10-task plan covering CSS variables, preferences, FOUC prevention, reactive theme application, component updates, and testing. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
24 KiB
Dark Mode Implementation Plan
For agentic workers: REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use superpowers:subagent-driven-development (recommended) or superpowers:executing-plans to implement this plan task-by-task. Steps use checkbox (
- [ ]) syntax for tracking.
Goal: Add a dark parchment theme variant with system/light/dark toggle in Settings > Preferences.
Architecture: CSS [data-theme="dark"] attribute on <html> overrides CSS variables in app.css. A blocking inline script in app.html prevents FOUC. Theme preference uses the existing UserPreferences key-value system. A reactive isDarkMode rune in theme.svelte.ts drives note card color switching.
Tech Stack: SvelteKit, Svelte 5 runes, CSS custom properties, Tailwind CSS v4, Vitest, Playwright
Spec: docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-20-dark-mode-design.md
File Map
| Action | File | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Modify | src/app.css |
Add --grid-dot to :root, add [data-theme="dark"] block, update body::before |
| Modify | src/app.html |
Add FOUC-prevention inline script |
| Modify | src/lib/types/preferences.ts |
Add theme field to UserPreferences |
| Create | src/lib/utils/theme.svelte.ts |
applyTheme(), reactive isDarkMode rune |
| Modify | src/lib/utils/colors.ts |
Add NOTE_COLORS_DARK, export getNoteColor() |
| Modify | src/routes/+layout.svelte |
Add theme $effect watcher |
| Modify | src/routes/(app)/settings/preferences/+page.svelte |
Add theme segmented toggle |
| Modify | src/lib/components/NoteCard.svelte |
Use getNoteColor() with isDarkMode |
| Modify | src/lib/components/NoteEditor.svelte |
Use getNoteColor() with isDarkMode |
| Modify | src/lib/components/ColorPicker.svelte |
Use dark color swatches when isDarkMode |
| Skip | src/routes/(share)/s/[token]/+page.svelte |
Out of scope per spec (public share pages) |
| Modify | .gitignore |
Add .superpowers/ |
| Create | tests/unit/theme.test.ts |
Unit tests for applyTheme and isDarkMode |
| Create | tests/unit/colors.test.ts |
Unit tests for getNoteColor |
| Create | tests/e2e/dark-mode.spec.ts |
E2E tests for theme toggle, persistence, system detection |
Task 1: CSS Dark Theme Variables
Files:
-
Modify:
src/app.css:6-23(:rootblock) andsrc/app.css:36(body::before) -
Step 1: Add
--grid-dotto:rootand add[data-theme="dark"]block
In src/app.css, add --grid-dot: #1a1a2e; to the end of the :root block, then add the dark theme block after :root:
:root {
--bg-base: #f0e6d3;
--bg-surface: #faf5eb;
--primary: #C8860A;
--primary-hover: #E8A020;
--text: #1a1a2e;
--text-muted: #6b6272;
--border: #1a1a2e;
--border-subtle: #d4cabb;
--destructive: #a63d2f;
--error-bg: #f5e0db;
--error-border: #d4a69e;
--error-text: #8b2e1f;
--success-bg: #dce8d4;
--success-text: #3a5a2e;
--card-shadow: 2px 2px 0px var(--border-subtle);
--card-shadow-hover: 3px 3px 0px var(--primary);
--grid-dot: #1a1a2e;
}
[data-theme="dark"] {
--bg-base: #1a1715;
--bg-surface: #2a2520;
--text: #e8dcc8;
--text-muted: #9a8e7e;
--border: #e8dcc8;
--border-subtle: #3a3530;
--destructive: #d4604e;
--error-bg: #3a2020;
--error-border: #5a3030;
--error-text: #e8a090;
--success-bg: #203020;
--success-text: #90c880;
--card-shadow: 2px 2px 0px var(--border-subtle);
--card-shadow-hover: 3px 3px 0px var(--primary);
--grid-dot: #e8dcc8;
}
- Step 2: Update
body::beforeto use--grid-dotvariable
Replace the hardcoded color in the body::before rule:
body::before {
content: '';
position: fixed;
inset: 0;
pointer-events: none;
opacity: 0.03;
background-image: repeating-conic-gradient(var(--grid-dot) 0% 25%, transparent 0% 50%);
background-size: 4px 4px;
z-index: 0;
}
- Step 3: Verify by temporarily adding
data-theme="dark"toapp.html
In src/app.html, temporarily change <html lang="en"> to <html lang="en" data-theme="dark">. Run make dev and visually confirm dark background and light text. Then revert the change.
