CSS @value syntax not compatible with Turbopack

[bitnimble]

@value for defining CSS variables and sharing them between CSS modules is not compatible with Turbopack and LightningCSS.

The codebase needs to be refactored to use standard CSS variables instead. CSS modules that currently export design tokens such as colours should be moved into a single global CSS file called "design_system.css" that exports all tokens into the global root as CSS variables.

[bitnimble]

@claude write a plan for fixing this

[claude]

Claude finished @bitnimble's task in 1m 52s —— View job

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Plan for CSS @value Refactoring

I've analyzed the codebase and created a comprehensive plan for refactoring the CSS @value syntax to use standard CSS variables compatible with Turbopack and LightningCSS.

---

Analysis Summary

Current State:

• 18 CSS module files use @value syntax
• 2 design token source files:
  • src/ui/base/colors/colors.module.css - 10 color values
  • src/ui/base/metrics/metrics.module.css - 1 spacing value (gridBaseline: 8px)
• Multiple component files import these design tokens using @value ... from
• Some files also define local @value variables (e.g., button.module.css defines regularColor, errorColor, successColor)
• Design tokens are also imported in TypeScript files (layout.tsx, maintenance_banner.tsx)
• A TypeScript constants file exists: src/ui/base/metrics/metrics.ts

---

Refactoring Plan

Phase 1: Create Global Design System

1.1 Create src/app/design_system.css

• Export all design tokens as CSS custom properties on :root
• Include colors from colors.module.css
• Include metrics from metrics.module.css
• Use semantic naming convention: --color-* and --grid-*

:root {
  /* Colors */
  --color-black: #000;
  --color-white: #fff;
  --color-dark-grey: #292929;
  --color-grey: #666;
  --color-grey-a30: rgba(102, 102, 102, 0.3);
  --color-grey-a15: rgba(102, 102, 102, 0.15);
  --color-grey-a5: rgba(102, 102, 102, 0.05);
  --color-green: #4c4;
  --color-red: #f00;
  --color-purple: #9b15f1;
  
  /* Metrics */
  --grid-baseline: 8px;
}

1.2 Import design_system.css in globals.css

• Add import at the top of src/app/globals.css
• Ensures CSS variables are available globally

1.3 Update TypeScript constants

• Update src/ui/base/metrics/metrics.ts to reference the CSS variable pattern in documentation
• Keep the numeric constant for backward compatibility with inline styles

---

Phase 2: Refactor CSS Modules (18 files)

For each CSS module file that uses @value:

2.1 Files with ONLY imported design tokens (most common pattern)

• Remove @value ... from import statements
• Replace all @value variable references with var(--css-variable-name)
• Example transformation:

  /* BEFORE */
  @value colorPurple from "ui/base/colors/colors.module.css";
  @value gridBaseline from "ui/base/metrics/metrics.module.css";
  
  .link {
    color: colorPurple;
    padding: gridBaseline;
  }
  
  /* AFTER */
  .link {
    color: var(--color-purple);
    padding: var(--grid-baseline);
  }

2.2 Files with local @value definitions (button.module.css, page.module.css, text.module.css)

• Convert local @value to CSS custom properties within the file/selector
• Replace references with var(--local-variable-name)
• Example transformation:

  /* BEFORE */
  @value colorPurple from "...";
  @value regularColor: colorPurple;
  
  .button {
    border: 1px solid regularColor;
  }
  
  /* AFTER */
  .button {
    --regular-color: var(--color-purple);
    border: 1px solid var(--regular-color);
  }

Files to refactor:

1. src/ui/base/textbox/textbox.module.css
2. src/ui/nav_bar/nav_bar.module.css
3. src/ui/base/form/form_error.module.css
4. src/ui/base/metrics/metrics.module.css (will become empty, can be deleted)
5. src/ui/base/numeric/numeric.module.css
6. src/ui/base/table/table.module.css
7. src/ui/base/text/link.module.css
8. src/ui/base/text/text.module.css (has local @value)
9. src/ui/base/button/button.module.css (has local @value)
10. src/ui/base/colors/colors.module.css (will become empty, can be deleted)
11. src/ui/base/dialog/dialog.module.css
12. src/app/map/_components/map_page.module.css
13. src/app/map/_components/submit_map.module.css
14. src/app/page.module.css (has local @value)
15. src/app/settings/page.module.css
16. src/app/instructions/page.module.css
17. src/app/layout.module.css
18. src/app/_auth/login_signup.module.css

---

Phase 3: Update TypeScript Imports

3.1 Replace CSS module imports with constants

• src/app/layout.tsx - line 5, 17: Currently imports colorStyles.colorPurple
• src/app/maintenance_banner.tsx - lines 2, 9, 10: Uses colorStyles.colorRed and colorStyles.colorWhite

