The Power of CSS Variables
CSS Custom Properties (also known as CSS Variables) offer a powerful way to manage design systems. They provide a centralized, maintainable approach to styling components while preserving design consistency across platforms.
Example Base Variables
:root {
--color-primary: #6366f1;
--color-secondary: #c084fc;
--font-size-base: 16px;
}
These variables create a foundation that can be reused across your design system components.
Creating a Theming System
Theming Strategy
- • Define semantic color variables
- • Create separate themes for light/dark modes
- • Use utility variables for spacing and typography
- • Implement brand-specific palettes
Implementation Tips
Use nested variables for cascading control, and establish a fallback hierarchy for consistent fallbacks in older browsers.
Dynamic Theming with JavaScript
function setTheme(theme) {
document.documentElement.style.setProperty('--color-primary',
theme === 'dark' ? '#3730a3' : '#6366f1');
}
document.querySelector('button').addEventListener('click', () => {
setTheme(document.documentElement.dataset.theme === 'dark' ? 'light' : 'dark');
});
Testing Considerations
Cross-Browser Compatibility
Component Consistency
Theme Switching