CSS to Stylus refers to the process of converting regular CSS into Stylus, which is another CSS preprocessor that allows for a more concise and flexible way to write styles. Stylus provides features like variables, mixins, nesting, and more, but it also has a less strict syntax compared to other preprocessors like SASS/SCSS. Stylus allows you to omit semicolons, curly braces, and even colons, making it more minimalistic, but you can still use these if you prefer.
Why Convert CSS to Stylus?
The conversion from CSS to Stylus is typically done to take advantage of Stylus's powerful features such as:
Variables: To store reusable values.
Nesting: To group related selectors.
Mixins: To avoid repetitive code.
Operations: To perform mathematical operations on values.
Conditionals and Loops: To write dynamic styles.
Key Features of Stylus:
Variables: Similar to other preprocessors, you can use variables to store colors, sizes, and other reusable values.
Nesting: Stylus supports nesting of CSS selectors for better structure and readability.
Mixins: Reusable blocks of code that can be included in other selectors.
Operations: Stylus supports mathematical operations, such as adding or subtracting values directly in your styles.
Less Syntax: Stylus allows you to write cleaner code by omitting unnecessary syntax, like semicolons, curly braces, and colons.
Example: Converting CSS to Stylus
Original CSS:
css
/* Regular CSS */
body {
background-color: #f0f0f0;
font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
}
h1 {
color: #3498db;
font-size: 32px;
}
p {
color: #666;
font-size: 14px;
}
Converted Stylus:
Stylus allows you to remove many syntactic elements, like semicolons and curly braces.
stylus
/* Stylus */
$bg-color = #f0f0f0
$primary-color = #3498db
$text-color = #666
$font-family = Arial, sans-serif
body
background-color $bg-color
font-family $font-family
h1
color $primary-color
font-size 32px
p
color $text-color
font-size 14px
More Advanced Example: Using Variables, Nesting, and Mixins in Stylus
Original CSS:
css
/* Regular CSS */
button {
background-color: green;
padding: 10px 20px;
border-radius: 5px;
}
button:hover {
background-color: darkgreen;
}
Converted Stylus:
Stylus makes it easy to define reusable mixins and avoid repetition.
stylus
/* Stylus with variables and mixins */
$button-bg = green
$hover-bg = darkgreen
$border-radius = 5px
$padding = 10px 20px
button
background-color $button-bg
padding $padding
border-radius $border-radius
button:hover
background-color $hover-bg
Alternatively, you could use mixins for better code reusability:
stylus
/* Stylus with mixin */
button-styles()
background-color $button-bg
padding $padding
border-radius $border-radius
button
button-styles()
button:hover
background-color $hover-bg
Stylus Features: A Quick Breakdown
Variables: Stylus allows you to store values like colors or measurements in variables for reuse throughout the stylesheet.
stylus
$primary-color = #3498db
$font-size = 16px
Nesting: Stylus allows you to nest CSS selectors, making it more readable and hierarchical.
stylus
nav
background-color #333
ul
list-style-type none
li
display inline-block
Mixins: You can create reusable groups of CSS rules and include them in other selectors.
stylus
button-styles()
background-color $primary-color
color white
padding 10px 15px
border-radius 5px
button
button-styles()
Operations: Stylus supports mathematical operations to calculate values.
stylus
$base-width = 100px
$padding = 20px
.container
width $base-width + $padding
Omitting Syntax: Stylus is less strict than other preprocessors like SASS. You can omit semicolons, curly braces, or even colons if you prefer:
stylus
button
background-color green
padding 10px 20px
border-radius 5px
However, you can opt to use these syntactic elements if you want a more explicit style.
How to Compile Stylus
Install Stylus via npm:
bash
npm install stylus --save-dev
Use the Command Line to compile Stylus into CSS:
bash
stylus input.styl -o output.css
Integrate Stylus with Build Tools:
Webpack: You can use stylus-loader in your Webpack configuration to compile Stylus files.
Gulp: Using gulp-stylus, you can automate the compilation of Stylus into CSS as part of your build process.
Use IDE Plugins: Many code editors (like VS Code) have plugins/extensions that can compile Stylus automatically upon saving the file.
Summary
Converting CSS to Stylus involves replacing traditional CSS syntax with Stylus's more concise and flexible syntax. You can add variables, mixins, and nesting to improve maintainability and reuse styles across your project. Stylus offers more freedom than other preprocessors like SASS or LESS, but it also allows you to use the strict syntax when needed for clarity.