dark-mode-qa

Dark/Light Mode Implementation & QA

Implementation Summary

Status: ✅ Complete - Proper theme system implemented

The app now has a complete dark/light mode system with:

  1. CSS Custom Properties: Theme-aware tokens for colors, backgrounds, borders
  2. System Preference Support: Automatically detects prefers-color-scheme: dark
  3. Manual Override: Theme toggle component allows users to choose light, dark, or system
  4. Persistent Settings: User preference saved to localStorage
  5. Smooth Transitions: All theme changes are animated with CSS transitions

Theme System Architecture

CSS Custom Properties

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:root {
  /* Light theme (default) */
  --brand-foreground: #07213a;
  --surface: #ffffff;
  --background: #f7fbff;
  --border-color: rgba(10,20,40,0.06);
  /* ... */
}

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
  :root {
    /* Dark theme via media query */
    --brand-foreground: #e8f4fd;
    --surface: #1a1f2e;
    --background: #0f1419;
    --border-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.1);
    /* ... */
  }
}

[data-theme="light"] { /* Manual light override */ }
[data-theme="dark"] { /* Manual dark override */ }

Theme Toggle Component

  • Location: Top navigation bar (right side)
  • Options: System → Light → Dark (cycles)
  • Icons: Desktop, Sun, Moon
  • Storage: Preferences saved to localStorage as theme

Testing & QA

Manual Testing Completed ✅

Browser: Chrome (Playwright automation) Pages Tested: Overview, Projects list Theme Modes: System, Light, Dark

Results:

  • ✅ Theme toggle works correctly (cycles through options)
  • ✅ Dark mode renders properly (dark backgrounds, light text)
  • ✅ Light mode renders properly (light backgrounds, dark text)
  • ✅ System mode respects OS preference
  • ✅ Form controls (inputs, selects) themed correctly
  • ✅ Tables and data display themed correctly
  • ✅ Navigation and footer themed correctly
  • ✅ No unwanted browser-imposed dark styling

Cross-Browser Testing

Recommended:

  • Chrome: Test theme toggle and system preference detection
  • Safari: Test WebKit-specific behaviors and system integration
  • Firefox: Test Gecko rendering and preference handling

Test Steps:

  1. Open http://localhost:4000
  2. Click theme toggle to cycle: System → Light → Dark → System
  3. Verify visual changes and localStorage persistence
  4. Change OS appearance settings and verify system mode responds
  5. Navigate between pages to ensure consistent theming

Debugging Tools

If theme issues occur:

  1. DevTools: Inspect computed styles for CSS custom properties
  2. Console: Check localStorage for theme key
  3. Elements: Verify data-theme attribute on <html>
  4. Application: Check system preference with window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)')

Migration Notes

Before: Used heavy !important overrides to force light theme After: Proper theme system with CSS custom properties

Breaking Changes: None - maintains existing visual design Benefits:

  • Better accessibility (respects user preferences)
  • Eliminates OS/browser dark mode conflicts
  • Cleaner, maintainable CSS architecture
  • Smooth theme transitions