Super-powered Layouts with CSS Grid + CSS Variables

CSS Grid (CSS Grid Layout Module Level 1)

Why not just use flexbox?

Grid terminology

Grid .grid { display: grid; }

Tracks (rows and columns)

Cells

Grid-areas

Gutters .grid { grid-column-gap: 20px; }

Gutters .grid { grid-row-gap: 20px; }

Defining a grid

On the container: .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 200px 200px 200px 200px; grid-template-rows: 150px 150px 150px 150px; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/eLZwVg

On the container: .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 200px 200px 200px 200px; grid-template-rows: 150px 150px 150px 150px; grid-column-gap: 20px; grid-row-gap: 20px; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/eLZwVg

codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/eLZwVg

repeat() .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 200px); grid-template-rows: repeat(4, 150px); } grid-gap: 20px; codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/eLZwVg

Shorthand .grid { display: grid; grid-template: repeat(4, 150px) / repeat(4, 200px); } grid-gap: 20px; codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/eLZwVg

Shorthand .grid { display: grid; grid-template: repeat(4, 150px) / repeat(4, 200px); grid-gap: 20px; // grid-row-gap / grid-column-gap } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/eLZwVg

Flexible units (fr) .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr); } grid-template-rows: 150px; grid-gap: 20px; codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/eLZwVg

Flexible units (fr) .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 200px) 1fr; } grid-template-rows: 150px; grid-gap: 20px; codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/wEdjqX

Flexible units (fr) codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/wEdjqX

Implicit tracks .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr); grid-auto-rows: 150px; } grid-gap: 20px; codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/eLZwVg

codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/eLZwVg

Placing items

Auto-placement <div class="grid"> <div class="grid__item">1</div> <div class="grid__item">2</div> <div class="grid__item">3</div> </div> codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/gdrVXP

codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/gdrVXP

<header> <main> <aside> codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/YOqmjP

Placing items by grid line <div class="grid"> <header></header> <main></main> <aside></aside> </div>

codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/YOqmjP

Placing items by grid line header { grid-column-start: 1; grid-column-end: 5; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/YOqmjP

codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/YOqmjP

Placing items by grid line main { grid-column-start: 1; grid-column-end: 4; grid-row-start: 2; grid-row-end: 5; } aside { grid-column-start: 4; grid-column-end: 5; grid-row-start: 2; grid-row-end: 4; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/YOqmjP

codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/YOqmjP

Placing items by grid line header { grid-column: 1 / 5; } main { grid-column: 1 / 4; grid-row: 2 / 5; } aside { // grid-column: 4 / 5; - unnecessary as will be auto-placed grid-row: span 2; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/YOqmjP

codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/YOqmjP

Placing items by grid line main { grid-column: 1 / 4; grid-row: 2 / 4; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/YOqmjP

Placing items by grid line main { grid-column: span 3; grid-row: 2 / 4; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/YOqmjP

Placing items by grid line main { grid-column: 1 / span 3; grid-row: 2 / 4; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/YOQLLZ

Placing items by grid line main { grid-column: span 3 / 4; grid-row: 2 / 4; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/YOqmjP

Naming lines .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: [header-start main-start] repeat(3, 1fr) [main-end] 1fr [header-end]; grid-auto-rows: 150px; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/OobJaa

header-start main-start main-end header-end codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/OobJaa

Grid areas header { grid-column: header; } main { grid-column: main grid-row: 2 / 5; } aside { grid-row: span 2; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/OobJaa

grid-template-areas .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr); grid-auto-rows: 150px; grid-template-areas: "h h h h" "m m m a" "m m m a” "m m m a” "m m m .”; grid-gap: 20px; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/OobJqr

grid-template-areas header { grid-area: h; } main { grid-area: m; } aside { grid-area: a; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/OobJqr

CSS Variables (a.k.a. Custom Properties)

CSS Variables Preprocessor != Variables

CSS Variables

Dynamic variables

CSS Variables

Preprocessor = Variables let const

Declaring variables :root { --bgColor: red; }

Using variables .my-component { background-color: var(--bgColor); }

Defaults .my-component { background-color: var(--bgColor, orange); } .my-component:last-child { --bgColor: red; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/MXXQRq

Defaults .box { background-color: var(--bgColor, orange); } .purple { --bgColor: rebeccaPurple; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/rKKdBP

Defaults <div class="box"></div> .box { background-color: orange; }

<div class="purple"> <div class="box"></div> </div> .box { background-color: rebeccaPurple; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/rKKdBP

CSS Variables + CSS Grid

Managing complex grid declarations

Managing complex grid declarations .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: [outer-start] minmax(20px, 1fr) [wrapper-start] repeat(24, minmax(0, 30px)) [wrapper-end] minmax(20px, 1fr) [outer-end]; grid-template-rows: [outer-start] 1fr [text-top-end] 40px [heading-start] auto [heading-end] 40px [text-bottom-start] 1fr [outer-end]; grid-gap: 0 20px; }

Managing complex grid declarations :root { --colWidth: 30px; --gutter: 20px; @media (min-width: 1600px) { --colWidth: 50px; —-gutter: 30px; } }

Managing complex grid declarations .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: [outer-start] minmax(20px, 1fr) [wrapper-start] repeat(24, minmax(0, var(--colWidth))) [wrapper-end] minmax(20px, 1fr) [outer-end]; grid-template-rows: [outer-start] 1fr [text-top-end] 40px [heading-start] auto [heading-end] 40px [text-bottom-start] 1fr [outer-end]; grid-gap: 0 var(—-gutter); } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/NzYbVO

Managing component variants

<article class="grid"> <figure class=“grid__img"></figure> <div class=“grid__text”></div> </article> codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/XBPMZZ

Managing component variants codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/XBPMZZ

Managing component variants .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: [start] minmax(20px, 1fr) [wrapper-start] repeat(12, minmax(0, 70px)) [wrapper-end] minmax(20px, 1fr) [end]; grid-gap: 20px; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/XBPMZZ

Managing component variants .grid__img { grid-column: wrapper-start / 9; } .grid__text { grid-column: 10 / span 4; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/XBPMZZ

Managing component variants codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/XBPMZZ

Managing component variants .grid__img { grid-column: var(—-imgStart, wrapper-start) / span var(--imgSpan, 6); } .grid__text { grid-column: var(--textStart, 10) / span 4; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/XBPMZZ

Managing component variants .grid—-a { --textStart: 9; --imgStart: wrapper-start; } .grid—-b { —-textStart: 9; --imgStart: start; } .grid—-c { —-imgSpan: 6; } codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/XBPMZZ

CSS Variables + Javascript

Get property value: getComputedStyle(element).getPropertyValue("--myVariable") (Returns a string) Set property value: element.style.setProperty("--myVariable", 4)

Demo CSS Grid background generator codepen.io/michellebarker/pen/xabrLv

Resources Grid by Example (Rachel Andrew) gridbyexample.com Layout Land (Jen Simmons) layout.land CSS Grid Playground (MDN) mozilladevelopers.github.io/playground/css-grid CSS { In Real Life } css-irl.info

Thanks for listening @mbarker_84 / @CSSInRealLife