CSS vs SCSS

What is CSS?

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a style sheet language used for describing the presentation of a document written in HTML or XML. CSS describes how HTML elements should be displayed on screen, paper, or other media.

Features of CSS

• Easy to learn
• Simple syntax
• Can be used with any markup language
• Modularized and reusable code
• Browser compatibility

CSS Example

/* Selects all paragraphs */
p {
  font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
  font-size: 16px;
  line-height: 1.5;
  color: #333;
}

/* Selects all links */
a {
  color: #007bff;
  text-decoration: none;
}

/* Adds a hover effect to links */
a:hover {
  text-decoration: underline;
}

What is SCSS?

SCSS (Sass CSS) is a preprocessor scripting language that is interpreted or compiled into CSS. SCSS extends CSS syntax with features like variables, nested rules, mixins, and functions.

Features of SCSS

• Variables
• Mixins
• Nesting
• Functions
• Operators
• Modularized and reusable code
• Browser compatibility

SCSS Example

// Variables
$primary-color: #007bff;
$secondary-color: #6c757d;

// Mixins
@mixin cover {
  background-size: cover;
  background-position: center center;
}

// Nesting
nav {
  ul {
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
    list-style: none;
  }

  li {
    display: inline-block;

    a {
      display: block;
      padding: 10px;
    }
  }
}

// Functions
@function half($number) {
  @return $number / 2;
}

// Operators
.container {
  width: 100% - 40px;
  margin: auto;
  padding: 20px;
}

Differences between CSS and SCSS

• CSS is a style sheet language whereas SCSS is a preprocessor scripting language that is interpreted or compiled into CSS.
• SCSS extends CSS syntax with additional features like variables, mixins, nesting, and functions.
• SCSS allows for modularized and reusable code, whereas CSS requires repetition of code.
• SCSS allows for easier maintenance and updates as changes can be made more easily and quickly due to the use of variables and other features.
• SCSS requires a compiler, whereas CSS does not.

Conclusion

CSS is a widely-used style sheet language, while SCSS is a preprocessor scripting language that is interpreted or compiled into CSS. CSS is easy to learn and requires no compilers, but SCSS allows for modularized and reusable code, making maintenance and updates easier. Choose the one that fits your needs best.