mensch

library0.3.4jsnpmunverified

A decent, non-validating CSS parser and stringifier. Current stable version is 0.3.4 (last release 2015-04-02, now in maintenance mode). Provides parse, stringify, and lex functions with support for comments and position tracking. Unlike validating parsers, mensch handles malformed CSS (mis-matched braces, missing semi-colons) without error. Differentiators: comments in AST, position info, and lenient parsing. Alternatives: PostCSS, css, csstree.

serialization

npm install mensch

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · MENSCH

mensch

serializationjavascriptv0.3.4

Install

—

Import

—

Disk

—

Pass rate

0/ 6

Env Coverage0 / 6

glibc

18–22

musl

18–22

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v? · npm install

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

node 18–226 runs

build_error

glibc

node 18–226 runs

build_error

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

default

✓ import mensch from 'mensch'

✗ import { mensch } from 'mensch'

Default import is the module object containing parse, stringify, lex.

parse

✓ import { parse } from 'mensch'

✗ const parse = require('mensch').parse

Named import works in ESM; require also works in CJS.

stringify

✓ import { stringify } from 'mensch'

✗ import stringify from 'mensch'

stringify is a named export, not default.

lex

✓ import { lex } from 'mensch'

✗ const lex = require('mensch/lex')

lex is a member of the main module; no subpath.

Parse a CSS string with comments and positions, then stringify with indentation.

import mensch from 'mensch'; const css = 'p { color: black; }'; const ast = mensch.parse(css, { comments: true, position: true }); console.log(JSON.stringify(ast, null, 2)); const output = mensch.stringify(ast, { comments: true, indentation: ' ' }); console.log(output);

Debug

Known issues

gotchaMensch is a non-validating parser. It will not flag invalid CSS like misspelled property names or misplaced @import.

fix

Use a validating parser (e.g., PostCSS with stylelint) if validation is needed.

affects: >=0.1.0

gotchaComments within selectors, properties, or values are silently ignored. They do not appear in the AST even with {comments: true}.

fix

Keep comments only between rules or declarations.

affects: >=0.1.0

deprecatedThe package has no new releases since 2015. It is effectively in maintenance mode; no updates for modern CSS features (e.g., custom properties, nesting).

fix

Consider using PostCSS or csstree for modern CSS parsing.

affects: *

gotchaGlobal leak in v0.3.3 and earlier: the parser could leak variables into global scope.

fix

Update to v0.3.4 or later.

affects: <0.3.4

gotchaWhen using CommonJS require(), the default export is the whole module, not an object with methods. Use const mensch = require('mensch'); then mensch.parse().

fix

Use const mensch = require('mensch'); or import * as mensch from 'mensch'.

affects: *

Errors

Common errors & fixes

TypeError: mensch.parse is not a function

Importing mensch incorrectly, e.g., import parse from 'mensch' instead of import mensch from 'mensch'.

fix

Use import mensch from 'mensch'; then mensch.parse().

Cannot find module 'mensch'

Package not installed or typo in package name.

fix

Run npm install mensch and ensure correct casing.

Unexpected token ILLEGAL

CSS contains modern syntax like CSS custom properties (var(--foo)) or nesting that mensch cannot parse.

fix

Switch to a modern parser like PostCSS.

Upgrade

Version history

0.3.4latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

3 hits · last 30 days

node

Amazon

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/brettstimmerman/mensch ↗

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/mensch ↗