N
Nuxt•4d ago
McKayB

Access CSS Variables?

I have a main.css file that defines a few colors under :root. In my <style scoped> tags in components, these colors are not working, even though other parts of the main.css file are. (I've had it work in another project, and I can't figure out what I was doing differently there.) Minimal repoduction: https://stackblitz.com/edit/github-ed9uy1jz?file=assets%2Fmain.css
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17 Replies
kapa.ai
kapa.ai•4d ago
Hi @McKayB. I'm kapa.ai, your friendly support bot. I will try to answer your question by searching through the knowledge base. :wave: ---------------------- Based on the information provided in the knowledge sources, I can offer some insights into accessing CSS variables in Nuxt components. The issue you're experiencing with scoped styles not accessing CSS variables defined in your main.css file is likely related to how Nuxt handles component-level CSS and global styles. In Nuxt 3, there's been a change in how styles are inlined. According to the Nuxt Upgrade Guide, Nuxt now only inlines styles for Vue components, not global CSS. This change might be affecting how your global CSS variables are accessed within scoped component styles. To resolve this issue, you have a few options: 1. Use the css property in your Nuxt configuration to ensure your main.css file is included globally: 
   // nuxt.config.ts
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     css: ['~/assets/css/main.css']
   })
   
   // nuxt.config.ts
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     css: ['~/assets/css/main.css']
   })
This approach should make your CSS variables available throughout your application, including in scoped styles. 2. If you prefer to keep your current setup, you can revert to the previous behavior of inlining all CSS by setting inlineStyles: true in your Nuxt config: 
   // nuxt.config.ts
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     features: {
       inlineStyles: true
     }
   })
   
   // nuxt.config.ts
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     features: {
       inlineStyles: true
     }
   })
3. Another approach is to use the @import statement within your scoped styles to explicitly import the CSS file containing your variables: 
   <style scoped>
   @import '~/assets/css/main.css';
   /* Your component styles here */
   </style>
   
   <style scoped>
   @import '~/assets/css/main.css';
   /* Your component styles here */
   </style>
4. If you're using a preprocessor like SCSS, you can also consider using Vite's preprocessor options to inject your variables globally: 
   // nuxt.config.ts
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     vite: {
       css: {
         preprocessorOptions: {
           scss: {
             additionalData: '@use "~/assets/css/main.css" as *;'
           }
         }
       }
     }
   })
   
   // nuxt.config.ts
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     vite: {
       css: {
         preprocessorOptions: {
           scss: {
             additionalData: '@use "~/assets/css/main.css" as *;'
           }
         }
       }
     }
   })
These approaches should help you access your CSS variables within scoped styles. If you continue to face issues, it might be worth reviewing your project setup to ensure there are no conflicts or overrides happening elsewhere. For more detailed information on styling in Nuxt, you can refer to the Nuxt Styling documentation. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------
kapa.ai
kapa.ai•4d ago
<@327859552198459405> Kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.
McKayB
McKayBOP•4d ago
@kapa.ai What if I'm already doing your first suggestion and it's not working?
kapa.ai
kapa.ai•4d ago
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- If you're already using the css property in your Nuxt configuration to include your main.css file globally and it's still not working, there could be a few other reasons for this issue. Let's explore some additional possibilities and solutions: 1. CSS Layer Priority: The @nuxt/ui module might be interfering with your global styles. Try disabling the global CSS styles injected by the module: 
   // nuxt.config.ts
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     modules: ['@nuxt/ui'],
     ui: {
       disableGlobalStyles: true
     }
   })
   
   // nuxt.config.ts
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     modules: ['@nuxt/ui'],
     ui: {
       disableGlobalStyles: true
     }
   })
2. Inline Styles Configuration: As mentioned in the Nuxt Upgrade Guide, you can try forcing all styles to be inlined: 
   // nuxt.config.ts
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     features: {
       inlineStyles: true
     }
   })
   
   // nuxt.config.ts
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     features: {
       inlineStyles: true
     }
   })
3. CSS Modules: If you're using CSS Modules, make sure you're accessing the variables correctly. According to the Nuxt documentation on CSS Modules, you can use the module attribute and access it with the injected $style variable: 
   <template>
     <p :class="$style.myClass">This should use the CSS variable</p>
   </template>

   <style module>
   .myClass {
     color: var(--my-color-variable);
   }
   </style>
   
