332 lines
13 KiB
Markdown
332 lines
13 KiB
Markdown
---
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name: vaporwave
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description: Web and App implementation guide for Vaporwave. Trigger when user wants neon colors, retro digital aesthetics, 90s OS elements, and Roman statues.
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date_added: "2026-06-17"
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risk: safe
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source: self
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source_type: self
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---
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# Vaporwave
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> "A surreal, nostalgic dream of 90s computing and pastel neon."
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## When to Use
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Use this sub-style when the user's request matches the aesthetic described above. This is a child reference of the `design-it` skill and is not meant to be triggered directly.
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## Core Principles
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1. **Windows 95 / Mac OS 9 Motifs**: UI elements designed to look explicitly like 1990s operating systems (grey boxes, hard bevels, blue title bars).
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2. **Surreal Pastels & Neons**: A mix of soft pinks, cyans, and harsh neon overlays.
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3. **Collage Aesthetic**: Mixing classical art (Roman busts), early 3D renders (checkerboard floors), and Japanese text (Kanji/Katakana).
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## Visual DNA
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- **Colors**: Cyan (`#00FFFF`), Magenta (`#FF00FF`), Lavender (`#E6E6FA`), and classic Windows Grey (`#C0C0C0`).
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- **Typography**: `MS Sans Serif`, `Tahoma`, or pixel fonts. Fullwidth characters (AESTHETIC) are highly encouraged for headers.
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- **Styling**: Hard, 1px outsets and insets to simulate 90s 3D buttons.
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## Web Implementation
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- Use standard CSS borders to create the classic 90s button look.
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- **CSS Example**:
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```css
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body {
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background: linear-gradient(180deg, #ff99cc 0%, #99ccff 100%);
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color: #000;
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font-family: 'Tahoma', sans-serif;
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min-height: 100vh;
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}
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/* Windows 95 Style Window */
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.vapor-window {
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background-color: #C0C0C0;
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border: 2px outset #fff;
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border-right-color: #808080;
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border-bottom-color: #808080;
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width: 400px;
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padding: 2px;
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}
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.vapor-titlebar {
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background: linear-gradient(90deg, #000080, #1084d0);
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color: white;
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font-weight: bold;
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padding: 4px 8px;
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display: flex;
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justify-content: space-between;
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}
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.vapor-button {
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background-color: #C0C0C0;
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border: 2px outset #fff;
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border-right-color: #808080;
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border-bottom-color: #808080;
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padding: 4px 12px;
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}
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.vapor-button:active {
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border-style: inset;
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}
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/* The iconic vaporwave sun/grid */
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.vapor-sun {
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width: 200px; height: 200px;
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background: linear-gradient(to bottom, #ff00ff, #ffff00);
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border-radius: 50%;
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box-shadow: 0 0 20px #ff00ff;
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}
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```
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## App Implementation
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### SwiftUI
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```swift
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struct VaporwaveView: View {
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var body: some View {
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ZStack {
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// Neon Gradient Background
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LinearGradient(colors: [Color(hex: "ff99cc"), Color(hex: "99ccff")], startPoint: .top, endPoint: .bottom)
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.ignoresSafeArea()
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// Win95 Window
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VStack(spacing: 0) {
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// Title Bar
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HStack {
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Text("AESTHETIC.exe")
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.font(.system(size: 14, weight: .bold, design: .monospaced))
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.foregroundColor(.white)
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Spacer()
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Text("X")
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.font(.system(size: 12, weight: .bold))
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.padding(.horizontal, 6)
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.background(Color(hex: "C0C0C0"))
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.border(.white, width: 1) // Faux 3D
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}
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.padding(4)
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.background(LinearGradient(colors: [Color(hex: "000080"), Color(hex: "1084d0")], startPoint: .leading, endPoint: .trailing))
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// Content
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VStack {
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Text("It's all in your head.")
