Title: CSS Custom Properties for Cascading Variables Module Level 2
Status: ED
Work Status: exploring
Shortname: css-variables
Level: 2
Group: csswg
ED: https://drafts.csswg.org/css-variables-2/
Editor: Tab Atkins Jr., Google, http://xanthir.com/contact, w3cid 42199
Abstract: This module introduces cascading variables as a new primitive value type that is accepted by all CSS properties, and custom properties for defining them.
Default Highlight: css
WPT Path Prefix: css/css-variables/
WPT Display: closed
Implementation Report: https://wpt.fyi/results/css/css-variables

spec:css-values-4; type:dfn; text:identifier
spec:css-color-4; type:property; text:color
spec:selectors-4; type:selector; text: :lang()

Introduction

This section is not normative. Large documents or applications (and even small ones) can contain quite a bit of CSS. Many of the values in the CSS file will be duplicate data; for example, a site may establish a color scheme and reuse three or four colors throughout the site. Altering this data can be difficult and error-prone, since it's scattered throughout the CSS file (and possibly across multiple files), and may not be amenable to Find-and-Replace. This module introduces a family of custom author-defined properties known collectively as custom properties, which allow an author to assign arbitrary values to a property with an author-chosen name, and the ''var()'' function, which allow an author to then use those values in other properties elsewhere in the document. This makes it easier to read large files, as seemingly-arbitrary values now have informative names, and makes editing such files much easier and less error-prone, as one only has to change the value once, in the custom property, and the change will propagate to all uses of that variable automatically.

Value Definitions

This specification follows the CSS property definition conventions from [[!CSS2]] using the value definition syntax from [[!CSS-VALUES-3]]. Value types not defined in this specification are defined in CSS Values & Units [[!CSS-VALUES-3]]. Combination with other CSS modules may expand the definitions of these value types. In addition to the property-specific values listed in their definitions, all properties defined in this specification also accept the CSS-wide keywords as their property value. For readability they have not been repeated explicitly.

Defining Custom Properties: the '--*' family of properties

This specification defines an open-ended set of properties called custom properties, which, among other things, are used to define the [=arbitrary substitution|substitution value=] of ''var()'' functions. 
	Name: --*
	Value: <>?
	Initial: the [=guaranteed-invalid value=]
	Applies to: all elements and all pseudo-elements (including those with restricted property lists)
	Inherited: yes
	Computed value: specified value with variables substituted, or the [=guaranteed-invalid value=]
	Animation type: discrete

User agents are expected to support this property on all media, including non-visual ones.

A custom property is any property whose name starts with two dashes (U+002D HYPHEN-MINUS), like '--foo'. The <custom-property-name> production corresponds to this: it's defined as any <> (a valid identifier that starts with two dashes), except ''--'' itself, which is reserved for future use by CSS. Custom properties are solely for use by authors and users; CSS will never give them a meaning beyond what is presented here. variable-declaration-29.html variable-declaration-31.html variable-declaration-32.html variable-declaration-33.html variable-declaration-34.html variable-declaration-35.html variable-declaration-36.html variable-declaration-40.html variable-declaration-41.html variable-declaration-42.html variable-empty-name-reserved.html
Custom properties define variables, referenced with the ''var()'' notation, which can be used for many purposes. For example, a page that consistently uses a small set of colors in its design can store the colors in custom properties and use them with variables: 
		:root {
			--main-color: #06c;
			--accent-color: #006;
		}
		/* The rest of the CSS file */
		#foo h1 {
			color: var(--main-color);
		}
The naming provides a mnemonic for the colors, prevents difficult-to-spot typos in the color codes, and if the theme colors are ever changed, focuses the change on one simple spot (the custom property value) rather than requiring many edits across all stylesheets in the webpage.
Unlike other CSS properties, custom property names are not [=ASCII case-insensitive=]. Instead, custom property names are only equal to each other if they are [=identical to=] each other. css-vars-custom-property-case-sensitive-001.html
While both '--foo' and '--FOO' are valid, they are distinct properties -- using ''var(--foo)'' will refer to the first one, while using ''var(--FOO)'' will refer to the second. Perhaps more surprisingly, --foó and --foó are distinct properties. The first is spelled with U+00F3 (LATIN SMALL LETTER O WITH ACUTE) while the second is spelled with an ASCII "o" followed by U+0301 (COMBINING ACUTE ACCENT), and the "[=identical to=]" relation uses direct codepoint-by-codepoint comparison to determine if two strings are equal, to avoid the complexities and pitfalls of unicode normalization and locale-specific collation.
Operating systems, keyboards, or input methods sometimes encode visually-identical text using different codepoint sequences. Authors are advised to choose variable names that avoid potential confusion or to use escapes and other means to ensure that similar appearing sequences are identical. See Section 2.3 in [[CHARMOD-NORM]] for examples.
Developers maintaining the following CSS might be confused why the test patch is red: 
		--fijord: red;
		--fijord: green;
		--fijord: blue;

