# cssesc [](https://travis-ci.org/mathiasbynens/cssesc) [](https://codecov.io/gh/mathiasbynens/cssesc)
A JavaScript library for escaping CSS strings and identifiers while generating the shortest possible ASCII-only output.
This is a JavaScript library for [escaping text for use in CSS strings or identifiers](https://mathiasbynens.be/notes/css-escapes) while generating the shortest possible valid ASCII-only output. [Here’s an online demo.](https://mothereff.in/css-escapes)
[A polyfill for the CSSOM `CSS.escape()` method is available in a separate repository.](https://mths.be/cssescape) (In comparison, _cssesc_ is much more powerful.)
Feel free to fork if you see possible improvements!
## Installation
Via [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/):
```bash
npm install cssesc
```
In a browser:
```html
<script src="cssesc.js"></script>
```
In [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/):
```js
const cssesc = require('cssesc');
```
In Ruby using [the `ruby-cssesc` wrapper gem](https://github.com/borodean/ruby-cssesc):
```bash
gem install ruby-cssesc
```
```ruby
require 'ruby-cssesc'
CSSEsc.escape('I ♥ Ruby', is_identifier: true)
```
In Sass using [`sassy-escape`](https://github.com/borodean/sassy-escape):
```bash
gem install sassy-escape
```
```scss
body {
content: escape('I ♥ Sass', $is-identifier: true);
}
```
## API
### `cssesc(value, options)`
This function takes a value and returns an escaped version of the value where any characters that are not printable ASCII symbols are escaped using the shortest possible (but valid) [escape sequences for use in CSS strings or identifiers](https://mathiasbynens.be/notes/css-escapes).
```js
cssesc('Ich ♥ Bücher');
// → 'Ich \\2665 B\\FC cher'
cssesc('foo 𝌆 bar');
// → 'foo \\1D306 bar'
```
By default, `cssesc` returns a string that can be used as part of a CSS string. If the target is a CSS identifier rather than a CSS string, use the `isIdentifier: true` setting (see below).
The optional `options` argument accepts an object with the following options:
#### `isIdentifier`
The default value for the `isIdentifier` option is `false`. This means that the input text will be escaped for use in a CSS string literal. If you want to use the result as a CSS identifier instead (in a selector, for example), set this option to `true`.
```js
cssesc('123a2b');
// → '123a2b'
cssesc('123a2b', {
'isIdentifier': true
});
// → '\\31 23a2b'
```
#### `quotes`
The default value for the `quotes` option is `'single'`. This means that any occurences of `'` in the input text will be escaped as `\'`, so that the output can be used in a CSS string literal wrapped in single quotes.
```js
cssesc('Lorem ipsum "dolor" sit \'amet\' etc.');
// → 'Lorem ipsum "dolor" sit \\\'amet\\\' etc.'
// → "Lorem ipsum \"dolor\" sit \\'amet\\' etc."
cssesc('Lorem ipsum "dolor" sit \'amet\' etc.', {
'quotes': 'single'
});
// → 'Lorem ipsum "dolor" sit \\\'amet\\\' etc.'
// → "Lorem ipsum \"dolor\" sit \\'amet\\' etc."
```
If you want to use the output as part of a CSS string literal wrapped in double quotes, set the `quotes` option to `'double'`.
```js
cssesc('Lorem ipsum "dolor" sit \'amet\' etc.', {
'quotes': 'double'
});
// → 'Lorem ipsum \\"dolor\\" sit \'amet\' etc.'
// → "Lorem ipsum \\\"dolor\\\" sit 'amet' etc."
```
#### `wrap`
The `wrap` option takes a boolean value (`true` or `false`), and defaults to `false` (disabled). When enabled, the output will be a valid CSS string literal wrapped in quotes. The type of quotes can be specified through the `quotes` setting.
```js
cssesc('Lorem ipsum "dolor" sit \'amet\' etc.', {
'quotes': 'single',
'wrap': true
});
// → '\'Lorem ipsum "dolor" sit \\\'amet\\\' etc.\''
// → "\'Lorem ipsum \"dolor\" sit \\\'amet\\\' etc.\'"
cssesc('Lorem ipsum "dolor" sit \'amet\' etc.', {
'quotes': 'double',
'wrap': true
});
// → '"Lorem ipsum \\"dolor\\" sit \'amet\' etc."'
// → "\"Lorem ipsum \\\"dolor\\\" sit \'amet\' etc.\""
```
#### `escapeEverything`
The `escapeEverything` option takes a boolean value (`true` or `false`), and defaults to `false` (disabled). When enabled, all the symbols in the output will be escaped, even printable ASCII symbols.
```js
cssesc('lolwat"foo\'bar', {
'escapeEverything': true
});
// → '\\6C\\6F\\6C\\77\\61\\74\\"\\66\\6F\\6F\\\'\\62\\61\\72'
// → "\\6C\\6F\\6C\\77\\61\\74\\\"\\66\\6F\\6F\\'\\62\\61\\72"
```
#### Overriding the default options globally
The global default settings can be overridden by modifying the `css.options` object. This saves you from passing in an `options` object for every call to `encode` if you want to use the non-default setting.
```js
// Read the global default setting for `escapeEverything`:
cssesc.options.escapeEverything;
// → `false` by default
// Override the global default setting for `escapeEverything`:
cssesc.options.escapeEverything = true;
// Using the global default setting for `escapeEverything`, which is now `true`:
cssesc('foo © bar ≠ baz 𝌆 qux');
// → '\\66\\6F\\6F\\ \\A9\\ \\62\\61\\72\\ \\2260\\ \\62\\61\\7A\\ \\1D306\\ \\71\\75\\78'
```
### `cssesc.version`
A string representing the semantic version number.
### Using the `cssesc` binary
To use the `cssesc` binary in your shell, simply install cssesc globally using npm:
```bash
npm install -g cssesc
```
After that you will be able to escape text for use in CSS strings or identifiers from the command line:
```bash
$ cssesc 'föo ♥ bår 𝌆 baz'
f\F6o \2665 b\E5r \1D306 baz
```
If the output needs to be a CSS identifier rather than part of a string literal, use the `-i`/`--identifier` option:
```bash
$ cssesc --identifier 'föo ♥ bår 𝌆 baz'
f\F6o\ \2665\ b\E5r\ \1D306\ baz
```
See `cssesc --help` for the full list of options.
## Support
This library supports the Node.js and browser versions mentioned in [`.babelrc`](https://github.com/mathiasbynens/cssesc/blob/master/.babelrc). For a version that supports a wider variety of legacy browsers and environments out-of-the-box, [see v0.1.0](https://github.com/mathiasbynens/cssesc/releases/tag/v0.1.0).
## Author
| [](https://twitter.com/mathias "Follow @mathias on Twitter") |
|---|
| [Mathias Bynens](https://mathiasbynens.be/) |
## License
This library is available under the [MIT](https://mths.be/mit) license.
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