Sass @while

Posted in Sass Tutorial

Updated on Aug 28, 2024

By Mari Selvan

👁️ 6 - Views

⏳ 4 mins

💬 0

Photo Credit to CodeToFun

🙋 Introduction

The @while directive in Sass allows you to create loops that continue to execute as long as a specified condition is true.

This is particularly useful when you need to perform repetitive tasks, such as generating multiple styles with slight variations or dynamically creating classes. With @while, you can leverage the power of loops to reduce redundancy in your stylesheets.

💡 Syntax

The syntax for the @while directive is similar to traditional programming languages. It includes a condition that is evaluated before each iteration of the loop.

Syntax

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@while <condition> {
  // Code to be executed repeatedly
}

🔢 Parameters

condition: The expression that controls the loop's execution. It typically involves a counter variable that is updated within the loop.

📝 Example Usage

To better understand how @while works, let's look at some examples.

📜 Example 1: Simple Counter

example.scss

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$i: 1;

@while $i <= 5 {
  .item-#{$i} {
    width: 10px * $i;
  }
  $i: $i + 1;
}

In this example, a loop runs five times, creating five classes (.item-1 to .item-5). The width of each class increases by 10 pixels with each iteration.

📜 Example 2: Loop with Color Shades

example.scss

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$shade: 100;

@while $shade >= 0 {
  .bg-shade-#{$shade} {
    background-color: lighten(#333, $shade%);
  }
  $shade: $shade - 20;
}

Here, a loop generates classes with background colors that become progressively lighter. The loop runs until the shade value is no longer greater than or equal to zero.

📜 Example 3: Generating a Responsive Grid

example.scss

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$columns: 1;

@while $columns <= 12 {
  .col-#{$columns} {
    width: 100% / 12 * $columns;
  }
  $columns: $columns + 1;
}

In this example, a responsive grid system is created with columns ranging from .col-1 to .col-12. Each class defines the width of a column as a percentage of the total grid width.

⚠️ Common Pitfalls

Infinite Loops: Be cautious when writing the loop condition. If the condition never becomes false, the loop will run indefinitely, potentially causing the compiler to crash.
Overuse: While loops are powerful, overusing them can lead to complex and hard-to-maintain stylesheets. Always consider if a loop is the best solution for your problem.

🎉 Conclusion

The @while directive in Sass is a powerful tool for managing repetitive tasks within your stylesheets. It allows you to create dynamic, scalable styles with minimal code, making your CSS more efficient and easier to maintain. Whether you're generating grid systems, color palettes, or repetitive style rules, @while offers a flexible and intuitive way to handle these tasks.

By mastering the @while loop, you can write more sophisticated Sass code, reduce redundancy, and improve the maintainability of your stylesheets. Experiment with different loop conditions and tasks to fully explore the capabilities of @while.