		.test {
			background-color: var(--fijord);
		}
The reason is that the first custom property uses the character sequence LATIN SMALL LETTER F + LATIN SMALL LETTER I + LATIN SMALL LETTER J; the second, identical-looking one uses the character sequence LATIN SMALL LETTER F + LATIN SMALL LIGATURE IJ while the third uses the character sequence LATIN SMALL LIGATURE FI + LATIN SMALL LETTER J. So the CSS contains three distinct custom properties, two of which are unused.
Custom properties are not reset by the 'all' property. We may define a property in the future that resets all variables. The CSS-wide keywords can be used in custom properties, with the same meaning as in any another property. variable-declaration-43.html variable-declaration-44.html variable-declaration-45.html variable-declaration-46.html variable-declaration-47.html variable-declaration-56.html variable-declaration-57.html variable-declaration-58.html variable-declaration-60.html variable-definition-keywords.html variable-css-wide-keywords.html Note: That is, they're interpreted at cascaded-value time as normal, and are not preserved as the custom property's value, and thus are not substituted in by the corresponding variable. Note: While this module focuses on the use of custom properties with the ''var()'' function to create “variables”, they can also be used as actual custom properties, parsed by and acted on by script. It's expected that the CSS Extensions spec [[CSS-EXTENSIONS]] will expand on these use-cases and make them easier to do. Custom properties are ordinary properties, so they can be declared on any element, are resolved with the normal inheritance and cascade rules, can be made conditional with ''@media'' and other conditional rules, can be used in HTML's style attribute, can be read or set using the CSSOM, etc. css-vars-custom-property-inheritance.html variable-created-document.html variable-created-element.html variable-cssText.html variable-declaration-06.html variable-definition-cascading.html variable-external-declaration-01.html variable-external-reference-01.html variable-external-supports-01.html variable-first-letter.html variable-first-line.html variable-pseudo-element.html variable-reference-13.html variable-reference-14.html variable-reference-shorthands.html variable-reference-visited.html Notably, they can even be animated, but since the UA has no way to interpret their contents, they always use the "flips at 50%" behavior that is used for any other pair of values that can't be intelligently interpolated. However, any custom property used in a ''@keyframes'' rule becomes animation-tainted, which affects how it is treated when referred to via the ''var()'' function in an animation property. variable-animation-from-to.html variable-animation-over-transition.html variable-animation-substitute-into-keyframe-shorthand.html variable-animation-substitute-into-keyframe-transform.html variable-animation-substitute-into-keyframe.html variable-animation-substitute-within-keyframe-fallback.html variable-animation-substitute-within-keyframe-multiple.html variable-animation-substitute-within-keyframe.html variable-animation-to-only.html Note: Like any other property that animates discretely, custom properties can't be transitioned. [=Registered custom properties=] can, however, if given a syntax that has non-discrete animation behavior. [=Animation-tainted=] is "infectious": custom properties which reference [=animation-tainted=] properties also become [=animation-tainted=].
This style rule: 
		:root {
			--header-color: #06c;
		}
declares a custom property named '--header-color' on the root element, and assigns to it the value "#06c". This property is then inherited to the elements in the rest of the document. Its value can be referenced with the ''var()'' function: 
		h1 { background-color: var(--header-color); }
The preceding rule is equivalent to writing ''background-color: #06c;'', except that the variable name makes the origin of the color clearer, and if ''var(--header-color)'' is used on other elements in the document, all of the uses can be updated at once by changing the '--header-color' property on the root element.
If a custom property is declared multiple times, the standard cascade rules help resolve it. Variables always draw from the computed value of the associated custom property on the same element: 
		:root { --color: blue; }
		div { --color: green; }
		#alert { --color: red; }
		* { color: var(--color); }

		<p>I inherited blue from the root element!</p>
		<div>I got green set directly on me!</div>
		<div id='alert'>
			While I got red set directly on me!
			<p>I'm red too, because of inheritance!</p>
		</div>
A real-world example of custom property usage is easily separating out strings from where they're used, to aid in maintenance of internationalization: 
		:root,
		:root:lang(en) {--external-link: "external link";}
		:root:lang(el) {--external-link: "εξωτερικός σύνδεσμος";}

		a[href^="http"]::after {content: " (" var(--external-link) ")"}
The variable declarations can even be kept in a separate file, to make maintaining the translations simpler.

