Problems with exporting gradients in svg // illustrator keeps adding strange classes

Question

I'm currently working on some icons for our new agency website... When try to export  files with gradients, which assigned to nicely named graphic styles, illustrator keeps exporting a strange st-class for every new gradient i'm generating and refuses to assign my class, like:
<style type="text/css">
          .testStyle{fill:url(#SVGID_1_);}  //my class with a useless gradient
          .st0{fill:url(#testrect_1_);} // class generated by illustrator
</style>
<linearGradient id="SVGID_1_" gradientUnits="userSpaceOnUse" x1="0" y1="0" x2="1" y2="0"> // useless gradient with no height?!
          <stop  offset="0" style="stop-color:#FFFFFF"/>
          <stop  offset="1" style="stop-color:#000000"/>
</linearGradient>
<linearGradient id="testrect_1_" gradientUnits="userSpaceOnUse" x1="118" y1="200.5" x2="400" y2="200.5"> // correct gradient
          <stop  offset="0" style="stop-color:#FFFFFF"/>
          <stop  offset="1" style="stop-color:#000000"/>
</linearGradient>
<rect id="testrect" x="118" y="117" class="st0" width="282" height="167"/>
</svg> // rectangle which should have .testStyle on it
In a correct way, it should be:
<style type="text/css">
          .testStyle{fill:url(#testrect_1_);} 
</style>
<linearGradient id="testrect_1_" gradientUnits="userSpaceOnUse" x1="118" y1="200.5" x2="400" y2="200.5"> // correct gradient
          <stop  offset="0" style="stop-color:#FFFFFF"/>
          <stop  offset="1" style="stop-color:#000000"/>
</linearGradient>
<rect id="testrect" x="118" y="117" class="testStyle" width="282" height="167"/>
</svg>
When i change the code by myself, it works properly. But it's actually no option to change every svg by hand...
Do you have any ideas what's happening there and how to possibly avoid it?!
Thanks in advance,
Flo

Answer 1

how to possibly avoid it?!
Don't use Illustrator?! Sorry, but you're dealing with the dumbest program on the planet when doing SVG in AI. Which of course is ironic, considering Adobe kinda invented the format. If you want code-style control, you probably will have much better luck with any other program or even JavaScript-based online SVG generators. Possibly you can do some of that with Edge, also, but I don't use it in any way, so I can't vouch for how extensive and usable its SVG features are.
Mylenium