Theme factory

Theme Factory

Use this skill when you need to add a new theme to AiderDesk.

AiderDesk themes are implemented as SCSS files that define a .theme-<name> class with a full set of CSS custom properties (variables). The UI uses Tailwind utilities mapped to these CSS variables.

Where themes live

• Theme files: src/renderer/src/themes/theme-<name>.scss
• Theme aggregator (imports all themes): src/renderer/src/themes/themes.scss
• Theme type registry: src/common/types.ts (THEMES)
• Theme selector UI: src/renderer/src/components/settings/GeneralSettings.tsx
• Theme application: src/renderer/src/App.tsx (applies theme-<name> class to document.body)
• Theme display names (i18n):
  • src/common/locales/en.json (themeOptions.<name>)
  • src/common/locales/zh.json (themeOptions.<name>)

Definition format

Each theme is a class:

• Class name: .theme-<name>
• Contents: a complete set of --color-* variables.

Best workflow: copy an existing theme (e.g. theme-dark.scss) and adjust values.

Checklist: add a new theme

1) Choose a theme name

Pick a kebab-case name, e.g. sunset, nord, paper.

You will reference it consistently in:

• CSS class: .theme-<name>
• filename: theme-<name>.scss
• THEMES array value: '<name>'
• i18n key: themeOptions.<name>

2) Create the theme SCSS file

Create:

• src/renderer/src/themes/theme-<name>.scss

Start by copying a similar theme (dark -> dark-ish, light -> light-ish), then update the hex colors.

Minimum requirement: define all variables expected by the app.

Practical way to ensure completeness:

• Compare with src/renderer/src/themes/theme-dark.scss (or another full theme)
• Keep variable names identical; only change values.

3) Register the theme in the theme aggregator

Edit:

• src/renderer/src/themes/themes.scss

Add:

@use 'theme-<name>.scss';

If the file is not imported here, it won’t be included in the built CSS.

4) Register the theme in TypeScript types

Edit:

• src/common/types.ts

Add '<name>' to the exported THEMES array.

This makes the theme selectable and type-safe.

5) Add i18n display names

Edit:

• src/common/locales/en.json
• src/common/locales/zh.json

Add entries under themeOptions:

{
  "themeOptions": {
    "<name>": "Your Theme Name"
  }
}

6) Verify in the UI

• Open Settings → General → Theme
• Confirm the new theme appears in the dropdown
• Switch to it and confirm the whole UI updates (no restart)

7) Quality checks

• Contrast: confirm text is readable on all backgrounds (aim for WCAG AA)
• Verify key surfaces:
  • main background panels
  • inputs
  • buttons
  • borders/dividers
  • diff viewer colors
  • code blocks
  • muted/secondary text
• Check both states:
  • normal
  • hover/active

Troubleshooting

• Theme not showing up:

  • missing @use import in src/renderer/src/themes/themes.scss
  • missing entry in THEMES array in src/common/types.ts
  • typo mismatch between .theme-<name> and the <name> stored in settings

• Some UI areas look “unstyled”:

  • you likely missed one or more --color-* variables; compare against a known-good theme and fill in the missing ones.