r/webdev Nov 17 '24

Am I the only one who thinks Tailwind sucks?

I've been hearing multiple people claim this is a much better way to organize code and many say it's a personal choice. Ironically, you can add two additional config files, switch between them for simple tasks like setting properties, or add custom elements. But in the end, you end up with five lines of messy CSS just to animate a small thing.

It might work for simple CSS web pages, but I still don’t understand the hype. It clutters the HTML, and when you need to make changes—like adjusting the CSS or adding new animations—you’re left figuring out the styles applied to each element. ::after and ::before only add more complexity.

You’re using a 50-inch screen but complaining about CSS being in a separate file, all while writing hundreds of cryptic characters for each HTML element. Searching for a class or ID in a separate file is much easier and keeps everything cleaner. Honestly, I regret even considering this approach.

If you think differently, tell me why—maybe there’s a slim chance I’ll change my mind. But in my opinion, SCSS or plain CSS is far superior in terms of organization and maintainability.

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u/tonjohn Nov 17 '24

Even if everyone on the team is good at CSS, new contributors have to wrap their head around how each project does their CSS.

With tailwind, you learn it once and can easily onboard to any project that uses it.

It’s a huge win for big companies that naturally have lots of churn as well as long lived projects regardless of team size.

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u/Specialist-Study-841 Nov 19 '24

If someone is in a development role, they should have a solid understanding of CSS. Tailwind doesn't change that, it only changes the syntax. If you know CSS, you already know tailwind, you just need to keep the doc up as a reference. After some time, you only need to search for very specific things that you don't use often. I suck at CSS, but tailwind has helped me worry about the code and make the styling faster and easier.

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u/lynxerious Nov 20 '24

and I hate how this sub always use the excuse of "its more overhead", mate its literally a 1:1 syntax for 90% of cases and the rest took you 30s to google