> Labels add metadata or indicate status of items and navigational elements.
This repository is a module of the full [primer-css][primer-css] repository.
## Install
This repository is distributed with [npm][npm]. After [installing npm][install-npm], you can install `primer-labels` with this command.
```
$ npm install --save primer-labels
```
## Usage
The source files included are written in [Sass][sass] (`scss`) You can simply point your sass `include-path` at your `node_modules` directory and import it like this.
```scss
@import "primer-labels/index.scss";
```
You can also import specific portions of the module by importing those partials from the `/lib/` folder. _Make sure you import any requirements along with the modules._
## Build
For a compiled **css** version of this module, a npm script is included that will output a css version to `build/build.css` The built css file is also included in the npm package.
Labels add metatdata or indicate status of items and navigational elements. Three different types of labels are available: [Labels](#default-label-styles) for adding metadata, [States](#states) for indicating status, and [Counters](#counters) for showing the count for a number of items.
{:toc}
## Labels
The base label component styles the text, adds padding and rounded corners, and an inset box shadow. Labels come in various themes which apply colors and different border styles.
GitHub also programmatically generates and applies a background color for labels on items such as issues and pull requests. Users are able to select any background color and the text color will adjust to work with light and dark background colors.
The base `Label` style does not apply a background color, here's an example using the `bg-blue` utility to apply a blue background:
**Note:** Be sure to include a title attribute on labels, it's helpful for people using screen-readers to differentiate a label from other text. I.e. without the title attribute, the following example would read as _"New select component design"_, rather than identifying `design` as a label.
Labels come in a few different themes. Use a theme that helps communicate the content of the label, and ensure it's used consistently.
Use `Label--gray` to create a label with a light gray background and gray text. This label is neutral in color and can be used in contexts where all you need to communicate is metadata, or whe you want a label to feel less prominent compared with labels with stronger colors.
Use `Label--gray-darker` to create a label with a dark-gray background color. This label is also neutral in color, however, since it's background is darker it can stand out more compared to `Label--gray`.
```html
<spantitle="Label: dark gray label"class="Label Label--gray-darker">dark gray label</span>
```
Use `Label--orange` to communicate "warning". The orange background color is very close to red, so avoid using next to labels with a red background color since most people will find it hard to tell the difference.
Use `Label--outline` to create a label with gray text, a gray border, and a transparent background. The outline reduces the contrast of this label in combination with filled labels. Use this in contexts where you need it to stand out less than other labels and communicate a neutral message.
Use the `Counter` component to add a count to navigational elements and buttons. Counters come in 3 variations: the default `Counter` with a light gray background, `Counter--gray` with a dark-gray background and inverse white text, and `Counter--gray-light` with a light-gray background and dark gray text.
Use the `Counter` in navigation to indicate the number of items without the user having to click through or count the items, such as open issues in a GitHub repo. See more options in [navigation](../../core/components/navigation).
