Beginning CSS Preprocessors: With SASS, Compass.js, and Less.js

Introduction

CSS preprocessor came into buzz a couple of years ago. The concept intrigued me: Allowing use of preprocessor files that could contain one or several things like variables, functions, mixins, and the like. After development, these special files would then be compiled into regular CSS files that all web browsers could understand.

Being a believer of phrase “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” I avoided using CSS preprocessors. The initial thought that would come to my mind was, “Why add unnecessary processes to my workflow?”. Also, I feared the steep learning curve and the command-line interface provided me another reason to avoid CSS preprocessors.

Finally, after watching several podcasts and reading through many articles, I had an ...