mincss

MinCSS is a software tool intended to reduce the size of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) by removing unnecessary characters and simplifying expressions without changing their meaning in browsers. Its primary purpose is to decrease file size and improve page load times, while preserving the visual and behavioral output of CSS.

Typical minification actions include removing whitespace, comments (with an option to retain license-related comments), collapsing long color values, shortening zero values, and eliminating redundant semicolons. Many implementations also optimize shorthand properties and deduplicate rules where safe. Modern tools may handle CSS features such as custom properties, at-rules, and media queries while still producing valid CSS.

MinCSS can be used in several forms: as a command-line utility, as a library integrated into a build system, or as a plugin for task runners and bundlers. It usually accepts CSS input from files or streams and writes minified output to a file or stdout, often with support for source maps. Some versions offer presets or configuration to control comment preservation, compatibility targets, or integration with package managers and tooling ecosystems (for example, npm-based workflows or webpack plugins).

Limitations and best practices: minified CSS should be tested across browsers and environments, as aggressive optimizations can occasionally alter behavior if the input relies on nonstandard syntax or tools that preprocessors. When using preprocessors, run the minifier after code generation or ensure compatibility with the preprocessor's output, and keep original sources with source maps for debugging.