Custom Property Value Syntax

The allowed syntax for custom properties is extremely permissive. The <> production matches any sequence of one or more tokens, so long as the sequence does not contain <>, <>, unmatched <<)-token>>, <<]-token>>, or <<}-token>>, or top-level <> tokens or <> tokens with a value of "!". long-variable-reference-crash.html test_variable_legal_values.html variable-declaration-15.html variable-declaration-24.html variable-declaration-25.html variable-declaration-26.html variable-declaration-59.html In addition, if the value of a custom property contains a ''var()'' reference, the ''var()'' reference must be valid according to the specified ''var()'' grammar. If not, the custom property is invalid and must be ignored. Note: This definition, along with the general CSS syntax rules, implies that a custom property value never includes an unmatched quote or bracket, and so cannot have any effect on larger syntax constructs, like the enclosing style rule, when reserialized. Note: Custom properties can contain a trailing ''!important'', but this is automatically removed from the property's value by the CSS parser, and makes the custom property "important" in the CSS cascade. In other words, the prohibition on top-level "!" characters does not prevent ''!important'' from being used, as the ''!important'' is removed before syntax checking happens. variable-declaration-20.html variable-declaration-23.html
For example, the following is a valid custom property: 
		--foo: if(x > 5) this.width = 10;
While this value is obviously useless as a variable, as it would be invalid in any normal property, it might be read and acted on by JavaScript.
The values of custom properties, and the values of ''var()'' functions substituted into custom properties, are case-sensitive, and must be preserved in their original author-given casing. (Many CSS values are ASCII case-insensitive, which user agents can take advantage of by "canonicalizing" them into a single casing, but that isn't allowed for custom properties.) variable-declaration-38.html variable-declaration-39.html
Because custom properties can contain anything, there is no general way to know how to interpret what's inside of them (until they're substituted into a known property with ''var()''). Rather than have them partially resolve in some cases but not others, they're left completely unresolved; they're a bare stream of [[css-syntax#tokenization|CSS tokens]] interspersed with ''var()'' functions. This has some knock-on implications. For example, relative URLs in CSS are resolved against the base URL of the stylesheet the value appears in. However, if a custom property like ''--my-image: url(foo.jpg);'' shows up in an "/a/style.css" stylesheet, it will not resolve into an absolute URL immediately; if that variable is later used in a different "/b/style.css" stylesheet like ''background: var(--my-image);'', it will resolve at that point to "/b/foo.jpg".

Guaranteed-Invalid Values

The initial value of a [=custom property=] is a guaranteed-invalid value. The [=guaranteed-invalid value=] is, well, guaranteed to be invalid. If it ever appears in a property value, then at [=computed value=] time that property becomes [=invalid at computed-value time=]. Non-property contexts will define their own behavior for the [=guaranteed-invalid value=], but it will always be "invalid" in some sense. The [=guaranteed-invalid value=] serializes as the empty string, but actually writing an empty value into a custom property, like ''--foo:;'', is a valid (empty) value, not the [=guaranteed-invalid value=]. If, for whatever reason, one wants to manually reset a [=custom property=] to the [=guaranteed-invalid value=], using the keyword ''initial'' will do this. Note: Other than invoking the [=initial value=] of a non-registered [=custom property=], the only way to create the [=guaranteed-invalid value=] is by having an invalid [=arbitrary substitution function=].

