![]() I know there are several other ways to generate this, but hey, this is cool as well. Preprocessors allow you to generate a compressed version of your CSS. It removes white spaces and unnecessary characters from your code (CSS in this case). Minification reduces your file size to speed up load time. It supports standard mathematical operators like +, -, *, /, and %. Preprocessors allow you to run arithmetic operations in your CSS. This saves time and keeps your CSS clean. These extend with additional styling (green, red, %message-shared This extends without adding any other %message-shared This CSS won't print because %equal-heights is never extended. This CSS will print because %message-shared is extended. ![]() You can still add unique styling if needed. When the class is extended into an element, then the element inherits all the styling properties saved in the placeholder class. It uses a placeholder class (%) to tell the compiler not to print the class unless extended. ExtendĮxtend stores a styling or series of styling into a class. The imported file is then added to the end of the main.sass file (the file you imported into). You import other files into the main.sass using the preprocessor’s import syntax. This means you can have the main.sass file, then others like reset.sass, header.sass, footer.sass, or variables.sass. You can import the reset.sass file as shown below: // reset Html, body, div, span, applet, object, iframe, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, p, blockquote It takes the file you are importing and adds it to the file you are importing into. Import lets you split your CSS into smaller files for readability and maintainability. Preprocessors make CSS’s existing import better. But hey, it’s not here yet, it doesn’t hurt to get used to it before its arrival in CSS. Some developers believe this is coming to CSS. The ul, li, and a selectors are nested inside the nav selector. Move to the next line and type the child element as shown below: // navigation bar When using preprocessors, you don’t have to write out the parent CSS selector ( nav tag in this case) each time. We write HTML by nesting child/children in parent elements like the ul, li, and a element in a nav. Recall the variable whenever you need the stored value. When you define the variable, there is no need to remember the value. It could be color, font-family, or even values for your padding, margin, width, or height. You can store any type of styling in a variable. ![]() Preprocessors use variables to store reusable values. Preprocessors’ syntax gives room for some additional functionalities that deliver the following: 1. 6 Reasons Why You Should STOP Writing CSS in “CSS” Though preprocessors have their own syntax, they are quite easy to catch up with, just a few differences from writing vanilla CSS. I use SASS, so my illustrations in this article are in SASS. Some of the popular preprocessors to use include SASS/SCSS, LESS, Stylus, and PostCSS. You write your CSS code in them and then generate a corresponding CSS file to style your HTML. What are Preprocessors?Īccording to MDN, a CSS preprocessor is a program that lets you generate CSS from the preprocessor’s own unique syntax. The next time you want to write CSS, try not “writing” in CSS at all. A CSS code sample // cross-browser compatibility Typing a class or id selector several times within a single CSS file, or having to copy and paste every browser’s support prefix to your code each time for cross-browser compatibility can make your CSS file harder to maintain. ![]() A typical example is having to scroll upwards to check the hexadecimal values of the colors you are using. If you are not into using the command line, here’s a list of 10 applications that make it simpler to compile Less and Sass files.CSS is fun to write, but it can quickly get complicated. but it’s easier to get support and find existing CSS frameworks that support Less and Sass.ĬSS Preprocessors help web designers become more efficient, but compiling them is another story. There are also few other CSS Preprocessors such as Stylus and DtCSS, etc. Sass, on the other hand, feels like a more matured preprocessor and is now supported by both Bootstrap and also the Foundation framework. Less also gained popularity due to its use in the Bootstrap framework. less files on the fly using JavaScript (although that’s not recommended for production sites). Getting started with Less is much easier since you can compile. There are several CSS preprocessors, but the two most widely used are Less and Sass. Managing the styling of complex sites is now much easier thanks to CSS Preprocessors. With pre-processors we don’t need to scroll to long CSS files or type same things again and again. Managing CSS files has been a messy affair until CSS preprocessors.
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