CSS Variables: How To Use Them Like A Pro
CSS variables help in the creation of more stable style sheets that can be modified quickly and safely.
CSS variables, widely known as custom properties, help reduce redundancy in style sheets.
It saves you time and effort when making changes to your design. You may also be sure that you will not miss any values that need to be updated.
With DOM access, you may create variables, save them, and reuse them across your style sheet.
CSS Variables: Concept and Use
CSS variables may be used in every property that accepts a value to make your style sheets more structured, clean, and reusable.
Look at the following HTML and CSS scripts that don’t use CSS variables.
HTML:
CSS:
This is how your page should look:
Because the .btn class in the previous style sheet is not dynamic, you must construct a new class to change individual buttons.
Creating great websites needs a dynamic front-end style. Adding buttons in this way will just make the work harder to complete.
CSS variables, like those in most programming languages, must be set up and modified.
To create a CSS variable, use double hyphens before the variable name:
You can create a variable anywhere, but keep in mind that you can only use that variable within the filled selector. As a result, CSS variables are often set within the root selector. This targets the highest-level element of the DOM and makes the variables globally available to the whole HTML document.
To add the variable into your CSS style, use the var() property:
There are two variables in the root selector: — primary and — secondary.
Both variables are then replaced as a color and background color in the .btn class.
Specific components may be styled much more simply when using variables.
By reusing variables, you may easily modify a value once and have it updated in all situations.
A second parameter can be sent to the var() property.
If the first parameter is not defined or is invalid, this argument serves as a backup value.
As an example:
Add the — primary variable into the color style in this example.
If this value fails for any reason, the style sheet will fall back to the second value.
As a fallback value, you may alternatively use another CSS variable.
Using JavaScript to Manipulate and Control CSS Variables
Using JavaScript to control CSS variables may be a powerful way to change the look and feel of your website on the fly.
You may adjust the values of these variables in JavaScript and see the changes reflected in your site.
It’s important to remember that any modifications performed using JavaScript will only be effective for the current session.
To persist the changes, you must either update the source or save the new value on the client, such as in a cookie.
Here’s an example of using JavaScript to change the value of a CSS variable.
HTML:
CSS:
When the user clicks on the first button in this JavaScript code, the changeColor() function changes its color.
DOM traversal methods let you access and manipulate the classes and selectors used in your HTML document.
Before you press the button:
After pressing the button:
You can also use JavaScript to add new CSS variables or remove existing ones.
As an example:
CSS Variables: How to Use Them in Web Development
Here are a few important things to remember while using CSS variables.
Start with a well-defined class name.
Select a naming strategy for your variables that is simple to understand and use.
Use a term like — color- for color variables or — spacing- for spacing variables, for example.
Variables can be used in Media Queries.
Make it simple to change your design for different screen sizes by using variables in media queries.
Use CSS’s Cascading Nature to Your Advantage
Remember that CSS variables are cascading, which means that changing a variable on a parent element affects all of its descendants.
CSS Variables Should Be Used With Care
Using too many CSS variables can cause confusion, so use them carefully and only when they make sense and improve the maintainability of your code.
Put Your Variables to the Test
CSS variables are a one-of-a-kind technique to write clean, maintainable code within your style sheet.
It should be mentioned that they are not yet fully supported by all browsers.
As a result, you should verify your variables for browser compatibility to make sure they work as intended and that any fallback values work as expected.
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