Are you a library builder looking to create CSS without a hefty import? Welcome to the world of CSS-Render, an innovative solution that generates CSS using JavaScript with remarkable flexibility and extensibility, tailored for both server-side and client-side use. This guide will walk you through getting started and troubleshooting your implementation.

What is CSS-Render?

CSS-Render is primarily designed for library developers who want to ship their libraries without CSS imports, all while maintaining a minimal overhead. This tool doesn’t intend to replace existing style solutions but acts as a progressive addition to your styling toolkit.

Why Should You Use CSS-Render?

• Redirects library deployment without CSS, saving bandwidth (only 2kb with gzip).
• Reduces duplication in static CSS by generating styles dynamically.
• Allows for writing style variables directly in JavaScript.
• Supports a simple SSR API, currently available for Vue 3.

Basic Example to Get Started

Here’s an analogy to better understand how CSS-Render works: think of it as a chef (JavaScript) who designs a delicious menu (CSS) based on what ingredients (props) are available at the moment. The chef skillfully blends the ingredients together to create a masterpiece, which can be modified as per guests’ preferences.

Now, let’s see how to install and use it:

bash
$ npm install --save-dev css-render

After installation, you can start using it in your JavaScript:

js
import CssRender from 'css-render';
// CommonJS:
const CssRender = require('css-render');

const c = CssRender();
const style = c('body', (props) => ({
  margin: 0,
  backgroundColor: props.backgroundColor,
}), [
  c('.dark', { backgroundColor: 'black' }),
  c('.container', { width: '100%' })
]);

// Use it as a string
console.log(style.render({ backgroundColor: 'white' }));
// Or mount on document.head (for browser only)
style.mount();
style.unmount();

This generates the following CSS:

css
body {
  margin: 0;
  background-color: white;
}
body.dark {
  background-color: black;
}
body .container {
  width: 100%;
}

Using the BEM Plugin

Incorporating a BEM plugin can elevate your CSS rendering experience, helping generate BEM-compliant CSS seamlessly.

bash
$ npm install --save-dev css-render @css-render/plugin-bem

To use the BEM plugin, implement the following:

js
import CssRender from 'css-render';
import bem from '@css-render/plugin-bem';
// CommonJS:
const CssRender = require('css-render');
const plugin = require('@css-render/plugin-bem');

const cssr = CssRender();
cssr.use(plugin.bind({ blockPrefix: '.c-' }));

const { cB, cE, cM } = plugin;
const style = cB('container', [
  cE('left', { width: '50%' }),
  cM('dark', [
    cE('left', { backgroundColor: 'black' }),
  ])
]);

// Use it as a string
console.log(style.render());
// Or mount on document.head (for browser only)
style.mount();
style.unmount();

This will generate structured, BEM-compliant CSS:

css
.c-container .c-container__left,
.c-container .c-container__right {
  width: 50%;
}
.c-container.c-container--dark .c-container__left,
.c-container.c-container--dark .c-container__right {
  background-color: black;
}

Troubleshooting Your CSS-Render Integration

If you encounter issues during integration, consider the following troubleshooting tips:

• Ensure your JavaScript environment supports modern syntax.
• Check if all installed dependencies are correctly imported.
• Verify if CSS-Render is properly mounted in the browser environment.
• Double-check prop values passed into styles if they do not reflect correctly.

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Conclusion

At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.