   <template>
     <p :class="$style.myClass">This should use the CSS variable</p>
   </template>

   <style module>
   .myClass {
     color: var(--my-color-variable);
   }
   </style>
4. Check File Paths: Ensure that the path to your main.css file is correct in the Nuxt configuration. It should be relative to the project root: 
   // nuxt.config.ts
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     css: ['~/assets/css/main.css']
   })
   
   // nuxt.config.ts
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     css: ['~/assets/css/main.css']
   })
5. Verify CSS Variable Definition: Make sure your CSS variables are correctly defined in your main.css file: 
   :root {
     --my-color-variable: #ff0000;
   }
   
   :root {
     --my-color-variable: #ff0000;
   }
6. Build Process: Sometimes, clearing the Nuxt cache and doing a fresh build can resolve unexpected styling issues: 
   npx nuxt cleanup
   npm run build
   npm run dev
   
   npx nuxt cleanup
   npm run build
   npm run dev
If none of these solutions work, it might be helpful to create a minimal reproduction of the issue in a fresh Nuxt project to isolate the problem. This would allow for a more detailed investigation of the specific setup causing the CSS variables to not be accessible in scoped styles. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------
kapa.ai
kapa.ai•4d ago
<@327859552198459405> Kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.
McKayB
McKayBOP•4d ago
@kapa.ai Yeah I made a minimal reproduction of the issue. These are the only files I modified from base Nuxt: nuxt.config.ts 
// https://nuxt.com/docs/api/configuration/nuxt-config
export default defineNuxtConfig({
  compatibilityDate: '2024-11-01',
  css: [
      "~/assets/main.css",
  ],
  devtools: { enabled: true }
})
// https://nuxt.com/docs/api/configuration/nuxt-config
export default defineNuxtConfig({
  compatibilityDate: '2024-11-01',
  css: [
      "~/assets/main.css",
  ],
  devtools: { enabled: true }
})
~/assets/main.css 
:root {
  --myCyan: hsl(187, 90, 45);
}

body {
  font-size: xx-large;
}
:root {
  --myCyan: hsl(187, 90, 45);
}

body {
  font-size: xx-large;
}
app.vue 
<template>
  <div>
    <NuxtRouteAnnouncer />
    <h1>My Example</h1>
  </div>
</template>

<style scoped>
div {
  background-color: red;
  color: var(--myCyan);
}
</style>
<template>
  <div>
    <NuxtRouteAnnouncer />
    <h1>My Example</h1>
  </div>
</template>

<style scoped>
div {
  background-color: red;
  color: var(--myCyan);
}
</style>
The background-color: red and the font-size rule are being applied fine. The var(--myCyan) is not.
kapa.ai
kapa.ai•4d ago
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- Thank you for providing the minimal reproduction of your issue. Based on the information you've shared and the knowledge sources available, I can offer some insights and potential solutions. The problem you're experiencing is likely related to how Nuxt 3 handles CSS variables and component-level styles. According to the Nuxt Upgrade Guide, Nuxt 3 has changed how it handles inline styles: "Nuxt will now only inline styles for Vue components, not global CSS." This change means that while your global CSS file (main.css) is being loaded, the CSS variables defined in it might not be accessible within scoped component styles. To resolve this issue, you can try the following solutions: 1. Use unscoped styles in your component: Remove the scoped attribute from your style tag in app.vue: 
   <style>
   div {
     background-color: red;
     color: var(--myCyan);
   }
   </style>
   
   <style>
   div {
     background-color: red;
     color: var(--myCyan);
   }
   </style>
2. Force Nuxt to inline all styles: Add the following to your nuxt.config.ts: 
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     // ... your existing config
     features: {
       inlineStyles: true
     }
   })
   
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     // ... your existing config
     features: {
       inlineStyles: true
     }
   })
This will revert to the previous behavior of inlining all CSS, including global styles. 3. Import the CSS file directly in your component: You can import the CSS file directly in your component's style block: 
   <style scoped>
   @import '~/assets/main.css';
   
   div {
     background-color: red;
     color: var(--myCyan);
   }
   </style>
   
   <style scoped>
   @import '~/assets/main.css';
   
   div {
     background-color: red;
     color: var(--myCyan);
   }
   </style>
4. Use CSS modules: If you prefer to keep scoped styles, you can use CSS modules to access global variables: 
   <template>
     <div :class="$style.myDiv">
       <NuxtRouteAnnouncer />
       <h1>My Example</h1>
     </div>
   </template>
<style module>
   .myDiv {
     background-color: red;
     color: var(--myCyan);
   }
   </style>
   
