Custom Properties are Changing The Way We Style With CSS

The introduction of custom properties to the Cascading Stylesheet (CSS) language is one of the biggest developments in web development in recent memory. Custom properties give developers more flexibility and control over their designs, allowing for an almost limitless range of design possibilities. In this post, we will explore how custom properties work, why they have become so popular with developers, and provide some tips on using them efficiently!

What Exactly Are “Custom Properties”?
A custom property is essentially a variable defined within your stylesheet that can hold any associated value you set it to contain. This could include unit types such as pixel values or percentages; media query statements; literal strings (or even full function bodies); gradients; and much more - just about anything that would typically go inside regular CSS code blocks. With custom properties, different elements on your page can then reference these declared variables instead of having hard-coded values assigned directly to each element's style declarations – thus making maintenance easier since smaller changes require fewer adjustments across multiple selectors when necessary. Plus, if you want dynamically responsive websites with different themes according to user preferences there has never been a better time than now thanks to custom properties working together alongside other exciting emerging technologies like native contrast mode support via prefers-color-scheme!

How/Why Have Custom Properties Become So Popular?
Custom Properties offer several benefits compared to hard-coding values within inline style tags: maintainability through fewer lines written due to writing reusable props which utilize short codes instead of long strings of files referenced many times side by side just because small things changed here and there between them all OR memory optimization due to only loading what you need to give certain conditions at runtime rather than preloading everything available upfront etc... Essentially writing smarter applications results in faster overall experiences too once coupled up properly with server-side rendering as well ;)

---

Custom Properties, also known as CSS variables, is a way to store and reuse values in CSS. They are declared using the "--" syntax and can be used anywhere in your stylesheet, similar to any other CSS property. They can also be dynamically updated with JavaScript, making them a powerful tool for creating dynamic and responsive designs.

Example:

cssCopy code:root {
  --main-color: blue;
}

h1 {
  color: var(--main-color);
}

Sure, here are a few more examples of using custom properties in CSS:

1. Background color theme switcher:

cssCopy code:root {
  --primary-color: #FFC107;
  --secondary-color: #607D8B;
}

body {
  background-color: var(--primary-color);
}

button {
  background-color: var(--secondary-color);
}

button:hover {
  background-color: var(--primary-color);
}

1. Responsive typography:

cssCopy code:root {
  --base-font-size: 16px;
  --header-font-size: 24px;
}

body {
  font-size: var(--base-font-size);
}

h1 {
  font-size: var(--header-font-size);
}

@media (max-width: 768px) {
  :root {
    --base-font-size: 14px;
    --header-font-size: 20px;
  }
}

1. Spacing variables:

cssCopy code:root {
  --space-unit: 1rem;
  --small-space: 0.5rem;
  --large-space: 2rem;
}

.container {
  padding: var(--large-space);
}

.item {
  margin: var(--small-space) 0;
}

.item + .item {
  margin-top: var(--space-unit);
}

CSS's addition of customizable high-performance technology known as 'custom properties' greatly increases the versatility available through.

If you have any issues or questions about it, feel free to contact me. Thank you 🌟 for reading! like, share and subscribe to my newsletter for more!

🔗Debasish Lenka