Less To Stylus Converter

The LESS to Stylus Converter is a powerful online tool that allows you to convert LESS (Leaner Style Sheets) code to Stylus syntax. Both LESS and Stylus are CSS preprocessors that extend CSS with variables, mixins, functions, and nested rules, making stylesheet development more efficient and maintainable. This converter helps developers migrate from LESS to Stylus or work with both preprocessors seamlessly.

What is LESS?

LESS is a CSS preprocessor that extends CSS with dynamic behavior such as variables, mixins, operations, and functions. LESS runs on both the client-side (in browsers) and server-side (with Node.js). It uses the @ symbol for variables and supports nested rules, making CSS more maintainable and easier to write.

What is Stylus?

Stylus is a CSS preprocessor that provides a more expressive and dynamic syntax for CSS. Stylus is known for its flexibility - it allows you to write CSS with or without colons, semicolons, and braces. Stylus uses indentation-based syntax (similar to Python) and supports variables, mixins, functions, and more.

Key Differences Between LESS and Stylus

• Variables: LESS uses @variable while Stylus uses $variable or just variable
• Mixins: LESS uses .mixin() syntax while Stylus uses mixin() without the dot
• Semicolons: LESS requires semicolons, while Stylus makes them optional
• Braces: LESS requires braces {}, while Stylus uses indentation-based syntax
• Nested Rules: Both support nesting, but Stylus relies more heavily on indentation
• Functions: Both support functions, but with different syntax

How to Use the LESS to Stylus Converter

1. Input LESS Code: Paste or type your LESS code into the input field on the left side
2. Click Convert: Press the "Convert" button to transform your LESS code to Stylus syntax
3. Review Output: The converted Stylus code will appear in the output field on the right
4. Copy or Download: Use the copy button or download the converted Stylus file

Conversion Features

Our converter handles the following conversions automatically:

• Variable Conversion: Converts @variable to $variable
• Mixin Conversion: Transforms LESS mixin definitions and calls to Stylus syntax
• Semicolon Removal: Removes semicolons as Stylus doesn't require them
• Indentation: Adjusts code indentation to match Stylus conventions
• Function Conversion: Converts LESS functions to their Stylus equivalents where applicable
• Nested Rules: Preserves nested rule structure while adapting to Stylus syntax

Example Conversion

Here's an example of how LESS code is converted to Stylus:

LESS Input:

@primary-color: #3498db;
.button {
  background-color: @primary-color;
  padding: 10px;
  &:hover {
    background-color: darken(@primary-color, 10%);
  }
}

Stylus Output:

$primary-color = #3498db
.button
  background-color $primary-color
  padding 10px
  &:hover
    background-color darken($primary-color, 10%)

Best Practices

• Review the Output: Always review the converted code as some complex LESS features may need manual adjustment
• Test Thoroughly: After conversion, test your Stylus code to ensure it compiles correctly
• Handle Edge Cases: Some LESS-specific features may require manual conversion or alternative approaches in Stylus
• Maintain Indentation: Stylus relies heavily on indentation, so ensure proper formatting after conversion

Use Cases

• Migration Projects: Migrating existing LESS codebases to Stylus
• Multi-Preprocessor Support: Working with projects that use both LESS and Stylus
• Learning Tool: Understanding the differences between LESS and Stylus syntax
• Code Conversion: Converting LESS snippets to Stylus for compatibility