Terminal.skills
Skills/alpine
>

alpine

Alpine.js is a lightweight JavaScript framework for adding interactivity to HTML markup. It provides reactive data, event handling, and DOM manipulation through HTML attributes — like a modern jQuery replacement with declarative syntax.

#javascript#html#lightweight#reactive#declarative#progressive-enhancement
terminal-skillsv1.0.0
Works with:claude-codeopenai-codexgemini-clicursor
Source

Usage

$
✓ Installed alpine v1.0.0

Getting Started

  1. Install the skill using the command above
  2. Open your AI coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, or Cursor)
  3. Reference the skill in your prompt
  4. The AI will use the skill's capabilities automatically

Example Prompts

  • "Review the open pull requests and summarize what needs attention"
  • "Generate a changelog from the last 20 commits on the main branch"

Information

Version
1.0.0
Author
terminal-skills
Category
Development
License
Apache-2.0

Documentation

Alpine.js adds reactive behavior directly in HTML markup using x- attributes. It's ideal for adding interactivity to server-rendered pages without a build step or SPA framework.

Installation

html
<!-- index.html — add Alpine via CDN -->
<script defer src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/alpinejs@3.x.x/dist/cdn.min.js"></script>
<!-- Or: npm install alpinejs -->
javascript
// main.js — npm module setup
import Alpine from 'alpinejs';
window.Alpine = Alpine;
Alpine.start();

Core Directives

html
<!-- templates/basics.html — fundamental Alpine directives -->
<div x-data="{ open: false, count: 0 }">
  <!-- Toggle visibility -->
  <button @click="open = !open">Toggle</button>
  <div x-show="open" x-transition>
    <p>This content can be toggled</p>
  </div>

  <!-- Reactive counter -->
  <p>Count: <span x-text="count"></span></p>
  <button @click="count++">Increment</button>

  <!-- Conditional rendering (removes from DOM) -->
  <template x-if="count > 5">
    <p>Count is greater than 5!</p>
  </template>
</div>

Data Binding

html
<!-- templates/binding.html — two-way binding and attribute binding -->
<div x-data="{ name: '', color: 'blue' }">
  <!-- Two-way binding -->
  <input x-model="name" placeholder="Your name" />
  <p>Hello, <span x-text="name || 'stranger'"></span>!</p>

  <!-- Attribute binding -->
  <div :class="{ 'text-red': color === 'red', 'text-blue': color === 'blue' }">
    Colored text
  </div>
  <select x-model="color">
    <option value="blue">Blue</option>
    <option value="red">Red</option>
  </select>

  <!-- Style binding -->
  <div :style="{ color: color, fontWeight: name ? 'bold' : 'normal' }">
    Dynamic styles
  </div>
</div>

Loops

html
<!-- templates/loops.html — iterating over data -->
<div x-data="{ items: ['Apples', 'Bananas', 'Cherries'], newItem: '' }">
  <ul>
    <template x-for="(item, index) in items" :key="index">
      <li>
        <span x-text="item"></span>
        <button @click="items.splice(index, 1)">×</button>
      </li>
    </template>
  </ul>

  <form @submit.prevent="items.push(newItem); newItem = ''">
    <input x-model="newItem" placeholder="Add item" />
    <button type="submit">Add</button>
  </form>
</div>

Event Handling

html
<!-- templates/events.html — event modifiers and custom events -->
<div x-data="{ count: 0 }">
  <!-- Modifiers -->
  <button @click.prevent="count++">Prevent default</button>
  <button @click.once="alert('Only once!')">Click once</button>
  <input @keydown.enter="submitForm()" @keydown.escape="cancel()" />

  <!-- Debounce -->
  <input @input.debounce.300ms="search($event.target.value)" placeholder="Search..." />

  <!-- Listen to events from window -->
  <div @custom-event.window="count++">
    Count: <span x-text="count"></span>
  </div>

  <!-- Dispatch custom event -->
  <button @click="$dispatch('custom-event')">Dispatch</button>
</div>

Component Patterns

html
<!-- templates/dropdown.html — dropdown component -->
<div x-data="{ open: false }" @click.outside="open = false">
  <button @click="open = !open">
    Menu
    <span :class="{ 'rotate-180': open }" x-text="open ? '▲' : '▼'"></span>
  </button>

