CSS Functions

CSS Function Examples

There are many different kinds of CSS Functions such as transform functions, math functions, filter functions, color functions, image functions, counter functions and shape functions.

CSS functions are powerful tools that allow you to manipulate values and achieve various effects in your stylesheets.Common CSS Functions include url(), calc(), var(), rgb()/rgba(), hsl()/hsla() and much more.

Image-set()

The image-set() CSS function is a powerful tool that allows web developers to select the most appropriate image from a given set, primarily designed for high pixel density screens.

Purpose:

High Pixel Density Screens: Devices like Retina displays have higher pixel densities, demanding sharper images.

Bandwidth and Resolution: Different devices and network conditions vary in terms of resolution and bandwidth.

Responsive Images: The image-set() function ensures that the browser serves the most suitable image resolution for each user’s device.

Parameters:

string: A data string defining an SVG path

fill-rule (optional): Specifies the filling rule (default is nonzero or evenodd).

Path()

The path() CSS function is a versatile tool used in CSS Shapes and CSS Motion Path to define the outline of a shape.

Purpose:

Shape Definition: The path() function accepts an SVG path string and enables you to create custom shapes.

Animation Paths: It’s commonly used for defining paths that elements follow during animations.

Parameters:

string: A data string defining an SVG path. The syntax for this string is identical to SVG path data.

full-rule: (optional): Specifies the filling rule (default is nonzero or evenodd).

Scale3d()

The scale3d() CSS function is a powerful transformation tool that allows you to resize an element in 3D space.

Purpose:

Resizing in 3D: The scale3d() function resizes an element along three dimensions (x, y, and z).

Vector-Based Scaling: It uses a vector [sx, sy, sz] to define the scaling amount for each dimension independently.

Parameters

sx: Horizontal scaling factor (abscissa).

sy: Vertical scaling factor (ordinate).

sz: Scaling factor along the z-axis.

Skew()

The skew() CSS function is a powerful transformation tool that distorts an element on the 2D plane by skewing it along both the x-axis and y-axis.

Purpose:

Shear Mapping: The skew() function applies a shear mapping (also known as transvection) to each point within an element.

Angle-Based Distortion: It distorts points by a specified angle in both horizontal and vertical directions.

Parameters:

ax: An angle representing the angle to distort the element along the x-axis.

ay: An angle representing the angle to distort the element along the y-axis. If not defined, its default value is 0, resulting in purely horizontal skewing.

Citations