Source for css

Table of Contents

This file is the source for css settings used in myzettel.

Initialisation

/* This file is maintained as a literate file in
   20260926215135-source_for_css.org */

Base variables

The variables used by rainbow-delimiters are prefixed with rd. The color palette originally used were not pleasing. For light mode, Nord hues darkened so every text colour reaches WCAG AA (4.5:1). For Dark mode, soft blue-grey instead of pure black (less glare/halation), panels one step lighter, borders clearly visible. 

/* --- Base Variables & Mode Logic --- */
:root {
    --bg: #ffffff;
    --accent-bg: #f3f5f8;
    --text: #2e3440;
    --text-light: #4c566a;
    --accent: #3b6a99;
    --code: #a5482b;
    --border: #aeb6c4;
    --graph-label:        #1a1a2a;
    --graph-node-default: #4a5060;
    --graph-node-dim:     #c0c0cc;
    --graph-edge-default: #c8ccd8;
    --graph-edge-dim:     #e8e8ee;
    --graph-edge-hi:      #1a6ecc;
    --graph-edge-bi:      #c8ccd8;
    --graph-edge-uni:     #dcdee6;
    --graph-palette-s:    70%;
    --graph-palette-l:    42%;
    --topnav-height: 3rem;
    --rd-1: #3b6a99;
    --rd-2: #b03a48;
    --rd-3: #8a6d0b;
    --rd-4: #4d7a35;
    --rd-5: #8a4f84;
    --rd-6: #2f7a7a;
    --rd-7: #b0532b;
    --rd-8: #3f6494;
    --rd-9: #6f4f98;
}

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark){
    :root {
        --bg: #1e222a;
        --accent-bg: #282d37;
        --text: #e5e9f0;
        --text-light: #a9b3c4;
        --accent: #88c0d0;
        --code: #ebcb8b;
        --border: #4c566a;
        --graph-label:        #a9b3c4;
        --graph-node-default: #5b6478;
        --graph-node-dim:     #3a3f55;
        --graph-edge-default: #343b55;
        --graph-edge-dim:     #2a2f3f;
        --graph-edge-hi:      #58a6ff;
        --graph-edge-bi:      #3a4260;
        --graph-edge-uni:     #2f3548;
        --graph-palette-s:    65%;
        --graph-palette-l:    65%;
        --rd-1: #88c0d0;
        --rd-2: #e07882;
        --rd-3: #ebcb8b;
        --rd-4: #a3be8c;
        --rd-5: #b48ead;
        --rd-6: #8fbcbb;
        --rd-7: #d08770;
        --rd-8: #81a1c1;
        --rd-9: #a692cc;
    }
}

Global reset

A global reset is done first. In addition, definitions needed for syntax highlighting in org-mode is included. This is implemented using (org-html-htmlize-output-type 'css). The rainbow-delimiters can either be enabled or disabled below. The color variants can be reduced to four, and depths 5 through 9 reuse them. 

body {
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
    font:1.2em/1.62em sans-serif;
    min-height: 100vh;
    background: var(--bg);
    color: var(--text);
    word-wrap: break-word;
    overflow-wrap: break-word;
}

h1, h2, h3 {
    line-height: 1.2;
    color: var(--text);
}

a {
    color: var(--accent);
    transition: color 0.2s;
}

pre, img {
    max-width: 100%;
    overflow-x: auto;
    display: block;
}

pre.src {
    background: var(--accent-bg);
    border: 1px solid var(--border);
    padding: 0.75rem 1rem;
    font-size: 0.85em;
    line-height: 1.45;
}
.org-keyword, .org-builtin, .org-function-name { color: var(--accent); }
.org-string, .org-constant, .org-variable-name, .org-type,
.org-regexp-grouping-construct, .org-regexp-grouping-backslash { color: var(--code); }
.org-comment, .org-comment-delimiter, .org-doc { color: var(--text-light); font-style: italic; }
@for $i from 1 through 9 {
    .org-rainbow-delimiters-depth-#{$i} { color: var(--rd-#{$i}); }
    /* .org-rainbow-delimiters-depth-#{$i} { color: var(--rd-#{($i - 1) % 4 + 1}); } */
}
/* [class*="org-rainbow-delimiters-depth-"] { color: var(--text-light); } */


table {
    width: 100%;
    max-width: 100%;
    border-collapse: collapse;
    border: 1px solid var(--border);
}
th,td{
    padding: 0.5rem;
    border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border);
    border-right: 1px solid var(--border);
}
th:last-child, td:last-child {
    border-right: none;
}

.list-header {
    font-weight: bold;
    border-bottom: 1px solid var(--text);
    padding-bottom: 0.25rem;
    margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
    color: var(--text);
    list-style: none;
}
* {
    scrollbar-width: thin;
    scrollbar-color: var(--accent) transparent;
}

.site-date {
    font-size: 0.7rem;
    font-family: monospace;
}

@media print{
    body{
        max-width:none
    }
}

Extra element defaults

Elements including org-specific, plus browser-level polish that cover form controls, scrollbars, focus ring, text selection follow the theme. 

