Alex Salgado

Posted on Jul 16, 2021

CSS Structure

#css #productivity #sass #webdev

Write CSS that is easy to read and everyone can understand

One of the struggles developers encounters while writing CSS is the fact that the property you are looking for can be in any line inside a class selector. To help to solve that problem I thought about a structure to organize the styles so you can know where to write and search the properties you need.

I have a way of writing my CSS codes that makes people think I have some kind of OCD, but the truth is I have dyslexia so reviewing code or hunting down some CSS property in a class selector is a big challenge so right at the beginning of my career I “created” an organized structure to write CSS that changed the whole experience.

This structure consists of splitting properties of a class selector into blocks so you know where to look for properties by going straight to their corresponding block.

The Structure

Positioning Block
Structure Block
Typography Block
Modifier Block

Positioning Block

Properties that change the absolute positioning of the element on the page like position, top, right, bottom, left.

\

Structure Block

Properties that modifies the structure, shape, size and details of the element like display, flex and grid properties, margin, padding, background, border...

Typography Block

Everything relate to the lettering in general, text and font properties like font, text-align, color, text-decoration, text-transform...

Modifier Block

CSS Properties that change the element in any way or add some detail to it and you can't fit in the other blocks. In my case, I put usually properties like transition, transform, box-shadow, cursor, animation...

Top comments (13)

Mads Stoumann • Jul 18 '21

I used to group my CSS in a similar way, but as more and more properties were introduced, I switched to alphabetic sorting, and have never looked back! By the way, the position example can use the new inset property, to set all 4 sides with a single value:

.element {
  inset: 0;
  position: absolute;
}

Alex Salgado • Jul 18 '21

@madsstoumann yess! inset is an awesome property, I saved that one to another post along with other properties that saves time and are awesome.

Eljay-Adobe • Jul 19 '21

Alphabetic sorting for the win!

But, in the few cases where alphabetic sorting can't be done because the order is important... please comment the code!

AspectoX • Jul 18 '21

I know that many write the structure in alphabetical order, in my case it is not like that.
My order is this:
display
width
height
font (family, size, weight, line-height, etc.)
text
Colour
background-color
padding
margin
aling
justify
transittion
transform
position
z-index

Alex Salgado • Jul 18 '21 • Edited

@virla01 The alphabetical order for me is so tough because I have to think what letter comes after and before to search untilI find some property with that letter. My dyslexia kicks in automatically hahaha.

Just out of curiosity.
The align and justify properties been far away from the display give tou some kind of struggle to fix a code? Seen that you read the display and have to go to the end of the structure?

AspectoX • Jul 18 '21

Yes, everything that has to do with flex or grid I usually use it at the end to have it separated from the rest
text-aling goes where it says text

iamArnav • Jul 18 '21

simple and excellent

vladi160 • Jul 18 '21

z-index: 999 is bad practice in almost all cases

Alex Salgado • Jul 18 '21 • Edited

I completely agreed, to be honest in those examples I put the first number that popped up on my mind. I should put a disclaimer about that, thank you for the feedback @vladi160