semantic-coding

name	semantic-coding
description	Replace hardcoded styles with semantic design tokens (colors, typography, spacing, sizing) across a codebase. Use when refactoring inline hex colors/px values to a design system, migrating to CSS variables or Tailwind theme tokens, or enforcing token consistency.

Semantic Coding

Scan files, replace hardcoded styles with semantic design tokens (colors, typography, spacing, sizing), edit files directly.

Refactored from semantic-colors (color-only) into a comprehensive design system skill.

Usage

/semantic-coding [path]

DO NOT TOUCH (Non-Negotiable)

• Gradients: from-*, via-*, to-*, bg-gradient-*, linear-gradient(), radial-gradient(), conic-gradient()
• SVG defs: <linearGradient>, <radialGradient>, <stop>, url(#...), anything inside <defs>
• Glass morphism: rgba(255,255,255,0.0x) overlays on gradient backgrounds
• Decorative shadows: boxShadow glow effects tied to gradient LED/orb effects
• Animations: @keyframes, animation timing values, transform values
• Template literals: `border-${color}-500`, dynamic class construction
• Arbitrary values: bg-[#hex], text-[14px], p-[20px] (JIT bracket syntax)
• Component props: Color/style values passed as non-className props (e.g., <Button color="red-500" />)
• Token source files: globals.css, tailwind.config.*, tokens.ts, theme.ts
• Excluded dirs: node_modules, .next, lib/generated, prisma/, dist/, __tests__/, *.test.*, *.spec.*

If a value is inside a protected context, skip and log ⚠ skipped (protected context).

---

Color Rules

Color Replacements

Note: Color-to-semantic mapping depends on your project's brand palette. The defaults below assume orange=brand, blue=info. If your brand uses blue/indigo/etc., map that family to brand instead and adjust accordingly.

Hardcoded	Semantic
text-red-*, text-rose-*	text-error
text-green-*, text-emerald-*, text-teal-*	text-success
text-yellow-*, text-amber-*	text-warning
text-blue-*, text-cyan-*	text-info
text-orange-*	text-brand
text-indigo-*, text-violet-*, text-purple-*	text-primary
text-pink-*, text-fuchsia-*	text-accent
text-gray-*, text-slate-*, text-zinc-*, text-stone-*, text-neutral-*, text-ink-*	text-muted-foreground
text-gray-900, text-slate-900, text-zinc-900	text-foreground
text-white (on semantic bg)	text-{bg-token}-foreground
text-black	text-foreground
bg-red-*, bg-rose-* (shade ≥500)	bg-error
bg-red-*, bg-rose-* (shade <500)	bg-error/10
bg-green-*, bg-emerald-*, bg-teal-* (shade ≥500)	bg-success
bg-green-*, bg-emerald-*, bg-teal-* (shade <500)	bg-success/10
bg-yellow-*, bg-amber-* (shade ≥500)	bg-warning
bg-yellow-*, bg-amber-* (shade <500)	bg-warning/10
bg-blue-*, bg-cyan-* (shade ≥500)	bg-info
bg-blue-*, bg-cyan-* (shade <500)	bg-info/10
bg-orange-*	bg-brand or bg-brand/10
bg-indigo-*, bg-violet-*, bg-purple-*	bg-primary or bg-primary/10
bg-gray-*, bg-slate-*, bg-zinc-*, bg-stone-*, bg-neutral-*, bg-ink-*	bg-muted
bg-white (page-level)	bg-background
bg-white (inside card/panel)	bg-card
bg-black/50 (overlay)	bg-overlay
border-gray-*, border-slate-*, border-zinc-*, border-stone-*, border-neutral-*, border-ink-*	border-border
border-red-*, border-rose-*	border-error
border-green-*, border-emerald-*, border-teal-*	border-success
border-blue-*, border-cyan-*	border-info
border-yellow-*, border-amber-*	border-warning
border-orange-*	border-brand
border-indigo-*, border-violet-*, border-purple-*	border-primary
shadow-emerald-*, shadow-green-*	shadow-success
shadow-red-*	shadow-error
shadow-blue-*	shadow-info
ring-red-*	ring-error
ring-green-*	ring-success
ring-blue-*	ring-info
divide-gray-*, divide-slate-*	divide-border
placeholder-gray-*	placeholder-muted-foreground

Foreground Pairing

Background	Foreground
bg-primary	text-primary-foreground
bg-brand	text-brand-foreground
bg-success	text-success-foreground
bg-error	text-error-foreground
bg-warning	text-warning-foreground
bg-info	text-info-foreground

Dark Mode Override Removal

Collapse light+dark pairs into one semantic token:

- className="text-green-600 dark:text-green-400"
+ className="text-success"

- className="bg-red-100 dark:bg-red-900/20 border-red-200 dark:border-red-800"
+ className="bg-error/10 border-error"