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.font(.custom("Tahoma", size: 16))
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.padding()
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// Win95 Button
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Button(action: {}) {
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Text("OK")
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.foregroundColor(.black)
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.padding(.horizontal, 24)
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.padding(.vertical, 8)
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}
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.background(Color(hex: "C0C0C0"))
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// Complex borders to simulate Outset
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.overlay(
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Rectangle().stroke(Color.black, lineWidth: 1) // Outer bottom/right
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)
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.overlay(
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Rectangle().stroke(Color.white, lineWidth: 1).padding(1) // Inner top/left
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)
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}
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.frame(maxWidth: .infinity)
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.padding(16)
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.background(Color(hex: "C0C0C0"))
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}
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.frame(width: 300)
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// Outset border for window
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.border(Color(hex: "808080"), width: 2)
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.padding()
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}
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}
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}
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```
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- You cannot use `.cornerRadius()` anywhere in Vaporwave design.
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- The Win95 3D bevel is achieved by stacking `.border()` and `.overlay(Rectangle().stroke())` with different colors (white for top/left, dark gray for bottom/right).
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### Flutter
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```dart
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class VaporwaveScreen extends StatelessWidget {
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@override
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Widget build(BuildContext context) {
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return Scaffold(
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body: Container(
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decoration: const BoxDecoration(
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gradient: LinearGradient(begin: Alignment.topCenter, end: Alignment.bottomCenter, colors: [Color(0xFFFF99CC), Color(0xFF99CCFF)]),
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),
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child: Center(
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child: Container(
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width: 300,
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decoration: const BoxDecoration(
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color: Color(0xFFC0C0C0),
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// Classic Win95 Outset Border
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border: Border(
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top: BorderSide(color: Colors.white, width: 2),
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left: BorderSide(color: Colors.white, width: 2),
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bottom: BorderSide(color: Color(0xFF808080), width: 2),
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right: BorderSide(color: Color(0xFF808080), width: 2),
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),
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),
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child: Column(
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mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
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children: [
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// Title Bar
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Container(
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padding: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: 4, vertical: 2),
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margin: const EdgeInsets.all(2),
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decoration: const BoxDecoration(gradient: LinearGradient(colors: [Color(0xFF000080), Color(0xFF1084D0)])),
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child: Row(
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mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.spaceBetween,
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children: [
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const Text('AESTHETIC.exe', style: TextStyle(color: Colors.white, fontWeight: FontWeight.bold)),
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Container(color: const Color(0xFFC0C0C0), padding: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: 4), child: const Text('X', style: TextStyle(fontWeight: FontWeight.bold))),
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],
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),
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),
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// Content
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Padding(
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padding: const EdgeInsets.all(16.0),
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child: Column(
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children: [
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const Text('nostalgia.sys loaded.', style: TextStyle(fontFamily: 'Tahoma')),
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const SizedBox(height: 16),
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// Outset Button
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Container(
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padding: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: 24, vertical: 8),
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decoration: const BoxDecoration(
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color: Color(0xFFC0C0C0),
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border: Border(
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top: BorderSide(color: Colors.white, width: 2), left: BorderSide(color: Colors.white, width: 2),
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bottom: BorderSide(color: Color(0xFF808080), width: 2), right: BorderSide(color: Color(0xFF808080), width: 2),
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),
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),
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child: const Text('OK'),
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)
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],
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),
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)
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],
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),
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),
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),
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),
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);
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}
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}
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```
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- Flutter's `BoxDecoration` supports complex `Border` definitions where you can set `BorderSide` colors independently. This perfectly recreates CSS `outset` / `inset`.
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### React Native
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```jsx
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const VaporwaveScreen = () => {
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return (
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<LinearGradient colors={['#ff99cc', '#99ccff']} style={{ flex: 1, justifyContent: 'center', alignItems: 'center' }}>
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{/* Window */}
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<View style={{
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backgroundColor: '#C0C0C0', width: 300,
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borderTopWidth: 2, borderLeftWidth: 2, borderTopColor: '#FFF', borderLeftColor: '#FFF',
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borderBottomWidth: 2, borderRightWidth: 2, borderBottomColor: '#808080', borderRightColor: '#808080',
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padding: 2
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}}>
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{/* Title Bar */}
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<LinearGradient colors={['#000080', '#1084d0']} start={{x: 0, y: 0}} end={{x: 1, y: 0}} style={{ flexDirection: 'row', justifyContent: 'space-between', padding: 4 }}>
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<Text style={{ color: '#FFF', fontWeight: 'bold' }}>AESTHETIC.exe</Text>
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<View style={{ backgroundColor: '#C0C0C0', paddingHorizontal: 4 }}><Text style={{ fontWeight: 'bold' }}>X</Text></View>
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</LinearGradient>
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<View style={{ padding: 16, alignItems: 'center' }}>
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<Text style={{ fontFamily: 'monospace', marginBottom: 16 }}>nostalgia.sys</Text>
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{/* Outset Button */}
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<TouchableOpacity style={{
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backgroundColor: '#C0C0C0', paddingHorizontal: 24, paddingVertical: 8,
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borderTopWidth: 2, borderLeftWidth: 2, borderTopColor: '#FFF', borderLeftColor: '#FFF',
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borderBottomWidth: 2, borderRightWidth: 2, borderBottomColor: '#808080', borderRightColor: '#808080',
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}}>
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<Text style={{ fontWeight: 'bold' }}>OK</Text>
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</TouchableOpacity>
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</View>
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</View>
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</LinearGradient>
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);
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};
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```
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- Use independent border color styles (`borderTopColor: '#FFF'`, `borderBottomColor: '#808080'`) to build 90s OS chroming.
