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+# Application Layout Framework (ALF)
+
+ALF is a low-level styling system inspired by prior art like
+[styled-system](https://github.com/styled-system/styled-system) and others.
+
+It consists of two core parts: one or more **themes** and a single **system**.
+Although a theme really comes first, you'll most often interact with the system,
+so we'll start there.
+
+## System
+
+The _system_ is just the "layout system", and it's created from a set of themes.
+
+```typescript
+import {createSystem} from '#/alf/lib/system'
+import {light, dark} from '#/alf/themes'
+
+const {
+  ThemeProvider,
+  styled,
+  useStyle,
+  useStyles,
+  useTheme,
+  useTokens,
+  useBreakpoints,
+} = createSystem({
+  light,
+  dark,
+})
+```
+
+### ThemeProvider
+
+The `ThemeProvider` expects a single prop `theme`, which corresponds to the
+_keys_ of the object passed to `createSystem`, which should correspond to your
+theme names. Using the above, `theme` should be `light` or `dark`.
+
+
+```typescript
+<ThemeProvider theme='light'>...</ThemeProvider>
+```
+
+### styled
+
+Convenience method to create a themeable component from another primitive.
+Accepts a component and an object of default styles. Typically only be used in a
+few places, like for creating primitive `Box` and `Text` components.
+
+**Do not get carried away with this. Multiple levels of nesting is performance
+intensive, and is hard to debug.**
+
+```tsx
+import {styled} from '#/alf/system'
+
+const Box = styled(View, {})
+
+<Box c='primary' gtMobile={{ pa: 'm' }} />
+```
+
+> An additional feature of `styled` components is a boolean `debug` prop that
+> will print the processed styles and properties to the console.
+
+### useStyle
+
+Mid-level hook to create themed styles with the full theme config at your
+disposal. Most often helpful when styling 3rd party libraries, such as a
+dropdown.
+
+```tsx
+const styles = useStyle({
+  c: 'primary',
+  gtMobile: {
+    c: 'secondary',
+  },
+})
+
+<DropdownItem style={styles} />
+```
+
+### useStyles
+
+Mid-level hook to create _named_ and themed styles with the full theme config at
+your disposal. Most often helpful when styling 3rd party libraries, such as a
+dropdown. Think of this as similar to `StyleSheet.create`.
+
+```typescript
+const { outer, header } = useStyles({
+  outer: {
+    px: 'm',
+    gtMobile: {
+      px: 'l',
+    },
+  },
+  header: {
+    fontSize: 'xl',
+  }
+})
+
+<View style={outer}>
+  <Text style={header}>Hello</Text>
+</View>
+```
+
+### useTheme
+
+Returns the full currently-active theme object e.g. `light` or `dark`, and all utils attached.
+Really only used when you need low-level access.
+
+```typescript
+const theme = useTheme()
+const styles = theme.style({
+  c: 'blue',
+})
+```
+
+### useTokens
+
+Returns just the design tokens of the currently-active theme.
+
+```tsx
+const tokens = useTokens()
+
+<View style={{ color: tokens.color.blue }} />
+```
+
+### useBreakpoints
+
+Returns the current and active breakpoints, which are stored on the theme
+context.
+
+```typescript
+const { current, active } = useBreakpoints()
+
+// =>
+{
+  current: 'gtTablet',
+  active: [
+    'gtTablet',
+    'gtMobile',
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+## Themes
+
+Themes are made up of a collection of utilities and created from a set of design
+tokens and other configuration. They are external to React, and can be used
+directly if low-level access is needed.
+
+### Creating a theme
+
+```typescript
+import {createTheme} from '#/alf/lib/theme'
+
+const light = createTheme(config)
+```
+
+Config consists of:
+
+#### Tokens
+
+Tokens a.k.a. "design tokens", are the smallest building block of the design
+system. The name of each token directly corresponds to the name of the CSS
+property, with the exception of `space`, which is used as a value source for
+properties like `width` unless a specific `width` scale is configured.