Resolving Dependency Cycles

Custom properties are left almost entirely unevaluated, except that they allow and evaluate the ''var()'' function in their value. This can create cyclic dependencies where a custom property uses a ''var()'' referring to itself, or two or more custom properties each attempt to refer to each other. For each element, create a directed dependency graph, containing nodes for each custom property. If the value of a custom property prop contains a ''var()'' function referring to the property var (including in the fallback argument of ''var()''), add an edge between prop and the var. Edges are possible from a custom property to itself. If there is a cycle in the dependency graph, all the custom properties in the cycle are [=invalid at computed-value time=]. variable-cycles.html variable-declaration-30.html variable-declaration-48.html variable-declaration-49.html variable-declaration-50.html variable-reference-39.html Note: Defined properties that participate in a dependency cycle either end up with invalid variables in their value (becoming [=invalid at computed-value time=]), or define their own cyclic handling (like 'font-size' using ''em'' values). They do not compute to the [=guaranteed-invalid value=] like custom properties do.
This example shows a custom property safely using a variable: 
		:root {
			--main-color: #c06;
			--accent-background: linear-gradient(to top, var(--main-color), white);
		}
The '--accent-background' property (along with any other properties that use ''var(--main-color)'') will automatically update when the '--main-color' property is changed.
On the other hand, this example shows an invalid instance of variables depending on each other: 
		:root {
			--one: calc(var(--two) + 20px);
			--two: calc(var(--one) - 20px);
		}
Both '--one' and '--two' are now [=invalid at computed-value time=], and compute to the [=guaranteed-invalid value=] rather than lengths.
It is important to note that custom properties resolve any ''var()'' functions in their values at computed-value time, which occurs before the value is inherited. In general, cyclic dependencies occur only when multiple custom properties on the same element refer to each other; custom properties defined on elements higher in the element tree can never cause a cyclic reference with properties defined on elements lower in the element tree. variable-declaration-51.html variable-declaration-52.html
For example, given the following structure, these custom properties are not cyclic, and all define valid variables: <one><two><three /></two></one> <style> one { --foo: 10px; } two { --bar: calc(var(--foo) + 10px); } three { --foo: calc(var(--bar) + 10px); } </style> The <one> element defines a value for '--foo'. The <two> element inherits this value, and additionally assigns a value to '--bar' using the ''foo'' variable. Finally, the <three> element inherits the '--bar' value after variable substitution (in other words, it sees the value ''calc(10px + 10px)''), and then redefines '--foo' in terms of that value. Since the value it inherited for '--bar' no longer contains a reference to the '--foo' property defined on <one>, defining '--foo' using the ''var(--bar)'' variable is not cyclic, and actually defines a value that will eventually (when referenced as a variable in a normal property) resolve to ''30px''.

Using Cascading Variables: the ''var()'' notation

The value of a custom property can be substituted into the value of another property with the ''var()'' function. The syntax of ''var()'' is: 
	var() = var( <> , <>? )
The ''var()'' function is an [=arbitrary substitution function=]. variable-reference-07.html variable-reference-08.html variable-reference-09.html variable-reference-10.html variable-reference-17.html variable-reference-20.html variable-reference-21.html variable-reference-22.html variable-reference-23.html variable-reference-24.html variable-reference-25.html variable-reference-28.html variable-reference-29.html variable-reference-31.html variable-reference-32.html variable-reference-33.html variable-reference-34.html variable-reference-35.html variable-reference.html variable-supports-01.html variable-supports-02.html variable-supports-03.html variable-supports-04.html variable-supports-05.html variable-supports-06.html variable-supports-07.html variable-supports-08.html variable-supports-09.html variable-supports-10.html variable-supports-11.html variable-supports-12.html variable-supports-13.html variable-supports-14.html variable-supports-15.html variable-supports-16.html variable-supports-17.html variable-supports-18.html variable-supports-19.html variable-supports-20.html variable-supports-21.html variable-supports-22.html variable-supports-23.html variable-supports-24.html variable-supports-25.html variable-supports-26.html variable-supports-27.html variable-supports-28.html variable-supports-29.html variable-supports-30.html variable-supports-31.html variable-supports-32.html variable-supports-33.html variable-supports-34.html variable-supports-35.html variable-supports-36.html variable-supports-37.html variable-supports-38.html variable-supports-39.html variable-supports-40.html variable-supports-41.html variable-supports-42.html variable-supports-43.html variable-supports-44.html variable-supports-45.html variable-supports-46.html variable-supports-47.html variable-supports-48.html variable-supports-49.html variable-supports-50.html variable-supports-51.html variable-supports-52.html variable-supports-53.html variable-supports-54.html variable-supports-55.html variable-supports-56.html variable-supports-57.html variable-supports-58.html variable-supports-59.html variable-supports-60.html variable-supports-61.html variable-supports-62.html variable-supports-63.html variable-supports-64.html variable-supports-65.html variable-supports-66.html variable-supports-67.html The first argument to the function is the name of the custom property to be substituted. The second argument to the function, if provided, is a fallback value, which is used as the substitution value when the value of the referenced custom property is the [=guaranteed-invalid value=]. variable-declaration-08.html variable-declaration-09.html variable-declaration-10.html variable-declaration-11.html variable-declaration-12.html variable-declaration-13.html variable-declaration-22.html In an exception to the usual comma elision rules, which require commas to be omitted when they're not separating values, a bare comma, with nothing following it, must be treated as valid in ''var()'', indicating an empty fallback value. variable-declaration-07.html variable-declaration-37.html variable-reference-06.html variable-reference-11.html variable-reference-26.html variable-reference-27.html Note: That is, ''var(--a,)'' is a valid function, specifying that if the ''--a'' custom property is invalid or missing, the ''var()'' should be replaced with nothing. Note: The syntax of the fallback, like that of custom properties, allows commas. For example, ''var(--foo, red, blue)'' defines a fallback of ''red, blue''; that is, anything between the first comma and the end of the function is considered a fallback value.
The fallback value allows for some types of defensive coding. For example, an author may create a component intended to be included in a larger application, and use variables to style it so that it's easy for the author of the larger application to theme the component to match the rest of the app. Without fallback, the app author must supply a value for every variable that your component uses. With fallback, the component author can supply defaults, so the app author only needs to supply values for the variables they wish to override. 
		/* In the component's style: */
		.component .header {
			color: var(--header-color, blue);
		}
		.component .text {
			color: var(--text-color, black);
		}

