Some quick thoughts on LESS, SASS and other ‘CSS Extenders’
I recently started a conversation with Jonny Haynes on Twitter, responding to his question:
Asking again, not many replies yesterday. What are your thoughts on Less.css?http://lesscss.org/
#less#css#development#web#ask
And 140 characters isn’t enough for me to say what I think, so here it is.
When I first discovered these extensions I thought the future was here. Dynamic CSS with variables and mixins etc. etc. - very useful for the big project I was working on at the time. However I was disappointed when I realised how much you had to do to *compile* these dynamic files into CSS before deploying. I didn’t, and don’t, understand why I had to add an extra layer of complication and computing to something that IMO can be solved by writing better* CSS?
Many argue these languages (let’s call them) make your development quicker, I don’t disagree with them, I can see the benefit. I however didn’t think the setting up of, and maintaining of, the compilers worth the time.
When Jonny diverted me to the LESS page I was pleasantly surprised to see a client-side compiler in the form of Javascript, on first thoughts (and response to Jonny) I thought this was a step forward, but on hindsight I think it’s *almost* a step backwards for two reasons:
- Reliance on Javascript
- Javascript file that’s probably bigger to load then the CSS file would be if you just wrote it all in boring old CSS
Plus I like to be able to jump onto any PC, open a text editor and do some mad CSS. There’s probably a lot more to say on the subject, and there’s probably a lot of holes in my rationale, but for now I’ll keep typing my CSS out like it’s 2009… Having new-age fun with a vintage feel! Maybe I just need to see the light?
* I use the term better loosely.
ps. I feel the same with Javascript….
