{ "uuid": [ { "value": "d65d5069-04b7-45a0-af58-f739c9684e9c" } ], "langcode": [ { "value": "en" } ], "type": [ { "target_id": "daily_email", "target_type": "node_type", "target_uuid": "8bde1f2f-eef9-4f2d-ae9c-96921f8193d7" } ], "revision_timestamp": [ { "value": "2025-04-16T14:12:56+00:00" } ], "revision_uid": [ { "target_type": "user", "target_uuid": "b8966985-d4b2-42a7-a319-2e94ccfbb849" } ], "revision_log": [], "status": [ { "value": true } ], "uid": [ { "target_type": "user", "target_uuid": "b8966985-d4b2-42a7-a319-2e94ccfbb849" } ], "title": [ { "value": "Do we still need CSS preprocessors?" } ], "created": [ { "value": "2025-02-28T00:00:00+00:00" } ], "changed": [ { "value": "2025-04-16T14:12:56+00:00" } ], "promote": [ { "value": false } ], "sticky": [ { "value": false } ], "default_langcode": [ { "value": true } ], "revision_translation_affected": [ { "value": true } ], "path": [ { "alias": "\/daily\/2025\/02\/28\/preprocessors", "langcode": "en" } ], "body": [ { "value": "\n

Before I started to use [Tailwind CSS][0], I used CSS preprocessors like Less and Sass to add features like variables and nesting to my CSS files.<\/p>\n\n

Stylesheets would be written in .scss, .sass or .less files and processed to create the stylesheets that would be used by browsers.<\/p>\n\n

But, with the recent improvements to CSS, do we still need these preprocessors?<\/p>\n\n

Here's a very small example of some CSS that just works:<\/p>\n\n

:root {\n  --color-primary: red;\n  --color-secondary: green;\n}\n\na {\n  color: var(--color-primary);\n\n  &:hover, &:focus {\n    color: var(--color-secondary);\n  }\n}\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n

It looks like a Sass file, but it's native CSS.<\/p>\n\n

It has variables (a.k.a. custom properties) and nesting, which I think are the most used features from preprocessors.<\/p>\n\n

But there's no additional build step to generate the end stylesheet. I can use this stylesheet as it is - making it easier to work on and less confusing for new Developers.<\/p>\n\n

If I'm not using Tailwind CSS or atomic styles, writing plain CSS files is the approach I'd use.<\/p>\n\n

No preprocessors needed.<\/p>\n\n ", "format": "full_html", "processed": "\n

Before I started to use [Tailwind CSS][0], I used CSS preprocessors like Less and Sass to add features like variables and nesting to my CSS files.<\/p>\n\n

Stylesheets would be written in .scss, .sass or .less files and processed to create the stylesheets that would be used by browsers.<\/p>\n\n

But, with the recent improvements to CSS, do we still need these preprocessors?<\/p>\n\n

Here's a very small example of some CSS that just works:<\/p>\n\n

:root {\n  --color-primary: red;\n  --color-secondary: green;\n}\n\na {\n  color: var(--color-primary);\n\n  &:hover, &:focus {\n    color: var(--color-secondary);\n  }\n}\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n

It looks like a Sass file, but it's native CSS.<\/p>\n\n

It has variables (a.k.a. custom properties) and nesting, which I think are the most used features from preprocessors.<\/p>\n\n

But there's no additional build step to generate the end stylesheet. I can use this stylesheet as it is - making it easier to work on and less confusing for new Developers.<\/p>\n\n

If I'm not using Tailwind CSS or atomic styles, writing plain CSS files is the approach I'd use.<\/p>\n\n

No preprocessors needed.<\/p>\n\n ", "summary": null } ], "feeds_item": [ { "imported": "2025-04-16T14:12:56+00:00", "guid": null, "hash": "cdd9ab25b0351a9082e1580898e5ecbc", "target_type": "feeds_feed", "target_uuid": "90c85284-7ca8-4074-9178-97ff8384fe76" } ] }