Stylus to LESS refers to the process of converting code written in Stylus (a CSS preprocessor) to LESS (another CSS preprocessor). Both Stylus and LESS are tools that extend CSS with features like variables, mixins, and nesting, but their syntax and some functionalities differ.
Key Differences Between Stylus and LESS:
Variables:
Stylus: Variables are defined with a $ sign, e.g., $primary-color = #3498db.
LESS: Variables are defined with an @ sign, e.g., @primary-color: #3498db;.
Nesting:
Both Stylus and LESS support nesting, but LESS requires curly braces {} to define blocks, while Stylus does not.
Stylus example:
stylus
.container
.content
color: red
LESS example:
less
.container {
.content {
color: red;
}
}
Mixins:
Stylus allows mixins without needing special syntax (just include the block), while LESS requires the . for mixins.
Stylus example:
stylus
mixin() {
color: red;
}
.box
mixin
LESS example:
less
.mixin() {
color: red;
}
.box {
.mixin();
}
Semicolons:
Stylus is more flexible and doesn't always require semicolons at the end of statements.
LESS requires semicolons to terminate every rule except the last one in a block.
Why Convert Stylus to LESS?
Converting Stylus to LESS may be necessary for several reasons:
Project Compatibility: If a project is already using LESS and you have Stylus code, you would need to convert it to maintain consistency.
Team/Industry Standard: If your team or the industry you're working in prefers LESS over Stylus.
Frameworks/Tooling: Some frameworks or tools might only support LESS and not Stylus, so conversion would be needed.
Manual Conversion:
While there are no automated tools that directly convert Stylus to LESS, you can manually rewrite the code following these steps:
Convert variables: Change $variable in Stylus to @variable in LESS.
Fix nesting: Wrap blocks with curly braces {} in LESS.
Add semicolons: Ensure that every property ends with a semicolon in LESS.
Convert mixins: In Stylus, a mixin can be defined without a keyword, but in LESS, you need to use the . to call the mixin.
Example Conversion:
Stylus Code:
stylus
$primary-color = #3498db
.container
width: 100%
background-color: $primary-color
.content
color: #333
LESS Code:
less
@primary-color: #3498db;
.container {
width: 100%;
background-color: @primary-color;
}
.container .content {
color: #333;
}
Conclusion:
Stylus to LESS involves translating Stylus syntax to the LESS preprocessor syntax, focusing on differences like variable declaration, nesting, and semicolon usage.
There is no direct tool for Stylus to LESS conversion, but you can manually rewrite the code by following the key differences in syntax between the two preprocessors.