whats the best way to manage themes for my tauri app. I have darkmode and lightmode, but user definable themes would be interesting addition. https://github.com/edgeleap/omni-app
Your app already has an excellent foundation for theming in src/styles/tokens/colors.css with CSS custom properties mapped through Tailwind. Here's how to extend it for user-definable themes.
Add a dedicated theme store using Zustand (which you already use) to manage theme state and persist user preferences:
// src/stores/themeStore.ts
interface Theme {
id: string;
name: string;
colors: Record<string, string>;
}
interface ThemeStore {
currentTheme: string; // 'dark' | 'light' | custom theme id
customThemes: Theme[];
setTheme: (themeId: string) => void;
addCustomTheme: (theme: Theme) => void;
}Instead of static CSS files, inject custom theme variables at runtime:
function applyTheme(theme: Theme) {
const root = document.documentElement;
Object.entries(theme.colors).forEach(([key, value]) => {
root.style.setProperty(key, value);
});
root.setAttribute('data-theme', theme.id);
}Use @tauri-apps/plugin-store to persist custom themes locally:
import { Store } from '@tauri-apps/plugin-store';
const store = new Store('themes.json');
await store.set('customThemes', customThemes);
await store.save();Build a theme editor in your preferences panel that:
- Provides color pickers for each token category (backgrounds, text, accents, semantic colors)
- Shows live preview as users adjust colors
- Validates contrast ratios for accessibility
- Exports/imports themes as JSON
Based on your tailwind.config.js, group editable tokens into user-friendly categories:
| Category | Tokens | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Backgrounds | --bg-primary, --bg-secondary, --bg-tertiary |
Main app surfaces |
| Text | --text-primary, --text-secondary, --text-muted |
Typography |
| Accent | --accent, --accent-hover |
Buttons, links, focus |
| Semantic | --success, --warning, --error |
Status indicators |
| Borders | --border, --border-light |
Dividers, inputs |
- Keep base themes as defaults - Your existing
:root(dark) and[data-theme="light"]serve as fallback/starting points - Theme inheritance - Let users create themes based on light or dark mode, only overriding specific values
- Presets library - Include popular presets (Dracula, Nord, Solarized) as starting templates
- CSS-in-JS alternative - For more complex theming, consider moving tokens to a TypeScript object that generates both CSS variables and types
The end user experience for custom themes would work through a straightforward flow in your preferences window.
Users open Preferences and see a theme selector dropdown with:
- System (follows OS dark/light preference)
- Dark (your current default)
- Light (your existing light mode)
- Custom themes (user-created or imported)
- "Create New Theme" button
Switching themes applies instantly with no restart required, since CSS variables update the DOM immediately.
Option A: Start from Base
- User clicks "Create New Theme"
- Chooses to base it on Dark or Light mode
- A theme editor panel opens with color pickers grouped by category
- Live preview shows changes in real-time (either in a mini preview or the actual app)
- User names the theme and saves
Option B: Quick Accent Color For users who just want personalization without deep customization:
- Pick a single accent color
- The app auto-generates complementary colors for hover states, backgrounds, etc.
- This is simpler and covers 80% of customization needs
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Theme: "My Custom Theme" [Save]│
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Based on: [Dark ▾] │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Backgrounds │
│ ├─ Primary [■ #09090b] ←picker │
│ ├─ Secondary [■ #18181b] │
│ └─ Tertiary [■ #27272a] │
│ │
│ Accent │
│ ├─ Main [■ #3b82f6] │
│ └─ Hover [■ #2563eb] │
│ │
│ Text │
│ ├─ Primary [■ #fafafa] │
│ └─ Secondary [■ #a1a1aa] │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [Reset to Base] [Export] [Delete] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Users can:
- Export a theme as a
.jsonfile to share with others - Import themes via drag-and-drop or file picker
- Potentially browse community themes from a curated list (future feature)
Example export format:
{
"name": "Nord Dark",
"base": "dark",
"colors": {
"--bg-primary": "#2e3440",
"--accent": "#88c0d0",
"--text-primary": "#eceff4"
}
}| Aspect | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Preview | Show changes live as user adjusts colors |
| Validation | Warn if text/background contrast is too low (accessibility) |
| Undo | Allow reverting to last saved state |
| Defaults | "Reset to Default" button always available |
| Persistence | Themes survive app updates and sync across windows |
Many users just want quick personalization, so consider a two-tier approach:
- Simple mode - Pick accent color + light/dark base → auto-generates everything
- Advanced mode - Full control over all ~20 color tokens
This keeps the feature approachable while still powerful for users who want granular control.