   <template>
     <div :class="$style.myDiv">
       <NuxtRouteAnnouncer />
       <h1>My Example</h1>
     </div>
   </template>
<style module>
   .myDiv {
     background-color: red;
     color: var(--myCyan);
   }
   </style>
These solutions should help you access the CSS variables defined in your main.css file within your component styles. If you continue to face issues, it might be worth checking if there are any other modules or configurations in your project that could be interfering with the CSS processing. Nuxt Styling documentation provides more detailed information on how to handle styles in Nuxt 3, which might be helpful for further troubleshooting. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------
kapa.ai
kapa.ai•4d ago
<@327859552198459405> Kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.
McKayB
McKayBOP•4d ago
@kapa.ai Your first solution doesn't make the cyan var work, it just makes other divs in the project turn red. Your second solution didn't do anything that I could see. Your third solution wiped out the red background and font-size CSS rules' behavior that was working before.
kapa.ai
kapa.ai•4d ago
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- I apologize for the confusion in my previous suggestions. Thank you for providing feedback on each solution. Let's try a different approach based on the information available in the knowledge sources. Given that the global CSS (including the font-size rule) is being applied, but the CSS variable is not working within the scoped style, we can try a more targeted solution. 1. First, let's ensure that the CSS variable is correctly defined and accessible. Modify your ~/assets/main.css file to include a class that uses the variable: 
   :root {
     --myCyan: hsl(187, 90%, 45%);
   }

   body {
     font-size: xx-large;
   }

   .cyan-text {
     color: var(--myCyan);
   }
   
   :root {
     --myCyan: hsl(187, 90%, 45%);
   }

   body {
     font-size: xx-large;
   }

   .cyan-text {
     color: var(--myCyan);
   }
2. Then, in your app.vue, use this class directly instead of trying to access the variable in the scoped style: 
   <template>
     <div class="cyan-text">
       <NuxtRouteAnnouncer />
       <h1>My Example</h1>
     </div>
   </template>

   <style scoped>
   div {
     background-color: red;
   }
   </style>
   
   <template>
     <div class="cyan-text">
       <NuxtRouteAnnouncer />
       <h1>My Example</h1>
     </div>
   </template>

   <style scoped>
   div {
     background-color: red;
   }
   </style>
This approach separates the global styles (including the CSS variable) from the scoped component styles, which should resolve the issue while maintaining the desired layout. If this solution doesn't work, there might be a more fundamental issue with how Nuxt is processing your CSS. In that case, you could try the following: 1. Ensure that your Nuxt version is up to date. 2. Try clearing the Nuxt cache and rebuilding your project: 
   npx nuxt cleanup
   npm run build
   npm run dev
   
   npx nuxt cleanup
   npm run build
   npm run dev
3. If the issue persists, it might be worth creating a new issue on the Nuxt GitHub repository with your minimal reproduction, as this behavior seems unexpected given the current Nuxt documentation. I apologize that I couldn't provide a more definitive solution based on the available knowledge sources. If you continue to face issues, it would be beneficial to seek help directly from the Nuxt community or create a GitHub issue for more specialized assistance. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------
kapa.ai
kapa.ai•4d ago
<@327859552198459405> Kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.
McKayB
McKayBOP•3d ago
@kapa.ai None of these variables: 
:root {
    --parchment: hsl(44, 40, 81);
    --invertParchment: hsl(231, 42, 6);
    --torquoise: hsl(190, 37, 63);
}
:root {
    --parchment: hsl(44, 40, 81);
    --invertParchment: hsl(231, 42, 6);
    --torquoise: hsl(190, 37, 63);
}
... are working, whether I use them in the same main.css file where they're created, or I try to use them in inline styles. They do, however, show up as being defined in the browser dev tools.
kapa.ai
kapa.ai•3d ago
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- Based on the information you've provided and the knowledge sources available, it seems you're experiencing a persistent issue with CSS variables in your Nuxt project. Let's analyze this situation and explore potential solutions. The fact that the CSS variables are showing up as defined in the browser dev tools but not working in your styles suggests that there might be a specificity or scope issue. Here are a few things to try: 1. Ensure correct syntax: Make sure your CSS variable definitions are correct. The HSL values should have commas between the parameters: 
   :root {
     --parchment: hsl(44, 40%, 81%);
     --invertParchment: hsl(231, 42%, 6%);
     --torquoise: hsl(190, 37%, 63%);
   }
   
