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svggradientlinear-gradients

Linear gradients in SVG without defs

I can use linear gradient in SVG with defs-section like:

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
     xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">

  <defs>
    <linearGradient id="myLinearGradient1"
                    x1="0%" y1="0%"
                    x2="0%" y2="100%"
                    spreadMethod="pad">
      <stop offset="0%"   stop-color="#00cc00" stop-opacity="1"/>
      <stop offset="100%" stop-color="#006600" stop-opacity="1"/>
    </linearGradient>
  </defs>

  <rect x="0" y="0" width="100" height="100"
     style="fill:url(#myLinearGradient1)" />

</svg>

Can I use linear gradient without defs-section? I find something like this:

<rect style="fill:lineargradient(foo)">
Solution

  • <defs> is needed only for structuring purposes; its value is that it suppresses display of elements you put inside it for definitional purposes that you don't want displayed. But since a gradient can be visible only when applied to a shape or another element, you can define it in any place of the document; it doesn't matter whether it's inside a <defs> section or not.

    But you still have to stick to the correct syntax:

    <rect style="fill:url(#myLinearGradient1)" ... />

    In case there is doubt as to whether any of this works or not, here is the exact code from the question, as an executable stack snippet:

    <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
     xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">

  <defs>
    <linearGradient id="myLinearGradient1"
                    x1="0%" y1="0%"
                    x2="0%" y2="100%"
                    spreadMethod="pad">
      <stop offset="0%"   stop-color="#00cc00" stop-opacity="1"/>
      <stop offset="100%" stop-color="#006600" stop-opacity="1"/>
    </linearGradient>
  </defs>

  <rect x="0" y="0" width="100" height="100"
     style="fill:url(#myLinearGradient1)" />

</svg>

    And here is the exact same code without the <defs>/<\defs>:

    <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
     xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">

    <linearGradient id="myLinearGradient1"
                    x1="0%" y1="0%"
                    x2="0%" y2="100%"
                    spreadMethod="pad">
      <stop offset="0%"   stop-color="#00cc00" stop-opacity="1"/>
      <stop offset="100%" stop-color="#006600" stop-opacity="1"/>
    </linearGradient>

  <rect x="0" y="0" width="100" height="100"
     style="fill:url(#myLinearGradient1)" />

</svg>

    Both of the above executable snippets show the intended result (in chrome and firefox at least), which is a 100x100 rectangle filled with a gradient (shades of green varying vertically):