Q: Why are some colors in the less partials not externalized to variables.less?

[artificialhoney]

tried to customize bootstrap bundled with https://github.com/seyhunak/twitter-bootstrap-rails. By simply overwriting the colors in variables.less i cannot achieve a harmonic result (e.g nav-list divider), due to some colors, hardcoded in the other lesses.

Analyzing those partials i got :

Searching in accordion.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#e5e5e5
==========
Searching in alerts.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in bootstrap.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in breadcrumbs.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#f5f5f5
#ccc
==========
Searching in button-groups.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in buttons.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#c5c5c5
==========
Searching in carousel.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in close.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in code.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#d14
#f7f7f9
#e1e1e8
#f5f5f5
#ccc
==========
Searching in component-animations.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in dropdowns.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#ccc
==========
Searching in forms.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#e5e5e5
#b94a48
#ee5f5b
#ccc
==========
Searching in grid.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in hero-unit.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in labels-badges.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in layouts.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in media.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in mixins.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#333
#555
#ccc
#f5f5f5
#fff
#00b3ee
#7a43b6
#c3325f
#e5e5e5
==========
Searching in modals.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#999
#eee
#f5f5f5
#ddd
==========
Searching in navbar.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#f5f5f5
#ccc
==========
Searching in navs.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#ddd
#fff
==========
Searching in pager.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#fff
#ddd
#f5f5f5
==========
Searching in pagination.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#f5f5f5
==========
Searching in popovers.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#ccc
==========
Searching in progress-bars.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#f5f5f5
#f9f9f9
#149bdf
#0480be
#ee5f5b
#c43c35
#62c462
#57a957
#5bc0de
#339bb9
==========
Searching in reset.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in responsive-1200px-min.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in responsive-767px-max.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#ccc
==========
Searching in responsive-768px-979px.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in responsive-navbar.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in responsive-utilities.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in responsive.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in scaffolding.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#fff
#ccc
==========
Searching in sprites.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in tables.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in thumbnails.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#ddd
==========
Searching in tooltip.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in type.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in utilities.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
==========
Searching in wells.less for /#[0-9a-f]{3,6}/i
#ddd
==========

Found 26 colors
#e5e5e5
#f5f5f5
#ccc
#c5c5c5
#d14
#f7f7f9
#e1e1e8
#b94a48
#ee5f5b
#333
#555
#fff
#00b3ee
#7a43b6
#c3325f
#999
#eee
#ddd
#f9f9f9
#149bdf
#0480be
#c43c35
#62c462
#57a957
#5bc0de
#339bb9

So there are 26 colors hardcoded overall, some of them also appear in variables.less.

I think it would be an advantage to also have them externalized.

[theodorton]

It's smelly - but also an opinonated issue due to the naming conventions of the colors. Which should be grouped and so forth. I'll give it a shot and add a pull request, then people can discuss it in-code.

[mdo]

Closing as dupe of #5249.