Modern CSS Code Snippets | modern.css Updated for 2026 Stop writing CSS like it’s 2015. Modern CSS code snippets, side by side with the old hacks they replace. Every technique you still Google has a clean, native replacement now. Old .child { position : absolute ; top : 50% ; left : 50% ; transform : translate(-50%,-50%) ; } Modern .parent { display : grid ; place-items : center ; } /* child needs nothing. */ All comparisons 56 snippets Browser compatibility: All Widely available Newly available Limited Workflow Advanced Range style queries without multiple blocks Old /* Multiple style() blocks */ @container style ( –p: 51% ) {} @container style ( –p: 52% ) {} /* …for each value */ Modern @container style ( –progress > 50% ) { .bar { … } } see modern → 32% → Animation Intermediate Sticky & snapped element styling without JavaScript Old window . addEventListener ( ‘scroll’ , () => { /* check position */ }); Modern @container scroll-state ( stuck: top ) { .header { … } } see modern → 50% → Workflow Intermediate Typed attribute values without JavaScript Old // JS reading dataset el . style . width = el . dataset . pct + ‘%’ ; Modern .bar { width : attr ( data-pct type ( ) ); } see modern → 42% → Workflow Intermediate Inline conditional styles without JavaScript Old // JavaScript toggling el . classList . toggle ( ‘primary’ , isPrimary ); Modern .btn { background : if ( style(–variant: primary) : blue ; else : gray ); } see modern → 35% → Workflow Intermediate Reusable CSS logic without Sass mixins Old // Sass function @function fluid ( $min , $max ) { @return clamp (…); } Modern @function –fluid ( –min , –max ) { @return clamp (…); } see modern → 40% → Layout Beginner Corner shapes beyond rounded borders Old .card { clip-path : polygon ( … /* 20+ points */ ); } Modern .card { border-radius : 2em ; corner-shape : squircle ; } see modern → 38% → Animation Advanced Responsive clip paths without SVG Old .shape { clip-path : path ( ‘M0 200 L100 0…’ ); } Modern .shape { clip-path : shape ( from 0% 100% , … ); } see modern → 45% → Selector Intermediate Scroll spy without IntersectionObserver Old const observer = new IntersectionObserver (cb); /* 15+ lines of JS */ Modern nav a : target-current { color : var(–accent) ; } see modern → 48% → Layout Beginner Filling available space without calc workarounds Old .full { width : calc ( 100% – 40px ); /* or width: 100% and overflow */ } Modern .full { width : stretch ; } /* fills container, keeps margins */ see modern → 90% → Animation Intermediate Staggered animations without nth-child hacks Old li:nth-child(1) { –i : 0 ; } li:nth-child(2) { –i : 1 ; } li:nth-child(3) { –i : 2 ; } /* repeat for every item… */ Modern li { transition-delay : calc ( 0.1s * ( sibling-index() – 1 )); } see modern → 72% → Layout Advanced Carousel navigation without a JavaScript library Old // Swiper.js or Slick carousel new Swiper ( ‘.carousel’ , { navigation : { /* … */ }, pagination : { /* … */
Source: Hacker News | Original Link