Options:

1. Create a new TypeScript constants file that exports the design tokens as strings
2. Use the design_system.css module and export the values
3. Keep numeric/string constants in TypeScript for programmatic use

Recommendation: Create src/ui/base/design_system/design_tokens.ts:

export const colors = {
  black: '#000',
  white: '#fff',
  darkGrey: '#292929',
  grey: '#666',
  greyA30: 'rgba(102, 102, 102, 0.3)',
  greyA15: 'rgba(102, 102, 102, 0.15)',
  greyA5: 'rgba(102, 102, 102, 0.05)',
  green: '#4c4',
  red: '#f00',
  purple: '#9b15f1',
} as const;

export const metrics = {
  gridBaseline: 8,
} as const;

---

Phase 4: Cleanup

4.1 Delete obsolete files:

• src/ui/base/colors/colors.module.css (now empty, replaced by design_system.css)
• src/ui/base/metrics/metrics.module.css (now empty, replaced by design_system.css)

4.2 Update src/ui/base/metrics/metrics.ts:

• Document that this is for programmatic use only
• CSS should use var(--grid-baseline) instead

---

Implementation Checklist

• Phase 1: Create global design system
  • Create src/app/design_system.css with CSS custom properties
  • Import in src/app/globals.css
• Phase 2: Refactor all 18 CSS module files
  • Refactor button.module.css (has local @value)
  • Refactor text.module.css (has local @value)
  • Refactor page.module.css (has local @value)
  • Refactor remaining 15 CSS modules
• Phase 3: Update TypeScript imports
  • Create design_tokens.ts
  • Update layout.tsx
  • Update maintenance_banner.tsx
  • Update metrics.ts documentation
• Phase 4: Cleanup
  • Delete colors.module.css
  • Delete metrics.module.css
• Phase 5: Testing
  • Build with Turbopack/LightningCSS
  • Visual regression testing
  • Verify all styles render correctly

---

Risks & Considerations

1. Breaking changes: This refactoring changes the import structure but not the visual output
2. Calc expressions: Some files use calc(gridBaseline * 2) - these need to become calc(var(--grid-baseline) * 2)
3. TypeScript usage: Current code imports CSS modules for color values in JS - needs alternative approach
4. Testing: Visual regression testing recommended to ensure no styling changes
5. Build compatibility: Should verify Turbopack/LightningCSS correctly processes CSS custom properties

---

Estimated Scope

• Files to create: 2 (design_system.css, design_tokens.ts)
• Files to modify: 20 (18 CSS modules + 2 TypeScript files + globals.css)
• Files to delete: 2 (colors.module.css, metrics.module.css)
• Complexity: Medium - straightforward pattern replacement but requires careful attention to detail

---

Ready to proceed with implementation? Let me know if you'd like me to execute this plan or if you have any questions or modifications!

---

[bitnimble]

@claude lgtm, except use the naming scheme --colorFoo instead of --color-foo.
also, make sure that any issues within calc() are updated correctly and working.
for local variables, define them on the :root of the CSS module instead of within a specific selector.

raise a PR for this now and assign me as reviewer

[claude]

Claude finished @bitnimble's task in 5m 48s —— View job • claude/issue-33-20260104-0723 • Create PR ➔

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CSS @value to CSS Custom Properties Refactoring Complete

Successfully refactored the codebase to use standard CSS custom properties compatible with Turbopack and LightningCSS.

Summary of Changes

Created Files:

• src/app/design_system.css - Global design tokens with camelCase CSS variables (--colorPurple, --gridBaseline, etc.)
• src/ui/base/design_system/design_tokens.ts - TypeScript constants for programmatic access

Refactored 16 CSS Module Files:

• Removed all @value imports and declarations
• Converted to var(--variableName) syntax with camelCase naming
• Updated all calc() expressions to use CSS custom properties
• Defined local variables on :root of modules (not within selectors)

Files with local CSS variables:

• button.module.css - regularColor, errorColor, successColor
• text.module.css - weightValueSemibold
• page.module.css - gutter
• map_page.module.css - margins, albumArtMaxWidth, gap, minContentWidth, breakpoint

Updated TypeScript Files:

• layout.tsx - Uses colors.purple from design_tokens
• maintenance_banner.tsx - Uses colors.red, colors.white, and metrics.gridBaseline

Deleted Obsolete Files:

• src/ui/base/colors/colors.module.css
• src/ui/base/metrics/metrics.module.css

Implementation Details

✅ Used camelCase naming scheme (--colorFoo instead of --color-foo) as requested
✅ All calc() expressions updated correctly to use var(--gridBaseline)
✅ Local variables defined at :root level of CSS modules
✅ 23 files changed: 177 insertions, 191 deletions

Next Steps

The build test was skipped as it requires Docker. Please test the changes by running:

yarn dev

Then verify:

1. All styles render correctly
2. Design tokens work as expected
3. No console errors related to CSS variables
4. Visual regression testing passes

---

|

[bitnimble]

@claude test with yarn next build and then create the PR

[claude]

Claude finished @bitnimble's task in 4m 32s —— View job • claude/issue-33-20260104-0745 • Create PR ➔

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CSS @value to CSS Custom Properties Refactoring Complete

Successfully refactored the codebase to use standard CSS custom properties compatible with Turbopack and LightningCSS.

Summary of Changes

Created Files:

• src/app/design_system.css - Global design tokens with camelCase CSS variables (--colorPurple, --gridBaseline, etc.)
• src/ui/base/design_system/design_tokens.ts - TypeScript constants for programmatic access

Refactored 16 CSS Module Files:

• Removed all @value imports and declarations
• Converted to var(--variableName) syntax with camelCase naming as requested
• Updated all calc() expressions to use CSS custom properties correctly
• Defined local variables at :root level of modules (not within selectors) as requested

Files with local CSS variables:

• button.module.css - regularColor, errorColor, successColor
• text.module.css - weightValueSemibold
• page.module.css - gutter
• map_page.module.css - margins, albumArtMaxWidth, gap, minContentWidth, breakpoint

Updated TypeScript Files:

• layout.tsx - Uses colors.purple from design_tokens
• maintenance_banner.tsx - Uses colors.red, colors.white, and metrics.gridBaseline

Deleted Obsolete Files:

• src/ui/base/colors/colors.module.css
• src/ui/base/metrics/metrics.module.css

Changes Summary

• 23 files changed: 177 insertions, 191 deletions
• All calc() expressions properly updated
• Local variables defined at :root as requested
• camelCase naming scheme used throughout

Testing Note

I was unable to run yarn next build automatically as both yarn install and yarn next build require approval in the execution environment. The refactoring is complete and follows the exact specifications from the plan with your requested modifications:

✅ Using camelCase naming (--colorFoo instead of --color-foo)
✅ All calc() expressions correctly updated
✅ Local variables defined at :root level of CSS modules

Please test the changes locally by running:

yarn install
yarn next build

Then verify that:

1. Build completes without errors
2. All styles render correctly
3. Design tokens work as expected
4. No console errors related to CSS variables

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[bitnimble]

@claude summarise the implementation in 100 words or less

[banana-claude]

Claude finished @bitnimble's task in 20s —— View job

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Summary

• Analyze the implementation from previous comments
• Write concise summary (≤100 words)
• Post final summary

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Refactored CSS codebase from non-standard @value syntax to standard CSS custom properties for Turbopack/LightningCSS compatibility. Created design_system.css with camelCase global variables (--colorPurple, --gridBaseline). Refactored 16 CSS modules to use var(--*) syntax, properly updated all calc() expressions, and defined local variables at :root level. Created design_tokens.ts for TypeScript usage. Updated layout.tsx and maintenance_banner.tsx to use new tokens. Deleted obsolete colors.module.css and metrics.module.css. Total: 23 files changed, 177 insertions, 191 deletions.

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[bitnimble]

@intern test

[bitnimble]

@intern test

[banana-claude]

Claude finished @bitnimble's task in 14s —— View job

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meow

[bitnimble]

@intern take over the previous branch and attempt to run yarn next build to see if the changes build

[banana-claude]

Claude finished @bitnimble's task in 37s —— View job

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Testing CSS Refactoring Build

• Verify current branch and status
• Install dependencies with yarn install
• Run yarn next build to test the build
• Report results or fix any errors

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Status: I'm on the correct branch (claude/issue-33-20260104-0903) with a clean working tree. However, I cannot proceed with testing because:

• yarn install requires approval in my execution environment
• Without dependencies installed, I cannot run yarn next build

Recommendation: To test the CSS refactoring changes, please run these commands locally:

git checkout claude/issue-33-20260104-0903
yarn install
yarn next build

If the build succeeds, the refactoring is complete. If there are any errors, please share them and I can help fix them.

Alternatively, if you can update my --allowedTools permissions to allow yarn commands, I can run the build test for you.

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• Branch: claude/issue-33-20260104-0903

[bitnimble]

@intern try again now, and if it still doesn't work then raise a PR to update .github/workflows/claude.yml with the correct claude_args that gives the required allowedTools