- Step 4: Commit
git add src/app.css
git commit -m "feat: add dark theme CSS variables and grid-dot extraction"
Task 2: Theme Preference Type
Files:
-
Modify:
src/lib/types/preferences.ts -
Step 1: Add
themefield toUserPreferences
export interface UserPreferences {
theme: 'system' | 'light' | 'dark';
defaultNoteMode: 'richtext' | 'markdown';
defaultNoteColor: NoteColor;
hideFooter: boolean;
sidebarDefaultState: 'open' | 'collapsed';
notifyOnShare: boolean;
notifyOnCollabRemoved: boolean;
notifyOnNoteDeleted: boolean;
}
export const DEFAULT_PREFERENCES: UserPreferences = {
theme: 'system',
defaultNoteMode: 'richtext',
defaultNoteColor: 'default',
hideFooter: false,
sidebarDefaultState: 'open',
notifyOnShare: true,
notifyOnCollabRemoved: true,
notifyOnNoteDeleted: true
};
Do NOT add theme to BOOLEAN_PREF_KEYS.
- Step 2: Commit
git add src/lib/types/preferences.ts
git commit -m "feat: add theme preference type (system/light/dark)"
Task 3: Theme Utility — applyTheme and isDarkMode
Files:
-
Create:
src/lib/utils/theme.svelte.ts -
Test:
tests/unit/theme.test.ts -
Step 1: Write failing tests for theme utility
Note: theme.svelte.ts uses module-scope $state which requires the Svelte compiler. The Vitest node environment does not process .svelte.ts runes correctly, so we test only the DOM side-effects of applyTheme (attribute and meta tag changes). The reactive isDarkMode / getIsDarkMode() behavior is covered by E2E tests instead.
Create tests/unit/theme.test.ts:
import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, vi } from 'vitest';
// Mock $app/environment
vi.mock('$app/environment', () => ({ browser: true }));
describe('applyTheme', () => {
let applyTheme: (theme: 'system' | 'light' | 'dark') => void;
beforeEach(async () => {
// Reset DOM
document.documentElement.removeAttribute('data-theme');
const meta = document.querySelector('meta[name="theme-color"]');
if (meta) meta.remove();
const metaEl = document.createElement('meta');
metaEl.setAttribute('name', 'theme-color');
metaEl.setAttribute('content', '#f0e6d3');
document.head.appendChild(metaEl);
// Reset module state
vi.resetModules();
const mod = await import('$lib/utils/theme.svelte.js');
applyTheme = mod.applyTheme;
});
it('sets data-theme="dark" for dark mode', () => {
applyTheme('dark');
expect(document.documentElement.getAttribute('data-theme')).toBe('dark');
});
it('removes data-theme for light mode', () => {
document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-theme', 'dark');
applyTheme('light');
expect(document.documentElement.hasAttribute('data-theme')).toBe(false);
});
it('updates meta theme-color for dark mode', () => {
applyTheme('dark');
const meta = document.querySelector('meta[name="theme-color"]');
expect(meta?.getAttribute('content')).toBe('#1a1715');
});
it('updates meta theme-color for light mode', () => {
applyTheme('dark');
applyTheme('light');
const meta = document.querySelector('meta[name="theme-color"]');
expect(meta?.getAttribute('content')).toBe('#f0e6d3');
});
it('falls back to system for unknown values', () => {
// matchMedia returns false by default in jsdom → resolves to light
applyTheme('invalid' as 'system' | 'light' | 'dark');
expect(document.documentElement.hasAttribute('data-theme')).toBe(false);
});
it('resolves system preference to dark when prefers-color-scheme is dark', () => {
Object.defineProperty(window, 'matchMedia', {
writable: true,
value: vi.fn().mockImplementation((query: string) => ({
matches: query === '(prefers-color-scheme: dark)',
media: query,
addEventListener: vi.fn(),
removeEventListener: vi.fn(),
dispatchEvent: vi.fn()
}))
});
applyTheme('system');
expect(document.documentElement.getAttribute('data-theme')).toBe('dark');
});
});
- Step 2: Run tests to verify they fail
Run: pnpm vitest run tests/unit/theme.test.ts
Expected: FAIL — module not found
- Step 3: Implement
