Developers

OverviewInstallationUsageTokensContributing

How to install

There are three ways you can install the Red Hat Design System's web components: CDN, NPM, or JSPM. Each element's "Code" page includes the same installation information with code snippets that are specific to that element.

Red Hat CDN

CDN Prerelease

We are currently working on our CDN, which will be soon moving into beta. This will be the preferred method of installation in the near future. If you are a Red Hat associate and have questions or comments about the CDN or installation process please connect with us on Slack.

The recommended way to load RHDS is via the Red Hat Digital Experience CDN, and using an import map.

If you have full control over the page you are using, add an import map to the <head>, pointing to the CDN, or update any existing import map. If you are not responsible for the page's <head>, request that the page owner makes the change on your behalf.

<script type="importmap">
  {
    "imports": {
      "@rhds/elements/": "https://www.redhatstatic.com/dx/v1-alpha/@rhds/elements@2.1.1/elements/",
      "@patternfly/elements/": "https://www.redhatstatic.com/dx/v1-alpha/@patternfly/elements@/"
    }
  }
</script>

Once the import map is established, you can load the element with the following module, containing a bare module specifier. The example below shows how you'd load in <rh-button>.

<script type="module">
  import '@rhds/elements/rh-button/rh-button.js';
</script>

Note that modules may be placed in the <head>. Since they are deferred by default, they will not block rendering.

NPM

Install RHDS using your team's preferred NPM package manager.

npm install @rhds/elements

Once that's been accomplished, you will need to use a bundler to resolve the bare module specifiers and optionally optimize the package for your site's particular use case and needs. Comprehensive guides to bundling are beyond the scope of this page; read more about bundlers on their websites:

JSPM

Public CDNs

JSPM and other public CDNs should not be used on corporate domains. Use them for development purposes only!

Add an import map to the <head>, pointing to the CDN, or update any existing import map.

<script type="importmap">
  {
    "imports": {
      "@rhds/elements/": "https://jspm.dev/@rhds/elements/",
      "@patternfly/elements/": "https://jspm.dev/@patternfly/elements/"
    }
  }
</script>

Once the import map is established, you can load the element with the following module, containing a bare module specifier. The example below shows how you'd load in <rh-button>.

<script type="module">
  import '@rhds/elements/rh-button/rh-button.js';
</script>

Note that Modules may be placed in the <head>. Since they are deferred by default, they will not block rendering.

Lightdom CSS

Some elements require you to load "Lightdom CSS" stylesheets, which are necessary for styling deeply slotted child elements. In some cases, these may also help reduce some Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) experience before the element has fully initialized, but are not intended to be used without initializing the element or by themselves to prevent CLS.

<link rel="stylesheet"
      href="https://www.redhatstatic.com/dx/v1/@rhds/elements@1.4.5/rh-footer/rh-footer-lightdom.css">

Note: a future version of RHDS will remove the requirement to manually load these stylesheets

Lightdom CSS shims

Some elements have provided an optional -lightdom-shim.css file to aid in limiting CLS as much as possible, by styling some parts of the element before it has fully initialized (i.e., :not(:defined)). These "shims" are inherently different than the required "Lightdom CSS" mentioned above, and are only a temporary stop-gap until Delcarative Shadow DOM is more widely available; at which point the shims will no longer be needed and will become deprecated.

<link rel="stylesheet"
      href="https://www.redhatstatic.com/dx/v1/@rhds/elements@1.4.5/rh-cta/rh-cta-lightdom-shim.css">

Designers

To get started using our design system as a designer, go to the Designers page.
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