SassLess

SassLess is a CSS preprocessor that combines features from Sass and Less into a single tool designed to streamline stylesheet authoring. It compiles to standard CSS and supports both the indented syntax of Sass and the braces-based syntax of Less, enabling teams to work with their preferred style while sharing code and patterns.

Origin and development: SassLess emerged from an open-source community seeking to reduce friction between projects using different preprocessors. It has been under active development since the late 2010s and is released under a permissive license. Contributions come from developers, designers, and tooling maintainers.

Features: The language includes variables, nesting, mixins, functions, and control directives, along with a module system and partials for component-based organization. It aims to preserve Sass semantics for variables and mixins while adopting Less style rules for imports and scope when convenient.

Syntax and usage: Users can opt into either syntax mode within a single project, or adopt a dual-syntax workflow. The compiler provides source maps and error messages that reference the original syntax for easier debugging.

Tooling and ecosystem: SassLess integrates with common build tools such as Webpack, Gulp, and Grunt, and includes a command-line interface. It outputs standard CSS and supports minification, sourcemaps, and aliasing for compatibility with existing codebases.

Reception and status: As a niche tool in the CSS preprocessing space, SassLess has a devoted but relatively small community. It is described as experimental in some circles and has not achieved mainstream adoption, though it is used in some multi-project environments.