I dont think the scope is to make a theme editor. should it be? what about just having a json format or smth that user can edit them selfs or use an AI to edit it etc? how does other apps do this etc? whats the norm for tauri apps etc. that work for linux Mac and windows
You're right—a built-in theme editor is overkill for most apps. The industry standard for developer/power-user tools is config files in a themes directory that users edit manually, share, or generate with external tools.
| App | Format | Location | Hot Reload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alacritty | TOML/YAML | ~/.config/alacritty/themes/ |
Yes |
| Warp | YAML | ~/.local/share/warp-terminal/themes/ |
Yes |
| VS Code | JSON | Extensions or settings.json | Yes |
| Hyper | JS config | ~/.hyper.js |
Yes |
The pattern is consistent: drop a file in a folder, app picks it up.12
YAML is more human-readable; JSON is easier to validate. Example:
# ~/.config/omni-app/themes/nord.yaml
name: "Nord"
base: "dark" # inherits from dark, only override what's different
colors:
--bg-primary: "#2e3440"
--bg-secondary: "#3b4252"
--accent: "#88c0d0"
--text-primary: "#eceff4"~/.config/omni-app/
├── config.json # app settings, includes "theme": "nord"
└── themes/
├── nord.yaml
├── dracula.yaml
└── my-custom.yaml
On Windows: %APPDATA%/omni-app/themes/
On macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/omni-app/themes/
- On startup, scan the themes directory
- Watch the directory for changes (Tauri's
fsplugin supports this) - When a theme file changes, hot-reload CSS variables instantly
- Ship 2-3 bundled themes as defaults
Users would:
- Copy an existing theme file
- Edit colors in any text editor (or ask ChatGPT/Claude to generate one)
- Save → app instantly applies changes
- Share
.yamlfiles on GitHub, Discord, etc.
- No maintenance burden for a theme editor UI
- AI-friendly - users can paste their current theme and ask "make this more purple"2
- Community-driven - Alacritty has 300+ community themes on GitHub3
- Cross-platform standard - same approach works on Linux, macOS, Windows
- Power users expect this - matches Warp, Alacritty, Kitty, WezTerm patterns
- Define a JSON schema for theme files (enables validation + editor autocomplete)
- Add a themes directory path using Tauri's
pathplugin - Use
notifycrate or Tauri's fs watcher to detect file changes - On change, parse YAML/JSON and inject CSS variables into the DOM
- Document the format in your README with examples
This is far less work than building a UI and aligns with how your target users (developers) prefer to customize tools. 456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930
Good question—here are the legitimate reasons to skip custom themes entirely:
- Every new UI component must be tested across multiple themes
- Edge cases with contrast, readability, and visual hierarchy multiply
- Bug reports become harder to reproduce ("only happens with my custom theme")
- Future redesigns require updating theme schema, potentially breaking user themes
- Your app has a specific visual identity and UX decisions baked into the colors
- Custom themes can break visual hierarchy (e.g., user picks bad contrast)
- Semantic colors (red=error, green=success) lose meaning if users override them
- Screenshots/docs look different from what users see, causing confusion
- Most users never customize themes—typically <5% of user base
- The users who do are often power users who can handle workarounds (CSS injection, etc.)
