CSS vs SCSS: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right One

CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, is the basic language of web design. It allows you to control the presentation of HTML elements on a webpage.

SCSS (Sass) is like CSS’s souped-up cousin. It’s a CSS preprocessor, meaning it expands on CSS functionality with features like variables, nesting, and mixins. It’s essentially CSS plus superpowers.

So, what are the key differences between CSS and SCSS? This article will dive into the details, providing examples to help you decide when to use CSS and when to use Sass.

Understanding the Basics: CSS and SCSS

Let’s get down to brass tacks. What exactly are CSS and SCSS?

CSS Basics

CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, is the language that tells web browsers how to style the HTML elements on a webpage. It uses selectors to target specific HTML elements and then applies styles to them, defined by properties and values. So, you might use CSS to make all the headings on a page blue, or to give all the paragraphs a specific font.

However, plain old CSS can get unwieldy pretty quickly, especially when you’re working on a large website. You might find yourself repeating the same code over and over, which makes things harder to maintain and more prone to errors.

SCSS Basics

That’s where SCSS comes in. SCSS (Syntactically Awesome Style Sheets) is a CSS preprocessor. Think of it as a souped-up version of CSS that lets you write your styles in a more organized and efficient way.

The browser can’t read SCSS directly, though. It needs to be compiled into standard CSS first. SCSS offers two ways of writing the code: SCSS (which looks a lot like regular CSS) and Sass (which uses indentation instead of curly braces). In this article, we’ll be focusing on the SCSS syntax.

Key Differences Between CSS and SCSS

While SCSS compiles to CSS, there are some major differences between the two. Here are some of the most impactful differences.

Variables

CSS allows you to define custom properties (also known as variables) using a double-dash prefix. For example:

--primary-color: blue;

You can then use that variable elsewhere in your CSS like this:

color: var(--primary-color);

SCSS variables, on the other hand, are a little more powerful. They’re easier to reuse and modify throughout your stylesheet. SCSS variables start with a dollar sign:

$primary-color: blue;

Then, just like with CSS variables, you can use it elsewhere:

color: $primary-color;

Nesting

SCSS lets you nest CSS rules, which mirrors the structure of your HTML. This makes your code easier to read and maintain. Here’s an example of nesting in SCSS:

nav {
ul {
li {
a {
color: black;
}
}
}
}

When that compiles to CSS, it looks like this:

nav ul li a {
color: black;
}

Mixins

Mixins are reusable chunks of CSS that you can include in multiple CSS rules. This cuts down on duplicated code. Here’s an example of creating and using a mixin:

@mixin border-radius($radius) {
border-radius: $radius;
}

.button {
@include border-radius(5px);
}

Functions

SCSS lets you create custom functions that perform calculations or manipulate values. Here’s an example of a function that modifies a color value:

@function lighten-color($color, $amount) {
@return lighten($color, $amount);
}

.element {
color: lighten-color(blue, 20%);
}

Compilation and Workflow

Web browsers can’t read SCSS files directly. The SCSS code needs to be converted, or “compiled,” into standard CSS files first.

There are a few ways to compile SCSS:

• Command Line: You can use command-line tools to manually compile your SCSS files.
• IDE Plugins: Many code editors (IDEs) offer plugins that automatically compile SCSS files whenever you save them.
• Build Tools: Tools like Webpack and Parcel can automate the SCSS compilation process as part of a larger build workflow.

Also, package managers like npm can help you manage SCSS dependencies (like libraries of pre-written styles) and further automate the compilation process.

Advantages and disadvantages of SCSS

Like any tool, SCSS has its strengths and weaknesses. Here’s a look at a few:

Advantages of SCSS

• Improved maintainability and organization. SCSS can improve code maintainability and organization, especially if you’re working on a larger project. It cuts down on duplicated code and encourages code reuse.
• Increased code reusability. SCSS features like variables, mixins, and functions can boost your code reusability and mean less repetitive coding.
• Enhanced readability. Because SCSS supports nesting and a logical structure, the code is more readable and easier to understand.

Disadvantages of SCSS

• Requires a compilation step. SCSS needs to be compiled, which adds an extra step to the development workflow.
• Steeper learning curve. SCSS has a steeper learning curve than plain CSS, especially for developers who are new to preprocessors.
• Potential for over-engineering. It’s possible to overuse SCSS features, which can lead to over-engineering and unnecessary complexity, especially in smaller projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

CSS is the styling language that powers the web, while SCSS expands what CSS can do with variables, nesting, and mixins.

If you’re working on a small project with limited styling needs, plain CSS might be all you need. But for bigger projects with complicated styling, SCSS can help keep your code organized and easier to maintain.

If you’re a front-end developer, it’s worth exploring SCSS and seeing how it can improve your workflow and help you create stylesheets that are easier to scale and maintain. You might find it’s a game-changer!