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- Make sure to use Japanese fullwidth characters for text for maximum vaporwave aesthetic.
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### Jetpack Compose
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```kotlin
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@Composable
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fun VaporwaveScreen() {
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Box(
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modifier = Modifier
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.fillMaxSize()
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.background(Brush.verticalGradient(listOf(Color(0xFFFF99CC), Color(0xFF99CCFF)))),
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contentAlignment = Alignment.Center
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) {
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// Window
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Column(
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modifier = Modifier
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.width(300.dp)
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// Custom drawn Outset border
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.drawBehind {
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val stroke = 4f
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// Bottom/Right (Dark)
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drawLine(Color(0xFF808080), Offset(0f, size.height), Offset(size.width, size.height), stroke)
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drawLine(Color(0xFF808080), Offset(size.width, 0f), Offset(size.width, size.height), stroke)
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// Top/Left (Light)
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drawLine(Color.White, Offset(0f, 0f), Offset(size.width, 0f), stroke)
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drawLine(Color.White, Offset(0f, 0f), Offset(0f, size.height), stroke)
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}
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.background(Color(0xFFC0C0C0))
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.padding(2.dp)
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) {
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// Title Bar
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Row(
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modifier = Modifier
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.fillMaxWidth()
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.background(Brush.horizontalGradient(listOf(Color(0xFF000080), Color(0xFF1084D0))))
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.padding(4.dp),
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horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.SpaceBetween
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) {
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Text("AESTHETIC.exe", color = Color.White, fontWeight = FontWeight.Bold)
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Box(modifier = Modifier.background(Color(0xFFC0C0C0)).padding(horizontal = 4.dp)) {
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Text("X", fontWeight = FontWeight.Bold)
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}
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}
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// Content
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Column(modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth().padding(16.dp), horizontalAlignment = Alignment.CenterHorizontally) {
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Text("Welcome to the 90s.", fontFamily = FontFamily.Monospace)
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Spacer(Modifier.height(16.dp))
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// Win95 Button
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Box(
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modifier = Modifier
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.clickable { }
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.drawBehind {
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val stroke = 4f
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drawLine(Color(0xFF808080), Offset(0f, size.height), Offset(size.width, size.height), stroke)
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drawLine(Color(0xFF808080), Offset(size.width, 0f), Offset(size.width, size.height), stroke)
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drawLine(Color.White, Offset(0f, 0f), Offset(size.width, 0f), stroke)
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drawLine(Color.White, Offset(0f, 0f), Offset(0f, size.height), stroke)
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}
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.padding(horizontal = 24.dp, vertical = 8.dp)
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) {
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Text("OK", fontWeight = FontWeight.Bold)
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}
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}
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}
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}
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}
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```
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- Compose's `Modifier.border` draws on all sides equally. To achieve the 90s outset look, you must use `Modifier.drawBehind` and manually draw the top/left lines in white and bottom/right lines in dark gray.
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## Do's and Don'ts
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- **DO**: Use authentic 90s icons (pixelated hourglasses, folders, error dialogs).
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- **DON'T**: Use modern drop shadows or rounded corners. The 90s UI was sharp and jagged.
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## Limitations
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- This is a styling reference and does not replace environment-specific validation, accessibility testing, or expert review.
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- Ensure appropriate contrast ratios and responsive behaviors are verified separately.
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