How to create a dark mode toggle with Tailwind CSS and JavaScript

Let's recreate the dark mode toggle from the Alpinejs tutorial that we did a while ago.

See it live and get the code

A small refresh of why we need a dark mode toggle

A dark mode toggle is an important feature for modern web applications due to several reasons:

• User Preference: Many users prefer dark mode as it can be easier on the eyes, especially in low-light conditions. Providing a dark mode option caters to these preferences and enhances user satisfaction.
• Reducing Eye Strain: Dark mode can reduce eye strain by lowering the overall brightness of the screen, which is beneficial when using the device for extended periods.
• Energy Efficiency: For OLED and AMOLED screens, dark mode can save battery life. These screens consume less power when displaying dark colors because they turn off pixels completely to show black.
• Accessibility: Offering both light and dark modes improves accessibility by accommodating different visual needs and reducing glare for users with visual impairments or light sensitivity.
• Modern Aesthetics: Dark mode is often associated with modern, sleek design trends. Offering this option can enhance the perceived quality and contemporary feel of an application.

Tailwind will make this easy

Tailwind provides a dark mode utility class that can be used to toggle between light and dark mode. This class can be applied to the any element to switch between the two modes.

Understanding the code

• dark:bg-gray-900: This is a dark mode utility class that sets the background color to gray-900 when the dark mode is enabled.

<div class="bg-white dark:bg-gray-900 ">
  <!-- Your content here -->
</div>

• dark:text-white: This is a dark mode utility class that sets the text color to white when the dark mode is enabled.

<h1 class="text-gray-900 dark:text-white ">
  <!-- Your text here -->
</h1>

All you have to do si append the dark mode utility class to the element you want to change the color of. If you do not want to have a togggle, you can just add the class to the element directly and it will be applied to all the elements when the user preffrences are set to dark mode on their device, browser, or OS.

The script

• document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() {: This is the event listener that will run when the DOM is fully loaded.
• const toggleButton = document.getElementById("dark-mode-toggle");: This is the code that will select the element with the ID "dark-mode-toggle".
• const body = document.body;: This is the code that will select the body element.
• toggleButton.addEventListener("click", function() {: This is the event listener that will run when the button is clicked.
• body.classList.toggle("dark");: This is the code that will toggle the dark mode on and off.

document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() {
    const toggleButton = document.getElementById("dark-mode-toggle");
    const body = document.body;

    toggleButton.addEventListener("click", function() {
        body.classList.toggle("dark");
    });
});

Conclusion

This is a simple theme toggle that can be used to switch between light and dark mode. The code is easy to understand and the structure is clear. The use of Tailwind CSS and JavaScript makes it easy to style the toggle and add interactivity.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and have a great day!