Conditional Statements in CSS: An Alternative Approach

In modern web development, seamlessly adapting the user experience based on dynamic variables is essential. CSS, while powerful for styling, lacks traditional conditional statements like if/else. However, several alternatives can achieve similar functionality.

One approach is to utilize classes. By manipulating HTML elements with specific classes, you can apply different styles based on the presence or absence of those classes. Consider the following example:

Text
Text

p.normal {
  background-position: 150px 8px;
}
p.active {
  background-position: 4px 8px;
}

CSS preprocessors, like Sass, also offer advanced capabilities for conditionals. The conditional statements included allow for more complex logic:

$type: monster;
p {
  @if $type == ocean {
    color: blue;
  }
  @else if $type == matador {
    color: red;
  }
  @else if $type == monster {
    color: green;
  }
  @else {
    color: black;
  }
}

Custom properties, introduced in modern CSS, provide a valuable tool for dynamic styling. They behave like variables and are evaluated at runtime:

:root {
  --main-bg-color: brown;
}

.one {
  background-color: var(--main-bg-color);
}

.two {
  background-color: black;
}

For server-side control, preprocessing the stylesheet with a language like PHP allows for dynamic modification:

p {
  background-position: = (@$_GET['foo'] == 'bar')? "150" : "4"; ?>px 8px;
}

While CSS lacks traditional if/else syntax, these alternatives offer flexible and effective methods for creating dynamic and responsive user interfaces.