CSS native variables not working in media queries

Question

I am trying to use CSS variables in media query and it does not work.

:root {
  --mobile-breakpoint: 642px;
}

@media (max-width: var(--mobile-breakpoint)) {         


        

Answer 1

Short Answer

You can use JavaScript to change the value of media queries and set it to the value of a css variable.

// get value of css variable
getComputedStyle(document.documentElement).getPropertyValue('--mobile-breakpoint'); // '642px'

// search for media rule
var mediaRule = document.styleSheets[i].cssRules[j];

// update media rule
mediaRule.media.mediaText = '..'

Long Answer

I wrote a small script which you can include on your page. It replaces every media rule with a value of 1px with the value of the css variable --replace-media-1px, rules with value 2px with --replace-media-2px and so on. This works for the media queries with, min-width, max-width, height, min-height and max-height even when they are connected using and.

JavaScript:

function* visitCssRule(cssRule) {
    // visit imported stylesheet
    if (cssRule.type == cssRule.IMPORT_RULE)
        yield* visitStyleSheet(cssRule.styleSheet);

    // yield media rule
    if (cssRule.type == cssRule.MEDIA_RULE)
        yield cssRule;
}

function* visitStyleSheet(styleSheet) {
    try {
        // visit every rule in the stylesheet
        var cssRules = styleSheet.cssRules;
        for (var i = 0, cssRule; cssRule = cssRules[i]; i++)
            yield* visitCssRule(cssRule);
    } catch (ignored) {}
}

function* findAllMediaRules() {
    // visit all stylesheets
    var styleSheets = document.styleSheets;
    for (var i = 0, styleSheet; styleSheet = styleSheets[i]; i++)
        yield* visitStyleSheet(styleSheet);
}

// collect all media rules
const mediaRules = Array.from(findAllMediaRules());

// read replacement values
var style = getComputedStyle(document.documentElement);
var replacements = [];
for (var k = 1, value; value = style.getPropertyValue('--replace-media-' + k + 'px'); k++)
    replacements.push(value);

// update media rules
for (var i = 0, mediaRule; mediaRule = mediaRules[i]; i++) {
    for (var k = 0; k < replacements.length; k++) {
        var regex = RegExp('\\((width|min-width|max-width|height|min-height|max-height): ' + (k+1) + 'px\\)', 'g');
        var replacement = '($1: ' + replacements[k] + ')';
        mediaRule.media.mediaText = mediaRule.media.mediaText.replace(regex, replacement);
    }
}

CSS:

:root {
  --mobile-breakpoint: 642px;

  --replace-media-1px: var(--mobile-breakpoint);
  --replace-media-2px: ...;
}

@media (max-width: 1px) { /* replaced by 642px */
  ...
}

@media (max-width: 2px) {
  ...
}