---
title: Special Functions
table_of_contents: true
introduction: >
  CSS defines many functions, and most of them work just fine with Sass’s normal
  function syntax. They’re parsed as function calls, resolved to [plain CSS
  functions](../functions/css), and compiled as-is to CSS. There are a few
  exceptions, though, which have special syntax that can’t just be parsed as a
  [SassScript expression](structure#expressions). All special function calls
  return [unquoted strings](../values/strings#unquoted).
---

## `url()`

The [`url()` function][] is commonly used in CSS, but its syntax is different
than other functions: it can take either a quoted *or* unquoted URL. Because an
unquoted URL isn't a valid SassScript expression, Sass needs special logic to
parse it.

[`url()` function]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/url

If the `url()`'s argument is a valid unquoted URL, Sass parses it as-is,
although [interpolation][] may also be used to inject SassScript values. If it's
not a valid unquoted URL—for example, if it contains [variables][] or [function
calls][]—it's parsed as a normal [plain CSS function call][].

[interpolation]: ../interpolation
[variables]: ../variables
[function calls]: ../at-rules/function
[plain CSS function call]: ../functions/css

<% example do %>
  $roboto-font-path: "../fonts/roboto";

  @font-face {
      // This is parsed as a normal function call that takes a quoted string.
      src: url("#{$roboto-font-path}/Roboto-Thin.woff2") format("woff2");

      font-family: "Roboto";
      font-weight: 100;
  }

  @font-face {
      // This is parsed as a normal function call that takes an arithmetic
      // expression.
      src: url($roboto-font-path + "/Roboto-Light.woff2") format("woff2");

      font-family: "Roboto";
      font-weight: 300;
  }

  @font-face {
      // This is parsed as an interpolated special function.
      src: url(#{$roboto-font-path}/Roboto-Regular.woff2) format("woff2");

      font-family: "Roboto";
      font-weight: 400;
  }
  ===
  $roboto-font-path: "../fonts/roboto"

  @font-face
      // This is parsed as a normal function call that takes a quoted string.
      src: url("#{$roboto-font-path}/Roboto-Thin.woff2") format("woff2")

      font-family: "Roboto"
      font-weight: 100


  @font-face
      // This is parsed as a normal function call that takes an arithmetic
      // expression.
      src: url($roboto-font-path + "/Roboto-Light.woff2") format("woff2")

      font-family: "Roboto"
      font-weight: 300


  @font-face
      // This is parsed as an interpolated special function.
      src: url(#{$roboto-font-path}/Roboto-Regular.woff2) format("woff2")

      font-family: "Roboto"
      font-weight: 400
<% end %>

## `calc()`, `element()`, `progid:...()`, and `expression()`

The [`calc()`][] and [`element()`][] functions are defined in the CSS spec.
Because `calc()`'s mathematical expressions conflict with Sass's arithmetic, and
`element()`'s IDs could be parsed as colors, they need special parsing.

[`calc()`]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/calc
[`element()`]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/element

[`expression()`][] and functions beginning with [`progid:`][] are legacy
Internet Explorer features that use non-standard syntax. Although they're no
longer supported by recent browsers, Sass continues to parse them for backwards
compatibility.

[`expression()`]: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ie/2008/10/16/ending-expressions/
[`progid:`]: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ie/2009/02/19/the-css-corner-using-filters-in-ie8/

Sass allows *any text* in these function calls, including nested parentheses.
Nothing is interpreted as a SassScript expression, with the exception that
[interpolation][] can be used to inject dynamic values.

<% example do %>
  .logo {
    $width: 800px;
    width: $width;
    position: absolute;
    left: calc(50% - #{$width / 2});
    top: 0;
  }
  ===
  .logo
    $width: 800px
    width: $width
    position: absolute
    left: calc(50% - #{$width / 2})
    top: 0
<% end %>

## `min()` and `max()`

<% impl_status(dart: "1.11.0", libsass: false, ruby: false) do %>
  LibSass and Ruby Sass currently *always* parse `min()` and `max()` as Sass
  functions. To create a plain CSS `min()` or `max()` call for those
  implementations, you can write something like `unquote("min(#{$padding},
  env(safe-area-inset-left))")` instead.
<% end %>

CSS added support for [`min()` and `max()` functions][] in Values and Units
Level 4, from where they were quickly adopted by Safari [to support the
iPhoneX][]. But Sass supported its own [`min()`][] and [`max()`][] functions
long before this, and it needed to be backwards-compatible with all those
existing stylesheets. This led for the need for extra-special syntactic
cleverness.

[`min()` and `max()` functions]: https://drafts.csswg.org/css-values-4/#calc-notation
[to support the iPhoneX]: https://webkit.org/blog/7929/designing-websites-for-iphone-x/
[`min()`]: ../functions/math#min
[`max()`]: ../functions/math#max

If a `min()` or `max()` function call is valid plain CSS, it will be compiled to
a CSS `min()` or `max()` call. "Plain CSS" includes nested calls to
[`calc()`][], [`env()`][], [`var()`][], `min()`, or `max()`, as well as
[interpolation][]. As soon as any part of the call contains a SassScript feature
like [variables][] or [function calls][], though, it's parsed as a call to
Sass's core `min()` or `max()` function instead.

[`env()`]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/env
[`var()`]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/var

<!-- TODO(nweiz): auto-generate this CSS once we're compiling with Dart Sass -->

<% example do %>
  $padding: 12px;

  .post {
    // Since these max() calls don't use any Sass features other than
    // interpolation, they're compiled to CSS max() calls.
    padding-left: max(#{$padding}, env(safe-area-inset-left));
    padding-right: max(#{$padding}, env(safe-area-inset-right));
  }

  .sidebar {
    // Since these refer to a Sass variable without interpolation, they call
    // Sass's built-in max() function.
    padding-left: max($padding, 20px);
    padding-right: max($padding, 20px);
  }
  ===
  $padding: 12px

  .post
    // Since these max() calls don't use any Sass features other than
    // interpolation, they're compiled to CSS max() calls.
    padding-left: max(#{$padding}, env(safe-area-inset-left))
    padding-right: max(#{$padding}, env(safe-area-inset-right))


  .sidebar
    // Since these refer to a Sass variable without interpolation, they call
    // Sass's built-in max() function.
    padding-left: max($padding, 20px)
    padding-right: max($padding, 20px)
  ===
  .post {
    padding-left: max(12px, env(safe-area-inset-left));
    padding-right: max(12px, env(safe-area-inset-right));
  }

  .sidebar {
    padding-left: 20px;
    padding-right: 20px;
  }
<% end %>