A Stylus compiler is a tool that takes Stylus code (with its own syntax) and compiles it into standard CSS code that browsers can understand. Stylus is a powerful CSS preprocessor that provides many features, such as variables, mixins, nesting, and more, but it needs to be compiled into regular CSS before it can be used in web development.
Online Stylus Compilers
If you don't want to set up a local environment, there are also online tools that allow you to compile Stylus into CSS directly from the browser.
Stylus Compiler (Online): Websites like Stylus Online Compiler or Stylus to CSS let you paste your Stylus code into a web interface, and it will show the compiled CSS output in real-time.
Text Editors and IDEs
Many text editors and IDEs support Stylus syntax and provide tools to compile it to CSS directly.
Visual Studio Code: With the Stylus extension, you can enable syntax highlighting, linting, and compilation for Stylus files.
Sublime Text: Install the Stylus package via Package Control to work with Stylus files.
Atom: Install the language-stylus package for syntax support, and use build tools like Atom's build system to compile Stylus to CSS.
Preconfigured Tools (Static Site Generators, CMS, etc.)
If you use a static site generator (like Jekyll, Hexo, or Hugo) or a CMS that supports Stylus, it might have a pre-configured compiler built-in. Check your generator or CMS documentation for instructions on how to enable Stylus support.
Summary
To compile Stylus into CSS, you can use:
Command-line tools with the stylus Node.js package.
Task runners/build tools like Webpack, Gulp, or Grunt for more advanced workflows.
Online compilers for quick and easy Stylus to CSS conversion without any setup.
Text editors like Visual Studio Code or Sublime Text, which support Stylus with plugins/extensions.