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Ahmet Erkan Paşahan
Ahmet Erkan Paşahan

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Why SCSS is Better for Writing CSS

When writing CSS, you might face some common problems: repeating the same code, managing complex styles, or keeping things organized in large projects. This is where SCSS comes in. SCSS (Sassy CSS) is an upgraded version of CSS that helps you write cleaner, more organized, and reusable code.

In this article, we will explain why SCSS is a great tool and how it can solve some of the challenges that CSS alone cannot handle.

Why Use SCSS?

While CSS is simple and works well for small projects, it can become difficult to manage as your website grows. SCSS gives you more powerful tools to write better code. Here are the main reasons to use SCSS:

  • Variables: SCSS lets you create variables for values like colors and font sizes. This means you can change a value in one place and it updates everywhere.

  • Mixins: SCSS allows you to create reusable pieces of code, called mixins. This saves time and reduces repetition.

  • Modularity: SCSS helps you split large CSS files into smaller parts, making it easier to manage.

How SCSS Solves Common CSS Problems

Using Variables to Avoid Repetition

In CSS, you often have to repeat the same colors, fonts, or sizes. With SCSS, you can store these values in variables and reuse them anywhere.

CSS:

.button {
  background-color: #007BFF;
  color: #FFFFFF;
}

.link {
  color: #007BFF;
}
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SCSS:

$primary-color: #007BFF;
$text-color: #FFFFFF;

.button {
  background-color: $primary-color;
  color: $text-color;
}

.link {
  color: $primary-color;
}
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In SCSS, you define colors in variables ($primary-color), and then use them in your styles. If you need to change the color later, you only update the variable, and it changes everywhere.

Using Mixins for Reusable Code

CSS:

.button {
  padding: 10px 20px;
  border-radius: 4px;
  background-color: #007BFF;
  color: white;
}

.link {
  padding: 5px 10px;
  border-radius: 4px;
  background-color: transparent;
  color: #007BFF;
}
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SCSS:

@mixin button-style($padding, $bg-color, $text-color) {
  padding: $padding;
  border-radius: 4px;
  background-color: $bg-color;
  color: $text-color;
}

.button {
  @include button-style(10px 20px, #007BFF, white);
}

.link {
  @include button-style(5px 10px, transparent, #007BFF);
}
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Here, the button-style mixin helps you avoid repeating the same styles. Instead of writing the same properties over and over again, you define them in the mixin and use them where needed.

Conclusion

SCSS is a powerful tool that helps solve many common problems in CSS. It makes your code more organized, easier to manage, and more flexible. With SCSS, you can use variables, nesting, and mixins to write cleaner, reusable code. If you want to work more efficiently, especially on large projects, learning SCSS is a great choice!

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Top comments (2)

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jonrandy profile image
Jon Randy 🎖️

Regular CSS has nesting, which has enjoyed broad browser support since December 2023.

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aepasahan profile image
Ahmet Erkan Paşahan

Other innovations of Native CSS, apart from nesting, are also very important to close the gap. Thanks for your careful reading. The article has been updated.