---

Typography Rules

Font Family

Hardcoded	Semantic
font-sans (body text)	font-body
font-sans (headings)	font-heading
font-mono	font-mono
font-serif	font-display
Inline fontFamily: 'Inter'	var(--font-body)
Inline fontFamily: 'monospace'	var(--font-mono)

Font Size (Text Scale)

Hardcoded	Semantic	Use Case
text-xs	text-caption	Labels, hints, timestamps
text-sm	text-body-sm	Secondary content, metadata
text-base	text-body	Body text, paragraphs
text-lg	text-body-lg	Lead paragraphs, emphasis
text-xl	text-heading-sm	Small headings, card titles
text-2xl	text-heading-md	Section headings
text-3xl	text-heading-lg	Page titles
text-4xl, text-5xl	text-heading-xl	Hero headings
text-6xl, text-7xl, text-8xl, text-9xl	text-display	Display/marketing headings
Inline fontSize: '14px'	var(--text-body-sm)
Inline fontSize: '24px'	var(--text-heading-md)

Font Weight

Hardcoded	Semantic	Use Case
font-extralight (200)	font-thin	Decorative, display text
font-light (300)	font-light	Subtle body text
font-normal (400)	font-normal	Body text
font-medium (500)	font-medium	Emphasis, labels
font-semibold (600)	font-semibold	Subheadings
font-bold (700)	font-bold	Headings, CTAs
font-extrabold (800), font-black (900)	font-heavy	Display, marketing

Line Height

Hardcoded	Semantic	Use Case
leading-none	leading-none	Display text, single-line
leading-tight	leading-tight	Headings
leading-snug	leading-snug	Subheadings
leading-normal	leading-normal	Body text
leading-relaxed	leading-relaxed	Long-form content
leading-loose	leading-loose	Legal, fine print

Letter Spacing

Hardcoded	Semantic
tracking-tighter	tracking-heading
tracking-tight	tracking-heading
tracking-normal	tracking-body
tracking-wide	tracking-label
tracking-wider	tracking-label
tracking-widest + uppercase	tracking-overline

Composite Typography Patterns

Match multi-class patterns before individual classes. Apply the first matching composite rule.

Hardcoded Pattern	Semantic
text-6xl+ font-bold/extrabold	text-display
text-4xl font-bold tracking-tight	text-heading-xl
text-3xl font-semibold	text-title
text-2xl font-semibold	text-subtitle
text-lg font-medium	text-lead
text-base	text-body
text-sm text-gray-*	text-muted
text-xs uppercase tracking-wide	text-overline
text-xs font-medium	text-label

---

Spacing Rules

Semantic Spacing Scale

Hardcoded	Semantic	Value
p-1, m-1	space-xs	4px
p-2, m-2	space-sm	8px
p-3, m-3	space-md	12px
p-4, m-4	space-lg	16px
p-5, m-5	space-xl	20px
p-6, m-6	space-2xl	24px
p-8, m-8	space-3xl	32px
p-10, m-10	space-4xl	40px
p-12, m-12	space-5xl	48px

Component Spacing Patterns

Context	Recommended Token
Button padding	px-button py-button or p-4
Card padding	p-card or p-6
Section padding	p-section or py-12 px-6
Input padding	px-input py-input or px-4 py-2
Gap between items	gap-sm (8px), gap-md (12px), gap-lg (16px)
Stack spacing	space-y-sm, space-y-md, space-y-lg

---

Sizing Rules

Width/Height

Hardcoded	Semantic	Use Case
w-4 h-4	size-icon-xs	Small icons
w-5 h-5	size-icon-sm	Default icons
w-6 h-6	size-icon-md	Medium icons
w-8 h-8	size-icon-lg	Large icons
w-10 h-10	size-avatar-sm	Small avatars
w-12 h-12	size-avatar-md	Medium avatars
w-16 h-16	size-avatar-lg	Large avatars
h-10, h-11	h-input	Input/button height
max-w-sm	max-w-form	Form container
max-w-xl	max-w-content	Content container
max-w-5xl	max-w-page	Page container

Border Radius

Hardcoded	Semantic	Use Case
rounded	rounded-sm	Subtle rounding
rounded-md	rounded-base	Default rounding
rounded-lg	rounded-lg	Cards, modals
rounded-xl	rounded-xl	Large cards
rounded-2xl	rounded-2xl	Hero sections
rounded-full	rounded-full	Pills, avatars

---

Shadow Rules

Hardcoded	Semantic	Use Case
shadow-sm	shadow-sm	Subtle elevation
shadow	shadow-base	Default elevation
shadow-md	shadow-md	Cards
shadow-lg	shadow-lg	Modals, dropdowns
shadow-xl	shadow-xl	Popovers
shadow-2xl	shadow-2xl	Floating elements
shadow-success	shadow-success	Success glow
shadow-error	shadow-error	Error glow

