One year into using Tailwind, and it's been a journey of discovery, rapid development, and creative empowerment! The initial setup has its intricacies, but the benefits in the development process are well worth the effort.
Remember my last post where I talked about my initial experiences with Tailwind CSS? Twelve months have passed since, and Tailwind has become a mainstay in my personal projects. Imma talk about why tailwind is the better choice for me.
Tailwind CSS has significantly accelerated my development workflow. The utility-first approach provides a plethora of shortcuts, streamlining the styling process and enhancing the overall Developer Experience (DX). The ease of applying styles allows for more focus on functionality and logic, contributing to a more efficient development journey.
Tailwind uses PurgeCSS to remove unused styles, contributing to a leaner final output. The framework's JIT compiler generates styles on-demand, eliminating the need for an extensive upfront stylesheet, and tree-shaking further trims any unused code during the build process. Additionally, Tailwind allows extensive customization, ensuring inclusion of only necessary styles, optimizes responsive design by including only used utility classes, and employs minification to compress the final CSS bundle. These synergistic techniques collectively result in an efficient and performance-optimized stylesheet.
The customization capabilities of Tailwind are truly extensive. With features like arbitrary value support, achieving specific design requirements has never been easier. For instance, using px-[27px] automatically applies the desired size, eliminating the need to modify the tailwind.config.js file, thus fostering design creativity.
The introduction of built-in dark mode in Tailwind 2 has been a valuable addition. It simplifies the implementation of this popular feature, reducing the need for additional configurations and coding. This convenience enhances both developer and user experience, adapting to modern design trends.
<h3 className="font-display font-black sm:text-[8.5rem] text-7xl pb-5 text-crimson dark:bg-gradient-to-tr dark:from-pink-pastel dark:to-pink-hot dark:bg-clip-text dark:text-transparent" > Satrio <br /> Bayu </h3>
Tailwind offers a unique approach to styling—it feels like writing CSS, but without the usual complexities. Using Tailwind is essentially like speaking the language of CSS, but in the realm of HTML. If you’re familiar with CSS properties, translating them into Tailwind’s syntax is intuitive. This foundational knowledge of CSS is pivotal, as it unlocks the true potential of Tailwind, allowing you to seamlessly translate CSS properties into Tailwind’s succinct syntax right within your markup. This simplification eliminates the need for writing CSS selectors, making styling more accessible and enjoyable. But remember, you have to understand the css first so you will get the advantage of using Tailwind.
Admittedly, the use of utility classes in Tailwind can lead to verbose HTML. However, this trade-off is manageable considering the efficiency and flexibility it brings to the development process. A well-organized workflow can mitigate this aspect, maintaining code readability. Some people does not like it because it breaks the separation of concern principle.
Personally, I find Tailwind more aligned with my development style compared to UI component libraries like Chakra or AntDesign. Tailwind preserves the essence of writing CSS while allowing the creation of unique abstractions. This balance fosters a sense of creativity and ownership over the design process.
While Tailwind offers numerous advantages, it does require some initial setup and configuration. The incorporation of the necessary tooling can be a bit meticulous, but the investment in time pays off. Once configured, the development process is seamless, enabling quick and efficient project delivery.
In conclusion, after a year of integrating Tailwind into my projects, I’ve grown accustomed to its nuances and appreciate the versatility it offers. There are always new techniques and features to explore, but the journey thus far has been enriching. Tailwind has indeed been my good partner in the development process! 🚀