Chainable BEM Modifiers

Jordan Lewis

@jordanlewiz

Senior Frontend Dev

Co-organiser

BEM syntax 101

block__element--modifier

block__element--modifier

Modifiers are used in 2 different ways

Single class

&

Multiple classes

Single class

(aka @extend)

<button class="btn--primary">

Multiple classes

(aka chaining)

<button class="btn btn--green btn--large">

Finding a better solution

What if told you

'single' and 'multiple' classes

are complete different things?

Single class

=

variation

Multiple classes

=

chainable modifiers

Introducing....

BEVM

block__element--variation  -modifier

block__element--variation  -modifier

block__element--variation  -modifier

block__element--variation  -modifier

block__element--variation  -modifier

Variation

Single class approach

Variation

 

A different or distinct form or version of something

Oxford Dictionary

Variation

 

Same syntax as old
BEM modifiers

<button class="btn--primary">

Variation Rules

  • Can only apply one 'variation' at a time
  • Can use Sass @extends to build
  • Can write a custom variation (no @extends)
  • Can combine with Chainable Modifiers*

Chainable Modifiers

Mutliple class approach

A ... thing that makes partial
or minor changes to something

Oxford Dictionary

Modifier

 

<button class="btn -color-primary -size-large">

Chainable modifiers provide us with the ability to configure a module in the HTML with a short, concise syntax.

Leading hyphen

New syntax

-color-primary

Namespace

Descriptor for the modification

-color-primary

Golden rule:

Chainable modifiers should never modify the same CSS property twice for a given module

Rules

  • See 'Golden rule'
  • Use a namespace which describe the change
    • e.g. size, color, position etc
  • Use generic descriptors
    • e.g. large, primary etc

Recap

How we got here?

// Multiple Classes
<button class="btn btn--green btn--large">
// Single Classes
<button class="btn--primary">
// Chainable Modifer
<button class="btn -color-primary -size-large">

But won't that make things hard to find?

nope

Benefits of BEVM

  • Build a super flexible UI Library
  • Configure modules in the HTML
  • Short, concise syntax
  • Reducing the amount of CSS that we need to write
  • Increases development speed
  • Can still use 'variations' if you want
  • Works with 'helper' and 'state' classes
  • Greppable

Thank you

Resources

.btn{
  font-size: 20px;
  background-color: grey;

  &.-size-large{
    font-size: 30px;
    padding: 10px;
  }

  &.-color-primary{
    background-color: green;
  }
}
.btn{
  font-size: 20px;
  background-color: grey;
}
.btn.-color-primary{
  background-color: green;
}
.btn.-size-large{
  font-size: 30px;
  padding: 10px;
}

SCSS

CSS (generated)

Chainable Modifiers

.t-body
  +font-smoothing
  color: $grey-a-bit-dark
  font-family: $helvetica
  font-size: 16px
  font-weight: 400
  line-height: 1.5
  margin-bottom: 1em

  a
    +typography-link

  // Size
  // ------------------------------------------------
  &.-size-xl
    font-size: 20px

  &.-size-l
    font-size: 18px

  // default size (16px)

  &.-size-m
    font-size: 14px

  &.-size-s
    font-size: 12px

  // Color
  // ------------------------------------------------
  &.-color-light
    color: $white

  &.-color-inherit
    color: inherit

  // Style
  // ------------------------------------------------
  &.-style-italic
    font-style: italic

  // Weight
  // ------------------------------------------------
  &.-weight-bold
    font-weight: 700

Chainable Modifiers full example (.sass)

.btn{
  font-size: 20px;
  background-color: grey;
}

.btn--primary{
  @extend .btn;
  background-color: green;
  font-size: 30px;
  padding: 10px;
}
.btn, .btn--primary{
  font-size: 20px;
  background-color: grey;
}
.btn--primary{
  background-color: green;
  font-size: 30px;
  padding: 10px;
}

SCSS

CSS (generated)

Original BEM Modifier (single class approach)

.btn{
  font-size: 20px;
  background-color: grey;
}

.btn--green{
  background-color: green;
}

.btn--large{
  font-size: 30px;
  padding: 10px;
}

SCSS == CSS (generated)

Original BEM Modifier (multiple class approach)

Chainable BEM Modifiers

By Jordan Lewis

Made with Slides.com

Chainable BEM Modifiers

BEVM and in particular 'chainable modifiers' are an extension to a popular CSS syntax (BEM) and provide us with the ability to quickly and concisely configure a module in HTML. webuild.envato.com/blog/chainable-bem-modifiers/

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