  <div x-show="open" x-transition.origin.top.left
    @keydown.escape.window="open = false"
    class="dropdown-menu">
    <a href="/profile">Profile</a>
    <a href="/settings">Settings</a>
    <button @click="$dispatch('logout')">Logout</button>
  </div>
</div>
html
<!-- templates/tabs.html — tabs component -->
<div x-data="{ activeTab: 'general' }">
  <nav>
    <button @click="activeTab = 'general'" :class="{ active: activeTab === 'general' }">General</button>
    <button @click="activeTab = 'security'" :class="{ active: activeTab === 'security' }">Security</button>
  </nav>

  <div x-show="activeTab === 'general'">General settings...</div>
  <div x-show="activeTab === 'security'">Security settings...</div>
</div>

Reusable Data with Alpine.data

html
<!-- templates/reusable.html — extracting reusable components -->
<script>
  // Register reusable component
  document.addEventListener('alpine:init', () => {
    Alpine.data('todoList', () => ({
      items: [],
      newItem: '',
      add() {
        if (this.newItem.trim()) {
          this.items.push({ text: this.newItem, done: false });
          this.newItem = '';
        }
      },
      remove(index) {
        this.items.splice(index, 1);
      },
      get remaining() {
        return this.items.filter(i => !i.done).length;
      },
    }));
  });
</script>

<!-- Use anywhere -->
<div x-data="todoList">
  <form @submit.prevent="add">
    <input x-model="newItem" placeholder="New todo" />
    <button type="submit">Add</button>
  </form>
  <p x-text="`${remaining} remaining`"></p>
  <template x-for="(item, i) in items" :key="i">
    <div>
      <input type="checkbox" x-model="item.done" />
      <span x-text="item.text" :class="{ 'line-through': item.done }"></span>
      <button @click="remove(i)">×</button>
    </div>
  </template>
</div>

Working with htmx

html
<!-- templates/alpine-htmx.html — Alpine + htmx together -->
<div x-data="{ editing: false }" id="article-42">
  <div x-show="!editing">
    <h2>Article Title</h2>
    <button @click="editing = true">Edit</button>
    <button hx-delete="/articles/42" hx-target="#article-42" hx-swap="outerHTML">Delete</button>
  </div>
  <form x-show="editing" hx-put="/articles/42" hx-target="#article-42" hx-swap="outerHTML">
    <input name="title" value="Article Title" />
    <button type="submit">Save</button>
    <button type="button" @click="editing = false">Cancel</button>
  </form>
</div>

Stores (Global State)

html
<!-- templates/stores.html — Alpine stores for shared state -->
<script>
  document.addEventListener('alpine:init', () => {
    Alpine.store('notifications', {
      items: [],
      add(msg) { this.items.push({ text: msg, id: Date.now() }) },
      remove(id) { this.items = this.items.filter(n => n.id !== id) },
    });
  });
</script>

<div x-data @click="$store.notifications.add('Button clicked!')">Click me</div>

<div x-data>
  <template x-for="n in $store.notifications.items" :key="n.id">
    <div class="toast" x-text="n.text" @click="$store.notifications.remove(n.id)"></div>
  </template>
</div>

Magic Properties

html
<!-- templates/magic.html — Alpine magic properties -->
<div x-data="{ items: [] }">
  <!-- $refs — reference DOM elements -->
  <input x-ref="input" />
  <button @click="$refs.input.focus()">Focus input</button>

  <!-- $nextTick — run after DOM update -->
  <button @click="items.push('new'); $nextTick(() => $refs.list.scrollTo(0, 99999))">
    Add & scroll
  </button>
  <div x-ref="list" style="max-height:200px;overflow:auto">
    <template x-for="item in items"><p x-text="item"></p></template>
  </div>

  <!-- $watch — react to data changes -->
  <div x-init="$watch('items', (val) => console.log('items changed:', val))"></div>
</div>

Key Patterns

  • Use x-data on a parent element to define reactive scope — everything inside shares that state
  • Use x-show for toggling visibility (CSS), x-if for conditional DOM insertion
  • Use x-model for two-way binding on inputs, selects, checkboxes
  • Use event modifiers (.prevent, .stop, .debounce, .outside) to reduce boilerplate
  • Use Alpine.data() to extract reusable components with methods and computed properties
  • Use Alpine.store() for global state shared across components
  • Pairs excellently with htmx: Alpine handles UI state, htmx handles server communication