How to use the Tailwind CSS JIT CDN

Tailwind CSS CDN-How to use the Tailwind CSS JIT CDN

By Emmanuel Chinonso

Web Developer

In today's fast-paced web development environment, optimizing the performance of your website is crucial. One way to achieve this is by utilizing the Tailwind CSS JIT (Just-in-Time) CDN. By leveraging this powerful tool, you can streamline your CSS workflow and enhance your website's loading speed. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of using the Tailwind CSS JIT CDN effectively.

Table of content

What is tailwind CSS JIT CDN?
Why use the Tailwind CSS Just-In-Time (JIT) Mode?
How to include the Tailwind CSS JIT CDN
Disadvantages of using the tailwind CSS JIT
Tailwindcss cdn JIT not working
Should I use this new addition?
Conclusion

What is Tailwind CSS JIT CDN?

Tailwind CSS JIT CDN is a content delivery network that provides a just-in-time compiler for Tailwind CSS. It dynamically generates optimized CSS based on your utility classes, resulting in a smaller file size and improved loading times. The JIT compiler analyzes your HTML templates and generates the necessary CSS code on-demand, eliminating unused styles and reducing the overall payload.

The Power of a CDN

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a network of geographically distributed servers that work together to provide fast and reliable delivery of internet content. By using a CDN, you can reduce the load on your web server and improve loading times for users across the globe.

Why use the Tailwind CSS Just-In-Time (JIT) Mode?

The Tailwind CSS JIT CDN Mode is really useful in your project for a ton of reasons, some of which we are going to explore in the following paragraphs.

Tailwindcss cdn is very useful when you don't want to install Tailwind directly to your project. We are going to look at some other reasons why using Tailwindcss CDN mode is useful.

Fast build times

The Tailwind CSS JIT CDN Mode reduces significantly the time it takes your project to compile initially.

According to the Tailwind CSS documentation, the compilation time with the Tailwind CSS CLI takes about 3-8s, and for Webpack applications up to 30-45s, but with the new JIT compiler, that time is shortened to 800ms, regardless of what tool you are using.

Using the variants

When using the Tailwind CSS CDN, variants like active or disable are not usually enabled at default because of file-size considerations, but with the Tailwind CSS JIT compiler, we get access to whatever variants we like, as the styles are generated on demand.

Using the Arbitrary Values

With the Tailwind CSS JIT CDN mode, you can generate arbitrary styling without writing custom CSS. We do so using square bracket notations like h-[30px]

Before the Tailwind CSS JIT CDN, it was challenging to use arbitrary styling. You would have to either define a new variant, use inline styles, or create a custom CSS class to use this value.

No purge CSS needed

Unlike when using the previous tailwind CSS version where you will need to purge the CSS during production.

With the new Tailwind CSS JIT CDN, you won’t need to purge any CSS because the staging styles are the same as the production styles.

Better performance

With the Tailwindcss cdn, the browser does not have to load heavy CSS files initially as the CSS files are generated on demand. This makes your web pages load a lot faster, especially in large projects. It also improves your user experience for your users.

How to include the Tailwindcss CDN

To start using the Tailwind CSS JIT CDN, you need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Include the Tailwind CSS CDN

In your HTML file, include the Tailwind CSS CDN by adding the following code inside the <head> tag:

html

<link href="<https://cdn.tailwindcss.com/your-unique-id>" rel="stylesheet" />

Replace your-unique-id with the unique identifier provided by the Tailwind CSS JIT CDN.

Step 2: Define Your Utility Classes

Tailwind CSS offers a wide range of utility classes that you can use to style your HTML elements. These utility classes are predefined CSS classes that provide specific styles and functionalities. To leverage the power of Tailwind CSS JIT CDN, make sure to use these utility classes effectively in your HTML markup.

Step 3: Enable Just-in-Time Compilation

To activate the JIT compilation, add the @tailwind directive at the top of your CSS file. This directive tells the Tailwind CSS JIT CDN to process your CSS file and generate optimized styles on-the-fly. Here's an example:

css

@tailwind base;
@tailwind components;
@tailwind utilities;

Step 4: Customize Tailwind CSS Configuration (Optional)

If you want to customize the default configuration of Tailwind CSS, you can create a tailwind.config.js file in your project's root directory. This file allows you to modify various aspects of Tailwind CSS, such as colors, spacing, and breakpoints.

Disadvantages of using the tailwind CSS JIT CDN

One of the downsides of using the tailwindcss cdn is that the arbitrary values can create an undocumented mess, leaving the risk of inconsistent designs.

However, this is true when you use this feature too often, so it should be used with caution.

Tailwindcss cdn JIT not working

Running Tailwind JIT mode in react or Nextjs can be tricky. You can check out our article on How to use Tailwind CSS in Next. js and How to use Tailwind CSS in React If your Tailwind JIT mode is not working, you can check your Tailwind.config.js file to make sure the mode is set to Jit and the purge property has the correct template paths you are using. Just like the entry below.

purge: ["./public/**/*.html", "./src/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx,vue}"],

Should I use this new addition?

The question of whether you can use this new production is entirely dependent on what you are working on. You can use the tailwind CSS JIT CDN react on your react projects or any other technologies you may want to use them.

Ultimately, the tailwind CSS JIT mode is relatively new, and the tailwind team is still improving on the details of the mode and will take a while before you can use them on production-grade applications.

However, you can use it for your projects.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Tailwind CSS JIT CDN is a valuable tool for optimizing your website's performance. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can leverage the power of Tailwind CSS JIT CDN to streamline your CSS workflow, reduce file sizes, and improve loading times. Start experimenting with Tailwind CSS JIT CDN today and witness the enhanced performance of your web projects.

Resources

Tailwind css CDN

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