How to Set Up SCSS

Published March 21, 2024 | By Matt

If you’re a web developer, you’re probably familiar with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), the language that gives your websites their visual flair. But as you build more complex projects, you might find that plain CSS starts to feel a bit limiting. That’s where SCSS comes in! SCSS (Sassy CSS) is a CSS preprocessor that adds powerful features beyond those of standard CSS. Let’s dive into how to harness SCSS to make your web development life easier.

What is SCSS?

SCSS is an extension of CSS syntax designed to make your stylesheets more organized, reusable, and efficient.
Think of it as CSS with superpowers!
Key features include:
- Nesting: Write CSS rules within other rules, mirroring your HTML structure.
- Variables: Assign values (like colors or fonts) to variables and reuse them throughout your stylesheets.
- Mixins: Define reusable blocks of CSS code.
- Functions: Perform calculations and operations right within your styles.

How to Set Up SCSS

Install a Sass Compiler: Since browsers don’t understand SCSS directly, you need to install a Sass compiler to translate your SCSS code into browser-friendly CSS. Here are some popular options:
- Node-sass: A Node.js-based compiler (requires you to have Node.js and npm installed).
- Code editor extensions: Many code editors like Visual Studio Code offer extensions for Sass compilation.
- Online tools: If you’re just starting out, try an online compiler like Sassmeister: https://www.sassmeister.com/.
Create SCSS Files: Give your SCSS files the extension .scss.
Compile to CSS: Run your chosen Sass compiler to convert your .scss files into regular .css files.

Linking SCSS to HTML

Once you have your compiled CSS file ready, it’s time to link it to your HTML. Use the familiar <link> tag within the <head> of your HTML document:

HTML

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="style.css"> 

Make sure the href attribute points to the location of your compiled CSS file.

Example: A Simple SCSS Structure

Let’s say you have an index.html file and you want to use SCSS. Here’s how you might set it up:

Folder structure:

project/
  index.html
  css/
    style.css 
  scss/
    style.scss 

style.scss:

SCSS

$primary-color: #3498db;

body {
  background-color: $primary-color;
}

.container {
  width: 80%;
  margin: 0 auto;
}

Compile style.scss into style.css.

index.html:

HTML

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>SCSS Example</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/style.css"> 
</head>
<body>
  <div class="container">
    <h1>Hello, SCSS!</h1>
  </div>
</body>
</html>

Why Use SCSS?

Better Organization: SCSS lets you write cleaner, more maintainable stylesheets.
Flexibility: Variables, mixins, and functions allow you to write more dynamic and adaptable CSS.
Time-saving: SCSS features reduce repetition and make managing large stylesheets easier.

SCSS Is Just The Beginning…

Okay, you’ve got SCSS up and running – that’s awesome! SCSS is a powerful tool within a much broader front-end development toolkit. If you’re curious about the deeper concepts behind SCSS and its interaction with other web development tools and languages, extensive resources are available to explore. These resources can teach you advanced CSS techniques, the principles behind SCSS, and how it all integrates with JavaScript and other technologies you might use in your projects.