CSS Variables

CSS Variables (also known as Custom Properties) allow you to store reusable values in your stylesheets, which can make managing and maintaining CSS much easier, especially for large projects.

Declaring CSS Variables

CSS Variables are defined using the — prefix and are stored in a selector, typically the :root pseudo-class, which represents the top-level element of the document (usually ).

Example:

:root { –main-color: #3498db; –font-size: 16px; }

Here, we have defined two custom properties: –main-color and –font-size.

Using CSS Variables

You can use these variables throughout your stylesheet with the var() function.

Example:

With CSS, you can create visually appealing image galleries that respond well to different screen sizes.

Example:

body { color: var(–main-color); font-size: var(–font-size); }

This applies the –main-color and –font-size values to the element.

Fallback Values

The var() function allows you to provide a fallback value, which will be used if the variable is not defined.

Example:

body { color: var(–main-color, black); }

If –main-color is not defined, the text color will default to black.

Why Use CSS Variables?

1. Reusability: Define a value once and use it anywhere.

2. Maintainability: If you want to change a value (e.g., a color or a font size), you only need to update it in one place.

3. Dynamic: You can change the value of a variable using JavaScript, making your styles dynamic and adaptable.

CSS Variables with JavaScript

CSS Variables can be updated dynamically using JavaScript, giving you greater control over the style of your web page.

Example:

In this example, we change the background color from light blue to light green using JavaScript.

Conclusion

With this blog, we’ve explored several advanced features like CSS Tooltips, object-fit, object-position, CSS Masking, and Pagination, which can greatly improve user interaction and visual design. Additionally, we discussed Multiple Columns for flexible layouts and CSS Variables for streamlined styling management. These tools empower you to build highly dynamic and visually appealing websites, rounding off what we began in this blog with transitions and transformations. Keep practicing, and stay tuned as we continue with more advanced CSS features in the upcoming blog!

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CSS Variables