- Dark + Light mode covers 95%+ of actual user needs
- "The app looks broken" → turns out it's their custom theme
- Users blame the app when their theme has accessibility issues
- Community themes with bugs reflect poorly on your app
- Starts with "just themes" → then theme sharing → then a theme browser → then theme ratings
- Feature requests spiral: "can I theme the titlebar separately?" "can I have per-window themes?"
Custom themes are worth it when:
- Your app is a daily driver tool (terminal, editor, notes app) where personalization matters
- Your target users are developers/power users who expect customization
- You're building a platform where visual identity varies (e.g., white-label)
- Competitors offer it and it's a differentiator
If you're unsure, consider:
| Option | Effort | User Value |
|---|---|---|
| Dark + Light only | Low | Covers most users |
| Dark + Light + 2-3 accent color presets | Low | Quick personalization |
| Dark + Light + config file themes | Medium | Power users happy |
| Full theme editor | High | Rarely justified |
For a Git client like Omni, Dark + Light + config file themes is probably the sweet spot—matches what tools like Warp and Alacritty do, and your users (developers) already expect config-file customization.
Given that Omni is a Git client targeting developers, here's what makes sense:
- Ship with Dark + Light (you already have this)
- Add config file theming later only if users request it
- Never build a theme editor — not worth it for this app category
Your current setup in colors.css is already structured perfectly for future expansion. The CSS variable architecture means:
- Adding config file theming later is non-breaking
- You don't need to refactor anything
- Users who want customization today can manually inject CSS via devtools or a custom stylesheet
Wait for actual demand. Signs that you need it:
- Multiple GitHub issues requesting custom themes
- Users sharing CSS hacks in discussions
- Competitors gaining traction partly due to theming
When that happens, the implementation is straightforward:
// Minimal implementation
1. Watch ~/.config/omni-app/theme.json
2. On change, read file and apply to document.documentElement.style
3. Document the available variables
4. Done — no UI needed
- Document your CSS variables — Add a
THEMING.mdthat lists all customizable variables from your colors.css. Even without official support, power users can use this for CSS injection. - Add a "Custom CSS" field in preferences — A simple textarea where users paste custom CSS. Zero maintenance, maximum flexibility. Apps like Discord, Slack (via plugins), and Obsidian do this.
- Keep your current architecture — It's already future-proof. The
[data-theme="light"]pattern scales to[data-theme="nord"]trivially.
If you want to offer something beyond dark/light without full theming:
// Let users pick just an accent color
const accentPresets = [
{ name: 'Blue', value: '#3b82f6' }, // current default
{ name: 'Purple', value: '#8b5cf6' },
{ name: 'Green', value: '#22c55e' },
{ name: 'Orange', value: '#f97316' },
{ name: 'Pink', value: '#ec4899' },
];This gives users personalization with:
- 5 lines of config
- One dropdown in preferences
- Zero support burden
- No custom theme files to validate
Most users who "want themes" actually just want their favorite accent color. This covers that need with minimal effort.
Yes, all the GitHub API calls completed successfully. Here's what I retrieved from your repo:
| File/Directory | Status | Key Findings |
|---|---|---|
| Root directory | ✓ | Confirmed Tauri + Vite + Tailwind stack |
tailwind.config.js |
✓ | CSS variables mapped to Tailwind tokens |
src/ |
✓ | Found stores, styles, preferences folders |
src/styles/tokens/ |
✓ | Contains colors.css, typography.css, spacing.css |
src/styles/tokens/colors.css |
✓ | Full 13KB file with ~80 CSS variables |
src/stores/ |
✓ | Uses Zustand (appStore, repositoryStore) |
The key takeaway from the code review: your theming architecture is already well-designed with the CSS custom properties in colors.css and the [data-theme="light"] selector pattern. Adding custom themes later would be straightforward without refactoring—just add more [data-theme="theme-name"] blocks or inject variables dynamically.
