LESS CSS - accessing classes further up the dom tree from within a nested class

Question

I want to be able to access classes further up the dom tree from within a nested class using LESS CSS, see example:

HTML:

<html class="svg">
 <body>
  <div class="content">
    <div class="container">
      <div class="logo"></div>
    </div>
 </body>
</html>

LESS:

.container {
  .logo {
      background:url(/images/ws-logo.gif);
  }
}

I want to target the .svg class on the html tag from within the .logo nested rule, to keep things tidy instead of writing another rule like this:

.svg { 
  .container {
    .logo {
        background:url(/images/logo.svg);
    }
  }
}

So, ideally something like this:

 .container {
    .logo {
        background:url(/images/logo.gif);

        (some-symbol).svg {
           background:url(/images/svg-logo.svg);
        }
    }
 }

I'm using modernizr to detect svg support.

Anyone know if this is possible? Or have any recommendations?

ScottS · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-17 13:13:38Z

7

Yes! (an update)

When I tested this here, it worked!

    .container { 
        .logo { 
            background:url(/images/logo.gif);
            .svg & {
                background:url(/images/svg-logo.svg);
            } 
        } 
    }

edited Jul 17, 2012 at 13:13

answered Jul 17, 2012 at 12:32

ScottS

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13 Comments

Christoph Over a year ago

imo unnecessary fuzz and makes all your selectors more inefficient. Besides the fact that you actually have to repeat the rule - what the OP wanted to avoid in the first place.

ScottS Over a year ago

@Christoph--I tend to agree with you (which is why I upvoted your answer).

ScottS Over a year ago

@Christoph--Actually, there was a more concise way using the & selector (one I did not realize would work until I tested it). I've updated my answer.

Christoph Over a year ago

Although i would consider this horrible coding (it looks so incredibly hacky and is guaranteed to give the reviewer serious headaches) +1 for this nice solution! ;)

Christoph Over a year ago

Now let's target .svg .container:hover .logo:before without writing a new rule :-D

|

Christoph · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-17 13:09:54Z

2

This is not possible because you can't "step back" in the path to add another class to a parent. Instead, just write another rule:

.svg .container .logo,
/* or perhaps even simpler, however be aware of rule specificity*/
.svg .logo{
        background:url(/images/logo.svg);
}

It's not much of a deal, is it?

For the sake of completeness: You can reference to the actual element via the &-symbol. THis makes sense if you want to target pseudo-classes/elements or additional classes of the current element:

.container {
     .logo {
         /* styles for ".container .logo" */
     }
     &:hover .logo{
         /* styles for ".container .logo"
            The hover however is bound to the .container element
            equals the following selector: .container:hover .logo */
     }
}

edited Jul 17, 2012 at 13:09

answered Jul 17, 2012 at 12:51

Christoph

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3 Comments

ScottS Over a year ago

You can step back to add a class to the parent with the & cominator in LESS, however, I do not believe you can step back another level with the grandparent.

ScottS Over a year ago

Okay, you are technically correct. Yet it can become essentially a reference to the parent when you follow it with a nested class rule (like in my answer). Personally, your answer is going to be a bit more "concise" in code, the only potential advantage to nesting is to keep it all together in a nesting (which the OP seemed to want).

Christoph Over a year ago

I agree that it could make sense if the class wasn't on the html tag in the OPs question.

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