autoprefixer

What is autoprefixer?

The autoprefixer npm package is a PostCSS plugin that parses your CSS and adds vendor prefixes to CSS rules using values from Can I Use. It is a tool that automates the process of adding vendor prefixes to CSS rules to ensure cross-browser compatibility.

What are autoprefixer's main functionalities?

Adding vendor prefixes

This feature automatically adds necessary vendor prefixes to CSS rules. The code sample shows how to use autoprefixer with PostCSS to process a CSS string that includes the 'display: flex;' rule, which then outputs the rule with the appropriate vendor prefixes.

const autoprefixer = require('autoprefixer');
const postcss = require('postcss');

postcss([ autoprefixer ]).process('a { display: flex; }').then(result => {
  console.log(result.css);
  // Output: 'a { display: -webkit-box; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; }'
});

Customizing browser support

Autoprefixer allows customization of the browsers you want to target. The code sample demonstrates how to specify the browsers using the 'overrideBrowserslist' option to target the last 2 versions of all browsers.

const autoprefixer = require('autoprefixer');
const postcss = require('postcss');

postcss([ autoprefixer({ overrideBrowserslist: ['last 2 versions'] }) ])
.process('a { display: flex; }').then(result => {
  console.log(result.css);
  // Output will include prefixes for the last 2 versions of all browsers.
});

Removing unnecessary prefixes

Autoprefixer can also remove outdated prefixes if they are no longer needed for the specified browser range. The code sample shows how to disable this feature using the 'remove' option.

const autoprefixer = require('autoprefixer');
const postcss = require('postcss');

postcss([ autoprefixer({ remove: false }) ])
.process('a { -webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 10px black; box-shadow: 0 0 10px black; }').then(result => {
  console.log(result.css);
  // Output will keep the -webkit-box-shadow prefix even if it's not necessary for the specified browsers.
});

Other packages similar to autoprefixer

postcss-preset-env

postcss-preset-env is a plugin that allows you to use future CSS features today. It includes autoprefixer functionality and extends it by allowing you to use future CSS syntax that is not yet fully supported in browsers.

cssnano

cssnano is a modular CSS minifier that includes autoprefixing as one of its optimizations. While autoprefixer focuses solely on adding prefixes, cssnano aims to reduce the size of CSS files by performing a variety of optimizations, including autoprefixing.

pleeease

pleeease is a CSS processor that combines several tools, including autoprefixer, to streamline the process of writing CSS. It simplifies the workflow by integrating autoprefixing, minification, and other features into one package.

README

Autoprefixer

Parse CSS and add prefixed properties and values from Can I Use database for actual browsers.

Write your usual CSS code without prefixes (forget about them at all, Autoprefixer will think for you):

var css = 'a { transition: transform 1s }';
var prefixed = autoprefixer.compile(css);

Autoprefixer uses a database with current browser statistics and properties support to add prefixes automatically:

a {
  -webkit-transition: -webkit-transform 1s;
  -o-transition: -o-transform 1s;
  transition: -ms-transform 1s;
  transition: transform 1s
}

Twitter account for news and releases: @autoprefixer.

Sponsored by Evil Martians.

Translations

Документация на русском: habrahabr.ru/company/evilmartians/blog/176909

Features

• You write normal CSS (or use Autoprefixer after Sass, Stylus or another preprocessor).
• You write normal properties (not special mixins), so you don’t need to remember which properties needs to be prefixed.
• Autoprefixer uses only necessary prefixes. You choose which browsers (by default the last 2 versions for each browser). Did you know, that prefixes for border-radius have not been necessary for a long time now?
• The properties and browsers database is updated automatically (from Can I Use), so prefixes will always be up-to-date (scripts don’t have holidays or work).
• Removes outdated prefixes to clean libraries and legacy code.
• It also adds prefixes to values. For example, to calc(1em + 5px) or to property names in transition.

Browsers

You can specify browsers for your project (by default, it’s last 2 versions):

autoprefixer.compile(css, ["last 1 version", "> 1%", "ie 8", "ie 7"]);

• last n versions is last n versions for each browser (for example, Google also uses “last 2 versions” strategy).
• > n% is browser versions, whose global usage statistics is more than n%.
• You can also set browsers directly.

Blackberry and stock Android browsers will not be used in last n versions or > n% selects. Add them by name if you need them:

autoprefixer.compile(css, ["last 1 version", "bb 10", "android 4"]);

Usage

Ruby on Rails

Add autoprefixer-rails gem to Gemfile and write CSS in usual way:

gem "autoprefixer-rails"

Ruby

You can integrate Autoprefixer into your Sprockets environment by autoprefixer-rails gem:

AutoprefixerRails.install(sprockets_env)

or process CSS from plain Ruby:

prefixed = AutoprefixerRails.compile(css)

Grunt

You can use grunt-autoprefixer plugin for Grunt. Install npm package and add it to Gruntfile:

grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-autoprefixer');

Node.js

Use autoprefixer npm package:

var autoprefixer = require('autoprefixer');
var prefixed     = autoprefixer.compile(css);

JavaScript

You can use Autoprefixer in browser or non-node JS runtime with standalone version.

Rework

Autoprefixer can be also as Rework filter, so you can can combine it with other filters:

rework(css).
    use( autoprefixer.rework(['> 1%', 'opera 12.5']) ).
    use( rework.references() ).
    toString();

Others

You can use autoprefixer binary to process CSS files in any assets manager:

sudo npm install --global autoprefixer
autoprefixer *.css

See autoprefixer -h for help.

Sublime Text

You can process your styles directly in Sublime Text by sublime-autoprefixer plugin.