---
name: alouette-theming
description: >
Re-theme a subtree with accents (brand, danger, info, success, warning) and
light/dark modes. Use the accent prop, AccentScope, or ScopedTheme; children
always consume base tokens (bg-surface, text-accent, text-sharp, text-muted,
border-muted). Read token values in JS with useThemeToken; read the current
mode with useCurrentMode. Load when applying colors, accents, dark mode, or
reading a theme color for a non-className prop.
type: core
library: alouette
library_version: "20.1.0"
sources:
- "christophehurpeau/alouette:packages/alouette/src/ui/containers/AccentScope.tsx"
- "christophehurpeau/alouette:packages/alouette/src/ui/containers/ScopedTheme.tsx"
- "christophehurpeau/alouette:packages/alouette/src/core/AlouetteConfig.ts"
- "christophehurpeau/alouette:packages/alouette/src/core/useThemeToken.ts"
- "christophehurpeau/alouette:CLAUDE.md"
---
# alouette — Theming with modes and accents
alouette colors come from theme tokens, not the raw Tailwind palette. A theme is
a light/dark mode optionally combined with an accent. Tokens cascade down the
tree: components use **base tokens** (`bg-surface`, `text-accent`, `text-sharp`,
`text-muted`, `border-muted`) and inherit the resolved value from the nearest
scope. Setting an accent re-themes a whole subtree.
`Accent` = `"brand" | "danger" | "info" | "success" | "warning"`.
## Setup
Most alouette components — `Text`, `Surface`, `Box`, `Button`, `Message`, … —
take an `accent` prop that re-themes their subtree. Prefer the prop:
```tsx
import { Surface, Text } from "alouette";
Something went wrong
Brand-accented text;
```
Use `AccentScope` only to re-theme a group of children at once, or children that
don't accept an `accent` prop:
```tsx
import { AccentScope } from "alouette";
;
```
## Core Patterns
### Read a token value in JS for a non-className prop
```tsx
import { useThemeToken } from "alouette";
const accentColor = useThemeToken("--color-accent");
const [surface, sharp] = useThemeToken(["--color-surface", "--color-sharp"]);
```
Use this only for props that cannot take a className (gradient stops,
`placeholderTextColor`, native `Switch` colors, SVG tint). Everything else uses
a className token.
### Force a mode on a subtree
```tsx
import { AccentScope } from "alouette";
{children}
;
```
### Read the active mode / theme
```tsx
import { useCurrentMode, useCurrentTheme } from "alouette";
const mode = useCurrentMode(); // "light" | "dark"
const theme = useCurrentTheme(); // e.g. "dark_brand"
```
## Common Mistakes
### HIGH Hardcoding raw Tailwind colors instead of tokens
Wrong:
```tsx
Hi
```
Correct:
```tsx
Hi
```
Raw palette classes (`bg-blue-500`, `text-gray-600`) ignore the alouette theme,
so they do not adapt to mode or accent and break dark mode.
Source: CLAUDE.md (Theming and semantic roles); src/ui/containers/AccentScope.tsx
### MEDIUM Setting color manually instead of an accent
Wrong:
```tsx
Error
```
Correct:
```tsx
Error
```
Setting `accent` re-themes the subtree so children resolve base tokens against
the accent + current mode; a hardcoded color duplicates theme logic and skips
mode adaptation.
Source: packages/alouette/src/ui/containers/Box.tsx, AccentScope.tsx
### MEDIUM Wrapping an accent-capable component in AccentScope
Wrong:
```tsx
Title
```
Correct:
```tsx
Title
```
`Text`, `Surface`, `Box`, `Button`, `Message` and others accept `accent`
directly. Reserve `AccentScope` for grouping several children or wrapping ones
that don't take the prop.
Source: packages/alouette/src/ui/primitives/Text.tsx, ui/containers/AccentScope.tsx
### MEDIUM Using nativewind useUnstableNativeVariable for token values
Wrong:
```tsx
import { useUnstableNativeVariable } from "nativewind";
const color = useUnstableNativeVariable("--color-accent");
```
Correct:
```tsx
import { useThemeToken } from "alouette";
const color = useThemeToken("--color-accent");
```
`useThemeToken` reads alouette's generated theme map keyed by the active theme;
it works on web and native and is stable, unlike nativewind's unstable hook.
Source: packages/alouette/src/core/useThemeToken.ts
### MEDIUM Expecting var() chains to resolve on native
Wrong:
```css
--color-accent: var(--color-brand);
```
Correct:
```css
--color-accent: #2563eb;
```
On native, NativeWind resolves CSS variables from a lookup table and cannot
follow a `var()` that points at another `var()`. alouette sub-themes use
concrete hex values per mode+accent for this reason.
Source: CLAUDE.md (Native constraint: no CSS variable chains)
## References
- [Token catalog](references/tokens.md) — color, spacing, radius and shadow token names.
See also: alouette-typography/SKILL.md — color tokens are applied through Text.