		/* In the larger application's style: */
		.component {
			--text-color: #080;
			/* header-color isn't set,
			   and so remains blue,
			   the fallback value */
		}
To [=resolve an arbitrary substitution function|resolve a var() function=]: 1. Let |result| be the value of the [=custom property=] named by the function's first argument, on the element the function's property is being applied to. 2. Let |fallback| be the value of the function's second argument, defaulting to the [=guaranteed-invalid value=] if it doesn't have a second argument. 3. If the [=custom property=] named by the ''var()''’s first argument is [=animation-tainted=], and the ''var()'' is being used in a property that is [=not animatable=], set |result| to the [=guaranteed-invalid value=]. 4. Return |result| and |fallback|.

Variable Units

In addition to being referenced directly with the ''var()'' function, custom properties can be referenced as custom units, making it easy to use multiples of significant "base sizes" in a document, perhaps established by a design system. A [=dimension=] whose unit is a <> is a variable unit reference. It has identical effects and restrictions to using ''var()''; the unit name is the [=custom property=] being referenced. The only difference is during substitution-- rather than just substituting the [=custom property=] value directly, it substitutes as ''calc(X * (var(Y)))'', where X is numeric component of the dimension, and Y is the unit component of the dimension.
For example, "fluid typography" sizes text according to the viewport size. A very simple version of this can be created as: @property --fem { /* "fluid em" */ syntax: "<length>"; initial: 2vw; inherits: true; } .fluid-type { font-size: 1.2--fem; /* equivalent to */ font-size: calc(1.2 * (var(--fem))); } More complex expressions can be used as well. For example, fluid typography often wants to impose limits on how much the size responds to the viewport, to avoid degenerate situations on very large or very small screens: @property --fem { /* "fluid em" */ syntax: "<length>"; initial: clamp(10px, 1vw + 1vh, 1rem); inherits: true; } .fluid-type { font-size: 1.2--fem; /* Won't get smaller than 12px, or larger than 1.2rem. */ } As the [=variable unit reference=] is a [=custom property=] reference, it can be overridden by setting the [=custom property=] normally. This can be useful to specialize a component for a particular position on the page, while still styling it generically: @property --bs { /* block size */ syntax: "<length>"; initial: 8px; inherits: true; } .module { margin-block: 1.5--bs; border-block: .5--bs; /* gives a vertical margin of 12px, and vertical border of 4px */ } .sidebar .module { --bs: 6px; /* Makes the components slightly more compact in the sidebar, with a vertical margin of 9px and a vertical border of 3px. */ }
Note: [=Variable unit references=] can't have fallback values, so if the referenced [=custom property=] doesn't exist or is invalid, the unit reference will be invalid as well. Use ''@property'' to create a [=registered custom property=], as the ''@property/initial''' value will instead be used as the default. Note: While [=variable unit references=] clearly expect their referenced [=custom property=] to have a numeric value (so that it's valid to substitute into a ''calc()''), nothing enforces this. Supplying a non-numeric value, such as by using ''--fem: red;'' to override the initial value in the above examples, will simply result in an invalid property after substitution, like ''font-size: calc(1.2 * (red));''.

APIs

All custom property declarations have the case-sensitive flag set. variable-definition.html variable-invalidation.html Note: Custom properties do not appear on a CSSStyleDeclaration object in camel-cased form, because their names may have both upper and lowercase letters which indicate distinct custom properties. The sort of text transformation that automatic camel-casing performs is incompatible with this. They can still be accessed by their proper name via getPropertyValue()/etc.

