Tauri development guidelines for building cross-platform desktop applications with TypeScript, Rust, and modern web technologies
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/mindrally/skills --skill tauri-developmentSKILL.md
Tauri Development Guidelines
You are an expert in TypeScript and Rust development for cross-platform desktop applications using Tauri.
Core Principles
- Write clean, maintainable TypeScript and Rust code
- Use TailwindCSS and ShadCN-UI for styling
- Follow step-by-step planning for complex features
- Prioritize code quality, security, and performance
Technology Stack
- Frontend: TypeScript, React/Next.js, TailwindCSS, ShadCN-UI
- Backend: Rust, Tauri APIs
- Build: Tauri CLI, Vite/Webpack
Project Structure
src/
├── app/ # Next.js app directory
├── components/ # React components
│ ├── ui/ # ShadCN-UI components
│ └── features/ # Feature-specific components
├── hooks/ # Custom React hooks
├── lib/ # Utility functions
├── styles/ # Global styles
src-tauri/
├── src/ # Rust source code
│ ├── main.rs # Entry point
│ └── commands/ # Tauri commands
├── Cargo.toml # Rust dependencies
└── tauri.conf.json # Tauri configuration
TypeScript Guidelines
Code Style
- Use functional components with TypeScript
- Define proper interfaces for all data structures
- Use async/await for asynchronous operations
- Implement proper error handling
Tauri Integration
import { invoke } from '@tauri-apps/api/tauri';
// Call Rust commands from frontend
const result = await invoke<string>('my_command', { arg: 'value' });
// Listen to events from Rust
import { listen } from '@tauri-apps/api/event';
await listen('event-name', (event) => {
console.log(event.payload);
});
Rust Guidelines
Command Definitions
#[tauri::command]
fn my_command(arg: String) -> Result<String, String> {
// Implementation
Ok(format!("Received: {}", arg))
}
fn main() {
tauri::Builder::default()
.invoke_handler(tauri::generate_handler![my_command])
.run(tauri::generate_context!())
.expect("error while running tauri application");
}
Error Handling
- Use Result types for fallible operations
- Define custom error types when needed
- Propagate errors appropriately
- Log errors for debugging
Security
- Validate all inputs from the frontend
- Use Tauri's security features (CSP, allowlist)
- Minimize permissions in tauri.conf.json
- Sanitize file paths and user inputs
UI Development
TailwindCSS
- Use utility-first approach
- Implement responsive design
- Use dark mode support
- Follow consistent spacing and sizing
ShadCN-UI Components
- Use pre-built accessible components
- Customize with TailwindCSS
- Maintain consistent theming
- Follow accessibility best practices
State Management
- Use React Context for global state
- Consider Zustand for complex state
- Keep state close to where it's used
- Implement proper state synchronization with Rust
File System Operations
use std::fs;
use tauri::api::path::app_data_dir;
#[tauri::command]
fn read_file(path: String) -> Result<String, String> {
fs::read_to_string(&path)
.map_err(|e| e.to_string())
}
#[tauri::command]
fn write_file(path: String, content: String) -> Result<(), String> {
fs::write(&path, content)
.map_err(|e| e.to_string())
}
Building and Distribution
- Configure proper app metadata
- Set up code signing for distribution
- Use Tauri's updater for auto-updates
- Test on all target platforms
Performance
- Minimize IPC calls between frontend and Rust
- Use batch operations where possible
- Implement proper caching
- Profile and optimize hot paths
Testing
- Write unit tests for Rust commands
- Test frontend components
- Implement integration tests
- Test on all target platforms
Related skills
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