One of the most powerful aspects of Shaper is that what you design is what’s in code. As you’re visually editing in the canvas, Shaper is generating clean React (Next.js) components and Tailwind CSS styles. This isn’t throwaway code or a one-off export – it’s the actual codebase of your project.
  • Every page you create corresponds to a real React component or page file. For example, a page named “Dashboard” might be generating a dashboard.jsx (or .tsx) under the hood.
  • Every element is an HTML/JSX element. A text element becomes something like <p> or <h1> in code. A button becomes an actual <button> element (or possibly a custom <Button> component if you’re using one).
  • Styles from the Property Panel are applied as utility classes (Tailwind) or inline styles. If you choose a token value, it maps to a CSS variable or Tailwind class (e.g., using your design token names as classes).
  • Containers and components become real <div>s, <section>s, and React component definitions. When you make a component in Shaper, it creates a React component file that can be reused and even edited by developers outside Shaper if needed.
  • Design tokens integrate with your code. Color tokens might live in a Tailwind config or a tokens JSON file; typography tokens could correspond to CSS custom properties. Shaper keeps these in sync so that a change in the editor reflects in code, and vice versa (two-way sync!).
Live Preview and Code Inspection: You can toggle a code view or inspector if you’re curious (there’s a Code toggle that reveals the actual code editor within Shaper). This is great for those with coding knowledge who want to fine-tune something manually or quickly inspect how Shaper structured a certain element. You can even edit the code directly and see the changes reflect back into the visual editor – a true two-way street. (For example, a developer could tweak a complex logic in code, and the designer sees the updated component in Shaper.) What does this mean for you and your team? No more painstaking handoffs or rebuilding designs in code. Designers can confidently create in Shaper knowing it’s ready to ship, and developers can collaborate by reviewing or extending the code rather than re-implementing it. It’s the best of both worlds: visual editor convenience + high-quality code.
Note: Shaper’s code output is built on Next.js and Tailwind CSS by default, which are popular and production-proven. If your team uses storybook or component libraries, Shaper can work with those too. And if you ever need to extend functionality (like adding complex state or integration), you can pull the code from Git and work on it in your local dev environment – Shaper will sync those changes back into the visual editor. It truly bridges the gap between design and development.
**Next Steps: **Git Integration & Deployment – Now that you’ve mastered the core editor features and design workflow, learn how to connect your project to a GitHub repository and manage code changes. In the next section, we’ll cover how Shaper handles Git-based version control, branching, and even deploying your live app with a single click. Move on to Git Integration to continue your journey!