---

Z-Index Rules

Hardcoded	Semantic	Use Case
z-0	z-base	Default layer
z-10	z-dropdown	Dropdowns
z-20	z-sticky	Sticky headers
z-30	z-overlay	Overlays
z-40	z-modal	Modals
z-50	z-toast	Toasts, tooltips

---

Inline Style Replacements

Hardcoded	Semantic
style={{ color: '#111827' }}	className="text-foreground"
style={{ color: '#6b7280' }}	className="text-muted-foreground"
style={{ backgroundColor: '#ffffff' }}	var(--color-background)
style={{ fontSize: '14px' }}	var(--text-body-sm)
style={{ fontWeight: 600 }}	className="font-semibold"
style={{ padding: '16px' }}	className="p-4" or var(--space-lg)
style={{ borderRadius: '8px' }}	var(--radius-base)

---

Third-Party Config Pattern

When a library requires specific values at initialization, use runtime CSS variable resolution:

function cssVar(name, fallback) {
  if (typeof window === 'undefined') return fallback;
  return getComputedStyle(document.documentElement)
    .getPropertyValue(name).trim() || fallback;
}

// Usage: cssVar('--color-brand', '#F97316')

Initialize in useEffect (not module level) so CSS variables are available.

---

Scoped Token Pattern

When a page has a fixed dark background that doesn't change with theme, use var() with inline fallback:

color: 'var(--status-text-muted, #a1a1aa)'

---

Status Mapping

Status	Semantic
DRAFT	muted
PENDING, SUBMITTED	warning
CONFIRMED, SUCCESS, COMPLETED, PAID	success
REJECTED, ERROR, CANCELLED	error
INFO, SENT, RECEIVED	info

---

Available Tokens Reference

Colors

Text: text-foreground, text-muted-foreground, text-primary, text-primary-foreground, text-brand, text-brand-foreground, text-accent, text-success, text-success-foreground, text-warning, text-warning-foreground, text-error, text-error-foreground, text-info, text-info-foreground

Background: bg-background, bg-card, bg-muted, bg-primary, bg-brand, bg-accent, bg-success, bg-warning, bg-error, bg-info, bg-overlay

Border: border-border, border-input, border-primary, border-brand, border-success, border-error, border-warning, border-info

Ring: ring-primary, ring-success, ring-error, ring-info

Shadow: shadow-success, shadow-error, shadow-info

Misc: divide-border, placeholder-muted-foreground

Typography

Font Family: font-body, font-heading, font-mono, font-display

Font Size: text-caption, text-body-sm, text-body, text-body-lg, text-heading-sm, text-heading-md, text-heading-lg, text-heading-xl, text-display

Composite: text-title, text-subtitle, text-lead, text-muted, text-overline, text-label

Font Weight: font-thin, font-light, font-normal, font-medium, font-semibold, font-bold, font-heavy

Letter Spacing: tracking-heading, tracking-body, tracking-label, tracking-overline

Line Height: leading-none, leading-tight, leading-snug, leading-normal, leading-relaxed, leading-loose

Spacing

Padding/Margin: space-xs, space-sm, space-md, space-lg, space-xl, space-2xl, space-3xl, space-4xl, space-5xl

Component: p-card, p-section, p-input, px-button, py-button

Gap: gap-xs, gap-sm, gap-md, gap-lg, gap-xl

Stack: space-y-sm, space-y-md, space-y-lg

Sizing

Icons: size-icon-xs, size-icon-sm, size-icon-md, size-icon-lg

Avatars: size-avatar-sm, size-avatar-md, size-avatar-lg

Containers: max-w-form, max-w-content, max-w-page

Input: h-input

Effects

Radius: rounded-sm, rounded-base, rounded-lg, rounded-xl, rounded-2xl, rounded-full

Shadow: shadow-sm, shadow-base, shadow-md, shadow-lg, shadow-xl, shadow-2xl

Z-Index: z-base, z-dropdown, z-sticky, z-overlay, z-modal, z-toast

---

Behavior

For each .tsx, .jsx, .ts, .js file in the target path (skip excluded dirs):

1. Read the file
2. Find hardcoded styles (colors, fonts, sizes, spacing)
3. Check if inside protected context (gradient/SVG-def/animation)
4. If safe → apply matching rule and edit immediately
5. If protected context → skip, log as ⚠ skipped

After all files are done, re-scan to verify zero remaining violations. Print summary.

Summary Format

Semantic coding refactor: N files changed, M replacements
- file.tsx: colors (5), typography (3), spacing (2)
⚠ file.tsx:42 — skipped (gradient context)
⚠ file.tsx:88 — skipped (SVG defs)