theme.svelte.ts
Create src/lib/utils/theme.svelte.ts:
import { browser } from '$app/environment';
const LIGHT_THEME_COLOR = '#f0e6d3';
const DARK_THEME_COLOR = '#1a1715';
let darkMode = $state(false);
export function getIsDarkMode(): boolean {
return darkMode;
}
export function applyTheme(theme: 'system' | 'light' | 'dark'): void {
if (!browser) return;
// Validate input
if (theme !== 'system' && theme !== 'light' && theme !== 'dark') {
theme = 'system';
}
// Resolve system preference
let resolved = theme;
if (theme === 'system') {
resolved = window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches ? 'dark' : 'light';
}
const isDark = resolved === 'dark';
darkMode = isDark;
if (isDark) {
document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-theme', 'dark');
} else {
document.documentElement.removeAttribute('data-theme');
}
const meta = document.querySelector('meta[name="theme-color"]');
if (meta) {
meta.setAttribute('content', isDark ? DARK_THEME_COLOR : LIGHT_THEME_COLOR);
}
}
- Step 4: Run tests to verify they pass
Run: pnpm vitest run tests/unit/theme.test.ts
Expected: All PASS
- Step 5: Commit
git add src/lib/utils/theme.svelte.ts tests/unit/theme.test.ts
git commit -m "feat: add theme utility with applyTheme and isDarkMode"
Task 4: Note Card Dark Colors
Files:
-
Modify:
src/lib/utils/colors.ts -
Test:
tests/unit/colors.test.ts -
Step 1: Write failing tests for
getNoteColor
Create tests/unit/colors.test.ts:
import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
import { getNoteColor, NOTE_COLORS, NOTE_COLORS_DARK } from '$lib/utils/colors.js';
describe('getNoteColor', () => {
it('returns light color when isDark is false', () => {
expect(getNoteColor('default', false)).toBe('#faf5eb');
expect(getNoteColor('coral', false)).toBe('#faafa8');
});
it('returns dark color when isDark is true', () => {
expect(getNoteColor('default', true)).toBe('#2a2520');
expect(getNoteColor('coral', true)).toBe('#4a2522');
});
it('returns default color for unknown color name', () => {
expect(getNoteColor('unknown' as any, false)).toBe('#faf5eb');
expect(getNoteColor('unknown' as any, true)).toBe('#2a2520');
});
it('has matching keys in light and dark color maps', () => {
const lightKeys = Object.keys(NOTE_COLORS).sort();
const darkKeys = Object.keys(NOTE_COLORS_DARK).sort();
expect(lightKeys).toEqual(darkKeys);
});
});
- Step 2: Run tests to verify they fail
Run: pnpm vitest run tests/unit/colors.test.ts
Expected: FAIL — getNoteColor and NOTE_COLORS_DARK not found
- Step 3: Add dark colors and helper to
colors.ts
Update src/lib/utils/colors.ts:
import type { NoteColor } from '$lib/types/index.js';
export const NOTE_COLORS: Record<NoteColor, { bg: string; label: string }> = {
default: { bg: '#faf5eb', label: 'Default' },
coral: { bg: '#faafa8', label: 'Coral' },
peach: { bg: '#f39f76', label: 'Peach' },
sand: { bg: '#fff8b8', label: 'Sand' },
mint: { bg: '#e2f6d3', label: 'Mint' },
sage: { bg: '#b4ddd3', label: 'Sage' },
fog: { bg: '#d4e4ed', label: 'Fog' },
storm: { bg: '#aeccdc', label: 'Storm' },
dusk: { bg: '#d3bfdb', label: 'Dusk' },
blossom: { bg: '#f6e2dd', label: 'Blossom' },
clay: { bg: '#e9e3d4', label: 'Clay' },
chalk: { bg: '#efeff1', label: 'Chalk' }
};
export const NOTE_COLORS_DARK: Record<NoteColor, { bg: string; label: string }> = {
default: { bg: '#2a2520', label: 'Default' },
coral: { bg: '#4a2522', label: 'Coral' },
peach: { bg: '#4a3020', label: 'Peach' },
sand: { bg: '#3a3520', label: 'Sand' },
mint: { bg: '#2a3a22', label: 'Mint' },
sage: { bg: '#223a32', label: 'Sage' },
fog: { bg: '#222e3a', label: 'Fog' },
storm: { bg: '#1e2a35', label: 'Storm' },
dusk: { bg: '#352540', label: 'Dusk' },
blossom: { bg: '#3a2830', label: 'Blossom' },
clay: { bg: '#302e28', label: 'Clay' },
chalk: { bg: '#2e2e30', label: 'Chalk' }
};