Serializing Custom Properties

Custom property names must be serialized as the exact code point sequence provided by the author, including not altering the case. Note: For non-custom properties, property names are restricted to the ASCII range and are ASCII case-insensitive, so implementations typically serialize the name lowercased. Specified values of [=custom properties=] must be serialized exactly as specified by the author. Simplifications that might occur in other properties, such as dropping comments, normalizing whitespace, reserializing numeric tokens from their value, etc., must not occur. Computed values of [=custom properties=] must similarly be serialized exactly as specified by the author, save for the replacement of any ''var()'' functions. variable-reference-shorthands-cssom.html variable-reference-variable.html
For example, given the following properties: 
			--y: /* baz */;
			--x: /* foo */ var(--y) /* bar */;
the serialization of the specified value of ''--x'' must be "/* foo */ var(--y) /* bar */", while the serialization of the computed value of ''--x'' must be "/* foo */ /* baz */ /* bar */". (Note that the leading whitespace on the value is automatically trimmed by the CSS parser; it's not preserved here.)
This requirement exists because authors sometimes store non-CSS information in custom properties, and "normalizing" this information can change it in ways that break author code. For example, storing a UUID in a custom property, like ''--uuid: 12345678-12e3-8d9b-a456-426614174000'', requires the UUID to be echoed back out as written when it's accessed by script. This value is technically parsed by CSS as a series of adjacent numbers and dimensions. In particular, the segment "-12e3" parses as a number, equal to -12000. Reserializing it in that form, as required by CSSOM in other contexts, would fatally break the author's use of the value.

Changes

Changes Since the 16 June 2022 CR Snapshot

* Clarified that the comment-insertion can happen with 0+ comments between the original tokens, not just exactly 1. * Clarified the transition behavior of custom properties, in a note

Changes Since the 11 November 2021 CR Draft

* Clarified that custom properties apply all pseudo-elements (including those with restricted property lists) * Added example to illustrate issues with combining characters, ligatures, etc * Strengthened wording around similar-appearing variable names that use distinct codepoint sequences * Clarified an example by using more visually distinct languages as examples (English and Greek) * Split Security and Privacy into separate sections

Changes Since the 03 December 2015 CR

* Now that [[css-syntax-3]] auto-trims whitespace from declaration values, made <> optional in the custom property grammar, so that empty variables are still allowed. (Issue 774) * Similarly, made empty fallbacks valid in ''var()''. * The -- property is reserved for future use by CSS. * Added concept of "animation-tainted", to prevent non-animatable properties from using a variable to smuggle in some animatability. * Defined the [=guaranteed-invalid value=] to make the initial value of custom properties and the result of cycles or substitution failure more straightforward, and allow failure to propagate thru substitutions until finally intercepted by a fallback. * Defined that cycles trigger [=invalid at computed-value time=] behavior. * Allowed variables to resolve to a CSS-wide keyword (only possible by providing it as a fallback). * Clarified that [=registered custom properties=] act like non-custom properties when they're [=invalid at computed-value time=]. * Made longhands with ''var()''s also trigger their shorthands to be unserializable, like longhands with pending-substitution values already did. * Required UAs to defend against exponential substitution attacks. * Defined how to serialize the values of custom properties (previously, only the property name's serialization was specified).

Changes since the May 6 2014 Last Call Working Draft

* Serialization of longhands when shorthand uses a variable was defined. * Link to DOM's definition of "case-sensitive". * Added example of using variables with '':lang()'' to do simple i18n. * Clarified that usage of ''var()'' in a custom property must be valid per the ''var()'' grammar.

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to several people in the CSS Working Group for keeping the dream of variables alive over the years, particularly Daniel Glazman and David Hyatt. Thanks to multiple people on the mailing list for helping contribute to the development of this incarnation of variables, particularly Brian Kardell, David Baron, François Remy, Roland Steiner, and Shane Stephens. Privacy Considerations {#privacy} =============================================== This specification defines a purely author-level mechanism for passing styling information around within a page they control. As such, there are no new privacy considerations. Security Considerations {#security} =============================================== [[css-values-5#long-substitution]] calls out a long-standing Denial-of-Service attack that can be mounted against "macro-expansion"-like mechanisms, such as the ''var()'' function, and mandates a defense against that attack. revert-in-fallback.html revert-layer-in-fallback.html variables-animation-math-functions.html variable-recalc-with-initial.html