This article aims to explore the distinction between the @import and @use rules in SCSS (Sassy CSS) development.

Both rules serve the purpose of importing stylesheets and modules, but @use is recommended over @import due to its numerous advantages. By October 2022, @import will be deprecated and eventually eliminated.

In contrast, @use offers superior scoping and namespacing capabilities, facilitating better code modularity and organization. It allows for selective importing of members, enhancing performance by importing only necessary components.

Moreover, @use improves code readability, maintainability, and promotes effective collaboration in larger projects. Notably, private variables, mixins, and functions, denoted by an underscore or hyphen, are not imported.

Furthermore, members from the used file are only accessible locally, and @extends directives apply within the file chain rather than to files that import it.

Overall, @use represents the future of SCSS importing, providing several advantages over @import.

What are they?

@import and @use are both SCSS rules used to import stylesheets and modules, allowing for better organization and management of code. They help avoid code duplication, improve code reusability, separate concerns, and enhance maintainability.

However, there are significant differences between these two rules.

@import is the traditional way of importing files in SCSS, but it will be deprecated by October 2022.

On the other hand, @use is the recommended way to import files and provides better scoping and namespacing. Variables, mixins, and functions starting with an underscore or hyphen are considered private and are not imported with @use. Additionally, @extends only applies up the chain and not to files that import the current one.

@use improves performance by only importing what is needed and allows for selective importing of members. It also improves readability and collaboration in larger projects.

Overall, @use is considered the future of SCSS importing.

Benefits and differences

One advantage of the @use SCSS rule is that it provides better scoping and namespacing for variables, mixins, and functions. With @use, variables, mixins, and functions starting with an underscore or hyphen are considered private and not imported. This enhances code organization and modularity.

Additionally, @use ensures that all imported members are namespaced by default, preventing any naming conflicts.

Another benefit of @use is that it allows for selective importing of members, improving performance by only importing what is needed. This not only reduces the file size but also enhances code readability and maintainability.

Furthermore, @use promotes better collaboration in larger projects by making it easier to understand where a member is coming from.

Overall, @use offers more advanced features and is considered the future of SCSS importing.

Best practices

To ensure optimal code organization and maintainability, it is recommended to follow best practices when utilizing SCSS imports.

Firstly, it is advisable to use the @use rule instead of the deprecated @import rule. @use provides better scoping and namespacing, allowing for more modular and organized code.

Additionally, it is important to remember that variables, mixins, and functions starting with an underscore or hyphen are considered private and will not be imported.

Furthermore, it is crucial to note that @extends only applies up the chain and not to files that import the current one.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning that @use allows for selective importing of members, improving performance by only importing what is needed.

Following these best practices will lead to more readable, maintainable, and efficient code.