export function getNoteColor(color: NoteColor, isDark: boolean): string {
const map = isDark ? NOTE_COLORS_DARK : NOTE_COLORS;
return (map[color] ?? map.default).bg;
}
export const COLOR_OPTIONS = Object.entries(NOTE_COLORS).map(([value, { label }]) => ({
value: value as NoteColor,
label
}));
- Step 4: Run tests to verify they pass
Run: pnpm vitest run tests/unit/colors.test.ts
Expected: All PASS
- Step 5: Commit
git add src/lib/utils/colors.ts tests/unit/colors.test.ts
git commit -m "feat: add dark note card colors and getNoteColor helper"
Task 5: FOUC Prevention Script
Files:
-
Modify:
src/app.html -
Step 1: Add inline script to
app.html
Insert after the <meta name="theme-color"> tag (line 6) and before %sveltekit.head% (line 15):
<script>
(function() {
try {
var p = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('crumbs-preferences') || '{}');
var t = p.theme || 'system';
if (t !== 'light' && t !== 'dark') t = 'system';
if (t === 'system') t = matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches ? 'dark' : 'light';
if (t === 'dark') {
document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-theme', 'dark');
var m = document.querySelector('meta[name="theme-color"]');
if (m) m.content = '#1a1715';
}
} catch(e) {}
})();
</script>
- Step 2: Commit
git add src/app.html
git commit -m "feat: add FOUC-prevention script for dark mode"
Task 6: Reactive Theme in Root Layout
Files:
-
Modify:
src/routes/+layout.svelte -
Step 1: Add theme
$effectto root layout
The root layout currently imports CSS and registers the PWA service worker. Add the theme $effect here so both (app) and (auth) layouts get the theme applied. Important: Keep initPreferences() in (app)/+layout.svelte — do NOT move it here. The (app) layout reads sidebarDefaultState immediately after init, and moving init to the root layout would create a race condition. The root layout only watches the preference reactively via $effect, which fires after preferences are loaded.
On auth pages (login/setup), initPreferences() hasn't been called, so prefs.theme will be 'system' (the default). The FOUC script already handles the initial theme from localStorage, and the $effect will apply the correct theme once it runs.
<script lang="ts">
import '../app.css';
import { onMount, onDestroy } from 'svelte';
import { pwaInfo } from 'virtual:pwa-info';
import { browser } from '$app/environment';
import { getPreferences } from '$lib/stores/preferences.svelte.js';
import { applyTheme } from '$lib/utils/theme.svelte.js';
let { children } = $props();
let mediaQuery: MediaQueryList | undefined;
let systemListener: ((e: MediaQueryListEvent) => void) | undefined;
const prefs = $derived(getPreferences());
onMount(async () => {
if (pwaInfo) {
const { registerSW } = await import('virtual:pwa-register');
registerSW({
immediate: true,
onRegistered(r: ServiceWorkerRegistration | undefined) {
console.log('SW Registered:', r);
},
onRegisterError(error: Error) {
console.log('SW registration error', error);
}
});
}
});
$effect(() => {
if (!browser) return;
const theme = prefs.theme ?? 'system';
applyTheme(theme);
// Listen for system preference changes when in system mode
if (systemListener && mediaQuery) {
mediaQuery.removeEventListener('change', systemListener);
}
if (theme === 'system') {
mediaQuery = window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)');
systemListener = () => applyTheme('system');
mediaQuery.addEventListener('change', systemListener);
}
});
onDestroy(() => {
if (systemListener && mediaQuery) {
mediaQuery.removeEventListener('change', systemListener);
}
});
const webManifest = $derived(pwaInfo ? pwaInfo.webManifest.linkTag : '');
</script>
<svelte:head>
{@html webManifest}
</svelte:head>
{@render children()}
Note: initPreferences() stays in (app)/+layout.svelte. The root layout only adds the theme $effect and does not call initPreferences().
