title: Define base64 data as some kind of variable to use it in stylesheet
body: <p>In css (and as far as I know, everywhere else, even in address string) it is possible to specify an image in base64 form like this:</p>
  
  <pre><code>data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAAGHRFWHRBdXRob3IAbWluZWNyYWZ0aW5mby5jb23fZidLAAAAk0lEQVQ4y2P4//8/AyUYwcAD+OzN/oMwshjRBoA0Gr8+DcbIhhBlAEyz+qZZ/7WPryHNAGTNMOxpJvo/w0/uP0kGgGwGaZbrKgfTGnLc/0nyAgiDbEY2BCRGdCDCnA2yGeYVog0Aae5MV4c7Gzk6CRqAbDM2w/EaQEgzXgPQnU2SAcTYjNMAYm3GaQCxNuM0gFwMAPUKd8XyBVDcAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>In my project I use an image several times in different places of a single css file. Currently on stage of development I use LESS to store an image in variable, then compile the  to CSS.</p>
  
  <p><strong>The main question is: is it possible with css only to specify base64 as some kind of internal name (URI maybe, idk) only once to use it in whole stylesheet somewhere by that name?</strong> <em>(Like we do with external fonts loaded to css - we specify url only once and name it, then we use the font with the name we gave it)</em></p>
  
  <p>What I really need is to be able to specify that data in CSS only once with some "buts" (read below)</p>
  
  <p>Say, do something like this:</p>
  
  <pre><code>@data{
   data-name: anAxe;
   src: url('data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAAGHRFWHRBdXRob3IAbWluZWNyYWZ0aW5mby5jb23fZidLAAAAk0lEQVQ4y2P4//8/AyUYwcAD+OzN/oMwshjRBoA0Gr8+DcbIhhBlAEyz+qZZ/7WPryHNAGTNMOxpJvo/w0/uP0kGgGwGaZbrKgfTGnLc/0nyAgiDbEY2BCRGdCDCnA2yGeYVog0Aae5MV4c7Gzk6CRqAbDM2w/EaQEgzXgPQnU2SAcTYjNMAYm3GaQCxNuM0gFwMAPUKd8XyBVDcAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC');
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>And then</p>
  
  <pre><code>.axeButton{
   background: 'anAxe';
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I could just define background for multiple classes but that's not an option due to some reasons. Also I could use clientside LESS but it's not an option either.</p>
  
  <p>Is there any options?</p>