Here are the most popular themes in the developer tools space:
| Theme | Style | Why Popular |
|---|---|---|
| Dracula | Dark purple/pink | 5M+ VS Code installs, ports for 300+ apps 31 |
| Nord | Arctic blue | Clean, minimal, huge Linux community following 32 |
| Catppuccin | Pastel variants | Rising star—4 variants (Latte, Frappé, Macchiato, Mocha) 33 |
| One Dark | Atom-inspired | Classic, well-balanced contrast 33 |
| Theme | Style | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gruvbox | Retro warm browns | Popular with Vim/Neovim users 34 |
| Tokyo Night | Neon blues/purples | Modern, inspired by Tokyo nightlife 33 |
| Solarized (Dark/Light) | Scientific color theory | The OG—still widely used 35 |
| Rosé Pine | Muted pinks/purples | Aesthetic, growing community 36 |
| GitHub (Dark/Light) | Familiar to devs | Seamless with GitHub workflows 33 |
Since you're building a Git client, start with these 4-6:
Built-in themes:
├── Omni Dark (your default)
├── Omni Light (your default)
├── Dracula # most requested dark theme
├── Nord # beloved by Linux users
├── Catppuccin Mocha # trending favorite
└── GitHub Dark # familiar for your Git users
- Dracula and Nord have the largest communities and theme ports—users expect them32
- Catppuccin is the current trend leader, especially among younger developers3336
- GitHub Dark makes sense thematically for a Git client—users already associate those colors with code review
You can grab the official palettes from:
- Dracula - documented spec
- Nord - 16 color palette
- Catppuccin - 4 flavor variants with full specs
- GitHub - Primer design system
All of these have permissive licenses allowing you to include them as presets. 373839404142434445
Footnotes
-
https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/appearance/custom-themes ↩ ↩2
-
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/themesfileformat-overview ↩
-
https://www.reddit.com/r/vscode/comments/pl3afb/how_to_install_color_theme_from_json/ ↩
-
https://people.redhat.com/alexl/files/icon-theme-spec.html ↩
-
https://hiphish.github.io/blog/2023/02/26/how-i-switch-colours-in-alacritty/ ↩
-
https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/q8s73a/found_the_easiest_way_to_apply_and_change/ ↩
-
https://dev.to/rajasegar/alacritty-themes-a-cli-tool-to-set-themes-for-alacritty-terminal-144c ↩
-
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/62668216/how-can-i-change-the-theme-of-my-hyper-terminal-downloaded-from-hyper-is ↩
-
https://dev.to/akr/8-tips-for-creating-a-native-look-and-feel-in-tauri-applications-3loe ↩
-
https://itnext.io/dark-mode-on-tauri-angular-tailwind-app-74df8f7cb8ce ↩
-
https://dev.to/vinaybommana7/creating-our-own-color-theme-in-vscode-2b9m ↩
-
https://www.gitkraken.com/blog/10-best-vs-code-color-themes-2025 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5
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https://www.reddit.com/r/neovim/comments/191f5o0/what_are_the_most_popular_colorschemes_for_neovim/ ↩
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https://nathan-long.com/blog/colorschemes-for-the-discerning-developer/ ↩
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https://www.reddit.com/r/vscode/comments/1ifxyob/best_vs_code_theme_to_use_in_2025/ ↩ ↩2
-
https://hamvocke.com/blog/lets-create-a-terminal-color-scheme/ ↩
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https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/ui-color-palette ↩
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https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1t8i0z/programmers_in_rlinux_what_color_schemes_you_use/ ↩
-
https://www.webportfolios.dev/blog/best-color-palettes-for-developer-portfolio ↩
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https://www.bootstrapdash.com/blog/best-color-schemes-for-websites ↩
-
https://bungalowwebdesign.com/9-best-color-palettes-for-it-service-websites-in-2025-examples/ ↩