- Step 2: Verify dev server works
Run make dev, open the app, go to Settings > Preferences. The theme toggle doesn't exist yet, but the app should render without errors. Check browser console for any issues.
- Step 4: Commit
git add src/routes/+layout.svelte src/routes/\(app\)/+layout.svelte
git commit -m "feat: add reactive theme watcher in root layout"
Task 7: Theme Toggle in Settings
Files:
-
Modify:
src/routes/(app)/settings/preferences/+page.svelte -
Step 1: Add theme segmented toggle
Add as the first preference section (before "Default note mode"):
<!-- Theme -->
<div class="space-y-2">
<span class="block text-sm font-medium text-[var(--text)]">Theme</span>
<div class="flex gap-1" role="group" aria-label="Theme">
{#each [['system', 'System'], ['light', 'Light'], ['dark', 'Dark']] as [value, label]}
<button
onclick={() => updatePreference('theme', value)}
class="rounded-sm border px-4 py-2 text-sm transition-colors {prefs.theme === value ? 'border-[var(--primary)] bg-[var(--primary)]/15 text-[var(--primary)] font-medium' : 'border-[var(--border-subtle)] text-[var(--text)] hover:border-[var(--primary)]'}"
data-testid="pref-theme-{value}"
>
{label}
</button>
{/each}
</div>
</div>
- Step 2: Manually test
Run make dev. Go to Settings > Preferences. Click System / Light / Dark and confirm:
-
Clicking "Dark" immediately applies dark theme
-
Clicking "Light" reverts to light theme
-
Clicking "System" follows OS preference
-
Refreshing the page persists the choice (no FOUC)
-
Step 3: Commit
git add src/routes/\(app\)/settings/preferences/+page.svelte
git commit -m "feat: add theme toggle to preferences settings"
Task 8: Update Components to Use Dark Note Colors
Files:
- Modify:
src/lib/components/NoteCard.svelte:2,29-32 - Modify:
src/lib/components/NoteEditor.svelte:12,194-197 - Modify:
src/lib/components/ColorPicker.svelte
Important: getIsDarkMode() must be called inside $effect or $derived blocks for reactivity. Calling it as a top-level const would capture the value once and never update when the theme changes. Each component already has an $effect block where it computes card/bg styles — add getIsDarkMode() inside those existing blocks.
Public share page (src/routes/(share)/s/[token]/+page.svelte) is out of scope per the spec.
- Step 1: Update
NoteCard.svelte
Replace NOTE_COLORS import with getNoteColor and getIsDarkMode:
<!-- Change import at top of script -->
import { getNoteColor } from '$lib/utils/colors.js';
import { getIsDarkMode } from '$lib/utils/theme.svelte.js';
<!-- Inside the existing $effect block where cardStyle is computed (around lines 29-32): -->
$effect(() => {
// ... existing logic ...
const bg = getNoteColor(note.color, getIsDarkMode());
cardStyle = `background-color: ${bg}`;
});
Remove the NOTE_COLORS import. getIsDarkMode() is called inside the $effect so it re-runs when the theme changes.
- Step 2: Update
NoteEditor.svelte
Same pattern — inside the existing $effect where bgStyle is computed:
import { getNoteColor } from '$lib/utils/colors.js';
import { getIsDarkMode } from '$lib/utils/theme.svelte.js';
<!-- Inside the existing $effect (around lines 194-197): -->
bgStyle = `background-color: ${getNoteColor(color, getIsDarkMode())}`;
Remove the NOTE_COLORS import.