   :root {
     --parchment: hsl(44, 40%, 81%);
     --invertParchment: hsl(231, 42%, 6%);
     --torquoise: hsl(190, 37%, 63%);
   }
2. Use variables in global styles: Try using these variables in your main.css file directly to see if they work: 
   body {
     background-color: var(--parchment);
     color: var(--invertParchment);
   }
   
   body {
     background-color: var(--parchment);
     color: var(--invertParchment);
   }
3. Inline styles in components: If you're using these in component inline styles, make sure you're applying them correctly: 
   <template>
     <div :style="{ backgroundColor: 'var(--parchment)' }">
       <!-- Your content -->
     </div>
   </template>
   
   <template>
     <div :style="{ backgroundColor: 'var(--parchment)' }">
       <!-- Your content -->
     </div>
   </template>
4. Check Nuxt configuration: Ensure your nuxt.config.ts is correctly importing the CSS file: 
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     css: ['~/assets/main.css'],
     // other configurations...
   })
   
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     css: ['~/assets/main.css'],
     // other configurations...
   })
5. Force inline styles: As mentioned in the Nuxt Upgrade Guide, you can try forcing Nuxt to inline all styles: 
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     features: {
       inlineStyles: true
     },
     // other configurations...
   })
   
   export default defineNuxtConfig({
     features: {
       inlineStyles: true
     },
     // other configurations...
   })
6. Use CSS modules: If you're working with component-scoped styles, consider using CSS modules to ensure your variables are accessible: 
   <template>
     <div :class="$style.myDiv">
       <!-- Your content -->
     </div>
   </template>

   <style module>
   .myDiv {
     background-color: var(--parchment);
     color: var(--invertParchment);
   }
   </style>
   
   <template>
     <div :class="$style.myDiv">
       <!-- Your content -->
     </div>
   </template>

   <style module>
   .myDiv {
     background-color: var(--parchment);
     color: var(--invertParchment);
   }
   </style>
If none of these solutions work, and given that the variables are showing up in the dev tools, there might be an issue with how Nuxt is processing your CSS or a conflict with other styles in your project. In this case, it would be advisable to: 1. Create a minimal reproduction of the issue in a fresh Nuxt project. 2. Check for any warnings or errors in the console during build or runtime. 3. Consider reporting this as an issue on the Nuxt GitHub repository with your minimal reproduction, as it might be a bug in how Nuxt is handling CSS variables. Remember, without more context about your specific setup or a reproducible example, it's challenging to pinpoint the exact cause of the issue. These suggestions are based on common scenarios and the limited information available in the knowledge sources. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------
kapa.ai
kapa.ai•3d ago
<@327859552198459405> Kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.
McKayB
McKayBOP•3d ago
@kapa.ai Thanks, the issue was the variables not being defined correctly -- they had commas, but not % symbols, in their definitions.
kapa.ai
kapa.ai•3d ago
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- I'm glad to hear that you've resolved the issue! You're absolutely correct, and thank you for pointing that out. The proper syntax for HSL color values in CSS indeed requires the percentage symbol (%) for the saturation and lightness values. Let's recap the correct syntax for your CSS variables: 
:root {
  --parchment: hsl(44, 40%, 81%);
  --invertParchment: hsl(231, 42%, 6%);
  --torquoise: hsl(190, 37%, 63%);
}
:root {
  --parchment: hsl(44, 40%, 81%);
  --invertParchment: hsl(231, 42%, 6%);
  --torquoise: hsl(190, 37%, 63%);
}
This small detail of including the percentage symbols is crucial for the browser to interpret the HSL values correctly. Without the percentage symbols, the browser couldn't properly parse the color values, which is why your variables weren't working as expected. It's a common oversight that can happen to anyone, and it's great that you were able to identify and fix the problem. This experience highlights the importance of precise syntax in CSS, especially when working with color functions like HSL. Moving forward, you should now be able to use these variables throughout your Nuxt project without any issues. If you encounter any other styling challenges or have questions about Nuxt, feel free to ask! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------
kapa.ai
kapa.ai•3d ago
<@327859552198459405> Kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.

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