Introduction to Sass Variables
Sass variables are used to store a value or a group of values that can be reused throughout a stylesheet. Variables in Sass start with the "$" symbol and are followed by the name of the variable and its value.
As an example:
$primary-color: #1E90FF;
In this example:
- We're creating a variable called
$primary-colorand giving it a value of#1E90FF, which is a shade of blue.
Once you've defined a variable, you can use it in your styles like this:
a {
color: $primary-color;
}
In this example:
This will set the color of all links to the value of $primary-color, which in this case is #1E90FF.
You can also use variables to group related values together.
As an example:
$font-sans-serif: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
$font-serif: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;
Then you can use these variables in your styles:
body {
font-family: $font-sans-serif;
}
h1, h2, h3 {
font-family: $font-serif;
}
Using variables in Sass can make your stylesheets easier to read, maintain, and update, especially if you have multiple styles that share the same values.
Sass Variable Scope
Variable scope refers to where a variable can be accessed within a stylesheet.
There are two types of variable scope in Sass: global and local.
Global variables are defined outside of any selector or block, and can be accessed from anywhere in the stylesheet.
As an example:
$primary-color: #1E90FF;
body {
color: $primary-color;
}
a {
color: $primary-color;
}
In this example:
$primary-coloris a global variable that can be accessed from both thebodyandaselectors.
Local variables, on the other hand, are defined inside a selector or block, and can only be accessed within that selector or block.
As an example:
body {
$primary-color: #1E90FF;
color: $primary-color;
}
a {
color: $primary-color; // This will cause an error, because $primary-color is a local variable defined in the 'body' block
}
In this example:
$primary-coloris a local variable that can only be accessed within thebodyselector.- If we try to use
$primary-colorwithin theaselector, Sass will generate an error because the variable is not defined in that scope.