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@oriadam
Last active February 9, 2024 16:01
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javascript convert any color to array of rgba values
// return array of [r,g,b,a] from any valid color. if failed returns undefined
function colorValues(color)
{
if (!color)
return;
if (color.toLowerCase() === 'transparent')
return [0, 0, 0, 0];
if (color[0] === '#')
{
if (color.length < 7)
{
// convert #RGB and #RGBA to #RRGGBB and #RRGGBBAA
color = '#' + color[1] + color[1] + color[2] + color[2] + color[3] + color[3] + (color.length > 4 ? color[4] + color[4] : '');
}
return [parseInt(color.substr(1, 2), 16),
parseInt(color.substr(3, 2), 16),
parseInt(color.substr(5, 2), 16),
color.length > 7 ? parseInt(color.substr(7, 2), 16)/255 : 1];
}
if (color.indexOf('rgb') === -1)
{
// convert named colors
var temp_elem = document.body.appendChild(document.createElement('fictum')); // intentionally use unknown tag to lower chances of css rule override with !important
var flag = 'rgb(1, 2, 3)'; // this flag tested on chrome 59, ff 53, ie9, ie10, ie11, edge 14
temp_elem.style.color = flag;
if (temp_elem.style.color !== flag)
return; // color set failed - some monstrous css rule is probably taking over the color of our object
temp_elem.style.color = color;
if (temp_elem.style.color === flag || temp_elem.style.color === '')
return; // color parse failed
color = getComputedStyle(temp_elem).color;
document.body.removeChild(temp_elem);
}
if (color.indexOf('rgb') === 0)
{
if (color.indexOf('rgba') === -1)
color += ',1'; // convert 'rgb(R,G,B)' to 'rgb(R,G,B)A' which looks awful but will pass the regxep below
return color.match(/[\.\d]+/g).map(function (a)
{
return +a
});
}
}
/*
Examples:
colorValues('transparent'); // [0,0,0,0]
colorValues('white'); // [255, 255, 255, 1]
colorValues('teal'); // [0, 128, 128, 1]
colorValues('rgba(11,22,33,.44)'); // [11, 22, 33, 0.44]
colorValues('rgb(11,22,33)'); // [11, 22, 33, 1]
colorValues('#abc'); // [170, 187, 204, 1]
colorValues('#abc6'); // [170, 187, 204, 0.4]
colorValues('#aabbcc'); // [170, 187, 204, 1]
colorValues('#aabbcc66'); // [170, 187, 204, 0.4]
colorValues('asdf'); // undefined
colorValues(''); // undefined
colorValues(NaN); // Script Error
colorValues(123); // Script Error
*/
@veetrp
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veetrp commented Oct 17, 2020

Very good and consise! Thanks

@av01d
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av01d commented Aug 5, 2021

Nice one. I made a much shorter version that even accepts hsl and hexa colors:
https://gist.github.com/av01d/8f068dd43447b475dec4aad0a6107288

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