This article examines the distinctions between the @import and @use rules in SCSS (Sassy CSS), along with the recommended best practices associated with their usage.
The @import rule is currently being phased out in favor of @use and @forward, with support for @import expected to be discontinued by October 2022.
Private variables, mixins, and functions (those beginning with an underscore or hyphen) are not imported.
Additionally, members from the used file are only accessible locally, and @extends only applies up the chain, excluding files that import it.
By default, all imported members are namespaced.
Given the advantages of modularity, encapsulation, code organization, and maintainability, @import is not recommended for future projects.
In contrast, @use and @forward provide superior benefits such as more efficient compilation, enhanced scoping and namespace management, and improved code encapsulation.
These rules differ in their behaviors related to importing private members, extending selectors, namespacing, passing along imported members, future imports, code organization, maintainability, compilation efficiency, scoping and namespace management, code encapsulation, modularity, project scalability, and code reusability.
Comparing @import and @use
When comparing the @import and @use SCSS rules, it is important to consider their different behaviors and the recommended best practices for code modularity, encapsulation, organization, maintainability, compilation efficiency, scoping, namespace management, and future project scalability.
@import is being deprecated in favor of @use and @forward due to its lack of support in LibSass.
@use and @forward provide better modularity and encapsulation, allowing for more efficient code organization and maintainability. They also offer improved scoping and namespace management.
@import is not recommended for future projects as it does not provide the same level of modularity as @use and @forward.
Therefore, it is advisable to adopt @use and @forward as they are the best-case scenarios for SCSS rule usage.
Differences and Deprecated
The difference between @import and @use lies in their behaviors for importing private members, extending selectors, namespacing, passing along imported members, future imports, code organization, maintainability, compilation efficiency, scoping, namespace management, code encapsulation, modularity, project scalability, and code reusability.
@import does not import private members, while @use does.
When it comes to extending selectors, @import only applies up the chain, whereas @use does not extend selectors at all.
@import does not namespace imported members, while @use does.
Additionally, @import does not pass along imported members to other files, while @use does.
In terms of future imports, @import is being phased out and deprecated, whereas @use is the recommended alternative.
Overall, @use provides better modularity, encapsulation, code organization, maintainability, compilation efficiency, scoping, and namespace management compared to @import.
Advantages and Recommendations
Advantages and recommendations for SCSS rule usage include:
- Improved modularity, encapsulation, and code organization
- Enhanced maintainability and compilation efficiency
- Better scoping and namespace management
Unlike the deprecated @import rule, the @use and @forward rules provide:
- Better modularity and encapsulation
- More efficient code organization and maintainability
- Improved scoping and namespace management
The @use and @forward rules are the recommended alternatives to @import, as they offer:
- Better code encapsulation, modularity, and project scalability
It is important to note that @import is not recommended for future projects, as it lacks the same level of functionality as @use and @forward.