- Step 3: Update
ColorPicker.svelte
The ColorPicker shows circular swatches. Use $derived for the dark mode check so swatches update reactively:
import { COLOR_OPTIONS, getNoteColor } from '$lib/utils/colors.js';
import { getIsDarkMode } from '$lib/utils/theme.svelte.js';
<!-- Use getIsDarkMode() in the template directly (it's reactive in Svelte 5 template expressions): -->
style="background-color: {getNoteColor(option.value, getIsDarkMode())}"
Remove NOTE_COLORS import if no longer needed.
- Step 4: Verify all components render correctly in both themes
Run make dev. Toggle between light and dark in Settings > Preferences. Check:
-
Note cards show correct dark/light background colors
-
Color picker shows dark/light swatches
-
Note editor uses correct background color
-
Step 5: Commit
git add src/lib/components/NoteCard.svelte src/lib/components/NoteEditor.svelte src/lib/components/ColorPicker.svelte
git commit -m "feat: use dark note card colors in all components"
Task 9: E2E Tests
Files:
-
Create:
tests/e2e/dark-mode.spec.ts -
Step 1: Write E2E tests
Create tests/e2e/dark-mode.spec.ts:
import { test, expect } from './helpers/fixtures.js';
test.describe('Dark mode', () => {
test('Scenario: Theme toggle persists selection across page reload', async ({
authenticatedPage: page
}) => {
// Given the user is on the preferences page
await page.goto('/settings/preferences');
// When the user selects dark theme
await page.getByTestId('pref-theme-dark').click();
// Then the page applies dark theme
await expect(page.locator('html')).toHaveAttribute('data-theme', 'dark');
// When the page is reloaded
await page.reload();
// Then the dark theme persists without flash
await expect(page.locator('html')).toHaveAttribute('data-theme', 'dark');
await expect(page.getByTestId('pref-theme-dark')).toHaveClass(/font-medium/);
});
test('Scenario: Light mode removes dark theme attribute', async ({
authenticatedPage: page
}) => {
// Given dark theme is active
await page.goto('/settings/preferences');
await page.getByTestId('pref-theme-dark').click();
await expect(page.locator('html')).toHaveAttribute('data-theme', 'dark');
// When the user selects light theme
await page.getByTestId('pref-theme-light').click();
// Then the dark theme attribute is removed
await expect(page.locator('html')).not.toHaveAttribute('data-theme');
});
test('Scenario: System mode follows OS dark preference', async ({
authenticatedPage: page
}) => {
// Given the OS prefers dark mode
await page.emulateMedia({ colorScheme: 'dark' });
// When the user selects system theme
await page.goto('/settings/preferences');
await page.getByTestId('pref-theme-system').click();
// Then the page applies dark theme from system preference
// Use toHaveAttribute with timeout to handle async $effect execution
await expect(page.locator('html')).toHaveAttribute('data-theme', 'dark', { timeout: 5000 });
});
test('Scenario: Note cards use dark colors in dark mode', async ({
authenticatedPage: page
}) => {
// Given dark theme is active
await page.goto('/settings/preferences');
await page.getByTestId('pref-theme-dark').click();
// When viewing the notes page
await page.goto('/');
// Then note cards should have dark background colors
const noteCard = page.getByTestId('note-card').first();
if (await noteCard.isVisible()) {
const bg = await noteCard.evaluate((el) => getComputedStyle(el).backgroundColor);
// Dark default color is #2a2520 = rgb(42, 37, 32)
expect(bg).not.toBe('rgb(250, 245, 235)'); // Not the light default
}
});
});
- Step 2: Run E2E tests
Run: pnpm test:e2e tests/e2e/dark-mode.spec.ts
Expected: All PASS
- Step 3: Commit
git add tests/e2e/dark-mode.spec.ts
git commit -m "test: add E2E tests for dark mode toggle and persistence"
Task 10: Housekeeping and Type Check
Files:
-
Modify:
.gitignore -
Step 1: Add
.superpowers/to.gitignore
Append to .gitignore:
# Superpowers brainstorm artifacts
.superpowers/
- Step 2: Run type check
Run: pnpm check
Expected: No errors. If there are type errors, fix them.
- Step 3: Run full test suite
Run: make test
Expected: All unit and E2E tests pass.
- Step 4: Commit
git add .gitignore
git commit -m "chore: add .superpowers/ to gitignore"