A SASS mixin for generating a sprite declaration block that will work with media queries

get-sprite.sass

// http://compass-style.org/reference/compass/helpers/sprites/
@mixin get-sprite($map, $sprite, $repeat: no-repeat, $height: true, $width: true)

  //http://compass-style.org/reference/compass/helpers/sprites/#sprite-file
  $sprite-image: sprite-file($map, $sprite) 
  
  // http://compass-style.org/reference/compass/helpers/sprites/#sprite-url
  $sprite-map: sprite-url($map)
  
  // http://compass-style.org/reference/compass/helpers/sprites/#sprite-position
  $sprite-position: sprite-position($map, $sprite)
  
  // Returns background
  background: $sprite-map $sprite-position $repeat
  
  // http://compass-style.org/reference/compass/helpers/image-dimensions/
  // Checks to see if the user wants height returned
  @if $height == true
    // Gets the height of the sprite-image
    $sprite-height: image-height($sprite-image)
    // Returns the height
    height: $sprite-height
    
  // http://compass-style.org/reference/compass/helpers/image-dimensions/
  // Checks to see if the user wants height returned
  @if $width == true
    // Gets the height of the sprite-image
    $sprite-width: image-width($sprite-image)
    // Returns the width
    width: $sprite-width

For anyone needing offset-x & -y, just add a few extra arguments and your all set: https://gist.github.com/3288800

Thanks @dfadler.

I made a SCSS version. Avaliable here:https://gist.github.com/3166895

Thank you @dfadler, your mixin is really helpful !

But quick question, is it possible to add sprite spacing to the sprite, and if yes, how ?

@Cerpint4xt - "But quick question, is it possible to add sprite spacing to the sprite, and if yes, how ?"

You would need to configure spacing at the point where the sprite map was created.

$mapped-images: sprite-map("mapped-images/.png", *$spacing: 10**)

Thanks for that mixin.
I just wondered how to use get-sprite in conjunction with a magic import.
My first try was to do it by my own with 'sprite-map("my-icons/.png");', but that fails as the two sprite maps are conflicting- see the first comment.
Simple & straight solution: It`s not so obvious but compass will create a variable during a magic import which holds the reference to the generated sprite map. This reference can be used with the mixin as the first argument.
Example: @import "my-icons/.png" will provide the variable $my-icons-sprites.

Anyway thanks for the mixin, finally I can change my sprite icons inside my media queries :)

// Automagically import vs manual sprite-map
// IMPORTANT: this will create a variable $my-icons-sprites which can be reused
// this isn`t so obvious. NEVER use sprite-map("my-icons/*.png"); in conjunction with the magic import.
// They are conflicting and you will end up up with sprites not showing
// up as one of the mapping methods (magic or manual) will wipe out the previously generated sprite file.
@import "my-icons/*.png";
@include all-my-icons-sprites(true);

//create a small helper for your sprites
@mixin icon-sprite($name, $merge:false){
  @if $merge == false {
    //default via extend
    @extend .my-icons-#{$name};
  }@else{
    //mixin shown here, used to merge in the generated sprite information
    @include get-sprite($my-icons-sprites,$name);
  }
}

//normal usage via extend
.arrow{
  @include icon-sprite("kick-ass-icon");
}

//merge as you can't extend inside media-queries
.another-arrow-which-is-responsive{
  @include icon-sprite("kick-ass-icon-small", true);
  //see gist.github.com/2028061 for that mq helper
  @include tablet-landscape-and-up {
    @include icon-sprite("kick-ass-icon-huge", true);
  }
}

//this fails!  merge is set to 'false' and therefore the selector use extend
.not-working-arrow{
  //that's okay
  @include icon-sprite("kick-ass-icon-small", false);
  //that will fail
  @include tablet-landscape-and-up {
    @include icon-sprite("kick-ass-icon-huge", false);
  }
}