Dynamic CSS Styling for Variable Value Classes

Introduction:

When you have multiple tables or elements with slightly different names but you want a consistent style applied, how do you go about it without writing repetitive code?

For instance, you might have tables named my-table-1590, my-table-1400, and my-table-1121, and you want to apply the same style to all of them. Let’s explore how to do this effectively using CSS and additional tools like JavaScript or server-side rendering.

Using Attribute Selectors in CSS

If you need to target elements based on their class names, you can use attribute selectors. In your case, you want to apply a style to elements whose class name contains the string my-table.

Here is an example of how to do it:

[class*"my-table"][class*"my-table"] .my-table--desktop .my-table-product-0 {
background-color: red;
}

Please note that this selector targets elements whose class attribute contains both my-table and my-table. You may need to adjust the selector to fit your exact needs. Additionally, it's always good to test thoroughly before deploying this in a production environment.

Note: This method is effective, but it isn't the most efficient when the number of classes or the structure of the class names is complex.

BEM Naming Convention and CSS Variables

BEM (Block Element Modifier) is a naming convention that helps organize your CSS classes in a logical manner.

For example, if you want a red background for elements with the class my-table, you can define a CSS class .color--red and apply it accordingly:

.color--red {
  background-color: red;
}

Then, you can apply this class to any element like so:

.my-table {
  .color--red {
    background-color: red;
  }
}

This approach is more maintainable and easier to manage as your project grows.

Dynamic Styling with JavaScript

If you have a variety of possible class names or need more flexibility, you might want to use JavaScript. By setting the class name dynamically, you can apply styles to elements based on their current class names.

For example, you can use JavaScript to check the class name and change the background color:

const elements  document.querySelectorAll('[class*"my-table"]');
(el  {
    'red';
});

This code finds all elements with a class that contains my-table and sets their background color to red.

Best Practices:

Always use CSS classes for styling. Inline styles are not recommended as they are hard to maintain. Use BEM for better organization and readability. For dynamic styling, consider using JavaScript to avoid making changes directly in the DOM. Server-side rendering is the best way to handle variable value classes if you have dynamic content.

In conclusion, while attribute selectors in CSS can be useful, they are not the best option for dynamic styling. Instead, leverage CSS variables and the BEM method for clean and maintainable code, and use JavaScript as needed to manage dynamic styles.