Do We Still Need Quotes for Font Family Names in CSS?

Quoteless Font Names in CSS

The notion of wrapping font family names with quotes in CSS has been a common practice in the past. However, the question arises: Is this practice still necessary in modern browsers? Let's delve into this topic and uncover the logic behind this rule.

CSS Specifications

The CSS 2.1 specification states that font family names can be provided as strings enclosed in quotes or as a sequence of unquoted identifiers. If an identifier is used, special characters and digits must be escaped.

Advantages of Quoting

Quoting font family names is recommended when they contain spaces, digits, or punctuation (other than hyphens). This ensures that the name is interpreted correctly and avoids potential parsing errors.

Exceptions and Caveats

There are a few exceptions where quoting is mandatory. Font family names that match CSS keywords ('inherit', 'serif', etc.) must be quoted to prevent ambiguity. Additionally, punctuation characters like '/' or '!' within an identifier may also require quoting or escaping.

Impact on Browsers

While older browsers may have had issues with unquoted font names, modern browsers like Safari and Firefox have no problem rendering them. Therefore, the need to quote font family names solely for rendering purposes is obsolete.

Conclusion

Quoting font family names in CSS is no longer a strict necessity for modern browsers. However, it remains a good practice to quote names that contain spaces or other special characters to ensure consistent parsing and prevent potential errors. For the sake of readability and consistency, it may still be advisable to quote all font family names.

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