+
+```typescript
+createTheme({
+  tokens: {
+    // special token in ALF
+    space: {
+      s: 8,
+      m: 12,
+      l: 18,
+    },
+    // matches CSS prop name exactly
+    color: {
+      blue: '#0000FF',
+    },
+    // matches CSS prop name exactly
+    fontSize: {
+      s: 14,
+      m: 16,
+      l: 18,
+    }
+  }
+})
+```
+
+#### Properties
+
+Properties are a mapping property names to actual CSS properties. Internally,
+ALF specifies a mapping of all supported CSS properties. When creating a theme
+is a time to specify "shorthands" or "aliases" a.k.a. syntax sugar. Docblocks
+will persist and be available for intellisense.
+
+```typescript
+createTheme({
+  tokens: {...},
+  properties: {
+    /** Alias for `width` */
+    w: ['width'],
+    /** Alias for `color` */
+    c: ['color'],
+    /** Alias for all directional margin properties */
+    ma: ['marginTop', 'marginBottom', 'marginLeft', 'marginRight'],
+  }
+})
+```
+
+#### Breakpoints
+
+In ALF, breakpoints are applied as the equivalent of `min-width` CSS media
+queries, meaning your base styles are mobile, and breakpoints are then applied
+in order. You can name these anything you want, but we recommend the `gt`
+prefix; basically "greater than N".
+
+Given the below, at 1000px wide, both the base and the styles applied in
+`gtMobile` will be applied.
+
+
+```typescript
+createTheme({
+  tokens: {...},
+  properties: {...},
+  breakpoints: {
+    /** Greater than 800 */
+    gtMobile: 800,
+    /** Greater than 1300 */
+    gtTablet: 1300,
+  }
+})
+```
+
+#### Macros
+
+Macros are further syntax sugar. They can be configured as boolean attributes,
+as allowing a specific set of values, as simple generic methods, or a
+combination.
+
+```typescript
+createTheme({
+  tokens: {...},
+  properties: {...},
+  breakpoints: {...},
+  macros: {
+    /** Shorthand for `flexDirection: 'row'` */
+    row: (_: boolean) => ({flexDirection: 'row', flex: 1}),
+    /**
+     * Shorthand for `flex: 1`. Optionally pass an integer to specify the
+     * col-span.
+     *
+     * Semantically this is helpful as a direct child of `<Box row>`
+     *
+     * @example
+     * <Box row>
+     *   <Box column>
+     *     <Text>Hello</Text>
+     *   </Box>
+     *   <Box column={2}>
+     *     <Text>Hello</Text>
+     *   </Box>
+     * </Box>
+     */
+    column: (span: boolean | number) => ({
+      flex: typeof span === 'number' ? span : 1,
+    }),
+    /** Shorthand for `alignItems: 'center'` */
+    aic: (_: boolean) => ({alignItems: 'center'}),
+  }
+})
+```
+
+Given the above config, creating a grid with `Box` (see next section) is as
+simple as:
+
+```tsx
+<Box row aic>
+  {/* 1/4 width */}
+  <Box column></Box>
+
+  {/* 1/2 width */}
+  <Box column={2}></Box>
+
+  {/* 1/4 width */}
+  <Box column></Box>
+</Box>
+```
+
+## Performance considerations
+
+### Memoize style objects
+
+For primitive components or those that render often, it's probably a good idea
+to memoize your style objects prior to passing them to one of the hooks or
+`Box`.
+
+```typescript
+function Component(props) {
+  const styles = useStyle(React.useMemo(() => ({
+    color: props.prop ? 'blue' : 'red',
+  }), [props.prop]))
+
+  return <View style={styles} />
+}
+```
+
+### Pre-define styles for list views
+
+For some simple `FlatList`s, you may be able to pre-define styles for list
+components, and pass them in as properties, instead of computing new styles for
+each component.