and accessible user experience across different themes.