:root { color-scheme: light dark; }
::selection { background: var(--accent); color: var(--bg); }
:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid var(--accent); outline-offset: 2px; }

h4, h5, h6 { color: var(--text); line-height: 1.2; }
hr { border: 0; border-top: 1px solid var(--border); }

blockquote {
    margin: 1rem 0;
    padding: 0.25rem 1rem;
    border-left: 4px solid var(--border);
    background: var(--accent-bg);
    color: var(--text-light);
}

/* org ~code~ and =verbatim= both export as <code> */
code {
    background: var(--accent-bg);
    color: var(--code);
    border: 1px solid var(--border);
    border-radius: 3px;
    padding: 0.1em 0.35em;
    font-size: 0.9em;
}
pre code { background: none; border: 0; padding: 0; color: inherit; }

pre.example, pre.verse {
    background: var(--accent-bg);
    border: 1px solid var(--border);
    padding: 0.75rem 1rem;
}
thead th { background: var(--accent-bg); }

.org-outshine-level-1 { color: var(--accent); font-weight: bold; }
.todo { color: var(--rd-2); font-weight: bold; }
.done { color: var(--rd-4); font-weight: bold; }

input, button {
    background: var(--accent-bg);
    color: var(--text);
    border: 1px solid var(--border);
    border-radius: 3px;
    padding: 0.35rem 0.6rem;
    font: inherit;
}
input::placeholder { color: var(--text-light); }
button:hover { border-color: var(--accent); cursor: pointer; }

Layout Structure

#preamble {
    position: sticky;
    top: 0;
    z-index: 100;
    background: var(--bg);
}

.topnav {
    // position: sticky;
    // top: 0;
    // z-index: 100;
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: center;
    background: var(--bg);
    border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border);
    box-sizing: border-box;
    padding: 0.6rem 0;
}

.topnav-links {
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    gap: 1.5rem;
    width: 100%;
    max-width: 40em;
    margin: 0 auto;
    padding: 0 3.24em;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    .topnav-title {
        font-weight: bold;
        font-size: 1.25rem;
        text-decoration: none;
        color: var(--text);
        white-space: nowrap;
        &:hover { color: var(--accent); }
        margin-right: auto;
        padding-right: 2rem;
        // border-right: 1px solid var(--border);
        letter-spacing: 0.02em;
    }
    a:not(.topnav-title) {
        text-decoration: none;
        font-size: 1.05rem;
        color: var(--text-light);
        transition: color 0.2s;
        &:hover { color: var(--accent); }
    }
}

#content {
    display: grid;
    // grid-template-columns: 15rem 1fr;
    grid-template-columns: 1fr 15rem;
    column-gap: 2rem;
    max-width: 65rem;
    margin: 0 auto;
    padding: 0 3.24em .62em 3.24em;
    box-sizing: border-box;
}

#content:not(:has(#table-of-contents)) {
    display: block;
    max-width: 40em;
}

#content > h1.title {
    grid-column: 1 / -1;
}

#table-of-contents {
    grid-column: 2;
    grid-row: 2 / span 999;
    position: sticky;
    top: calc(var(--topnav-height) + 1rem);
    max-height: calc(100vh - var(--topnav-height) - 2rem);
    overflow-y: auto;
    margin: 0;

    a {
        color: var(--text-light);
        font-size: 0.85rem;
        line-height: 1.3;
        display: block;
        padding: 2px 0;
        text-decoration: none;
        &:hover { color: var(--accent); }
    }
    ul {
        list-style: none;
        padding-left: 0.75rem;
    }
}

#table-of-contents ~ * {
    grid-column: 1;
    max-width: 48rem;
}

Postamble

The postamble is outside #content, so it needs its own width and padding to line up with the page text. 

#postamble {
    max-width: 65rem;
    margin: 2rem auto 0;
    padding: 1rem 3.24em;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    border-top: 1px solid var(--border);
    color: var(--text-light);
    font-size: 0.85rem;
    line-height: 1.4;

    p { margin: 0.2rem 0; }
}

/* pages without a table of contents use the narrower column */
body:has(#content:not(:has(#table-of-contents))) #postamble {
    max-width: 40em;
}

Wide-screen monitors

For wide screens: keep the text column where it is on pages without a TOC, and hang the TOC in the right margin instead of beside the text. 

@media (min-width: 1280px) {
    #content:has(#table-of-contents) {
        max-width: 40em;
        grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr) 0;
        column-gap: 0;
    }

    #table-of-contents {
        width: 15rem;
        margin-left: 2rem;
    }

    body:has(#table-of-contents) #postamble {
        max-width: 40em;
    }
}

Mobile customisations

@media (max-width: 768px) {
    html, body {
        height: auto !important;
        overflow: auto !important;
    }

    .topnav {
        padding: 0;
        position: relative;
        z-index: auto;
        min-height: var(--topnav-height);
        pointer-events: auto;
    }

    .topnav-links { padding: 0 20px; }

    #content {
        display: block;
        max-width: 100% !important;
        padding: 20px;
        box-sizing: border-box;
        overflow-x: hidden;
        margin: 0 ;
    }

    #table-of-contents {
        // display: none;
        position: static;
        max-height: none;
        width: auto;
        margin: 0 0 1.5rem 0;
    }

    #postamble {
        padding: 1rem 20px;
    }
}

Date: 2026-09-26 Sat 21:51

Author: Prabu Anand Kalivaradhan

Created: 2026-10-11 Sun 15:24