Compile LESS CSS Files with the LESS App

Discussion

1. Paul Adam Davis

   When using multiple files, you can @import "your.less"; files, then only need to compile the main file with minifying.

   You work with multiple LESS files, making development easier, but compile into one minified CSS file. Perfect. :)
2. Rasmus Fløe

   I love LESS too :)

   Less app makes it a breeze on a mac.

   When working on Windows you’ll have to jump through a couple of hoops to get automatic LESS compilation up and running (no Less app). I found some good stuff on Duncan Smart’s blog: http://blog.dotsmart.net/2010/11/26/running-the-less-js-command-line-compiler-on-windows/

   Coupled with something called “File Watcher Simple” off of sourceforge I got a pretty sweet working solution – not as sexy as Less app though :D
3. Brad

   Argh! I wish there was a Micro$haft equivalent for those of us who need to get our corporate on. This would be perfect for me, since the command line scares me, but the only Apple product I own in an iPhone.
• Elijah Manor

  Brad, you can use Chirpy for Visual Studio to handle LESS files

  http://www.weirdlover.com/2010/07/18/chirpy-attains-godlike-abilities-in-version-1-0-0-4/

  It also supports minification, combination, CoffeeScript, etc
• Brad

  WOW! This is great! Thanks!
4. Johan Tell

   Don’t forget the lessCSS for php parser that compiles, minifies and caches less files on the fly! Check it out! :)
5. Steve

   Less CSS, i love it makes life so much easier
6. Jacob Bednarz

   I prefer SASS over LESS. Mainly because I started on it and now it just feels second nature to me.
7. Marco

   I don´t the idea of coupling the layout with JavaScript. This App is great and integrates seemlessly into the workflow. Create your LESS-file, edit ist, save, and that´s it.
   So, the only thing you have to do is specifying the destination of the compilation process. From this point it feels like editing the CSS directly. With one exception: you cann use all the awesome LESS-features.

   Cool app, cool post!
8. Joel

   A very interesting approach to handling the pain of maintaining CSS files. Nice work!
   Going to give it a try on my next project. Thank you for developing this great tool.
9. Filip Van Tendeloo

   Just wanted to let you know that I just released an Adobe Air version of the Less Parser application. It is still in beta though:

   http://www.proving-ground.be/less/
10. Paul Schlereth

    I’ve been trying to compile from one central css file with other files @imported and it won’t work. Before I pull the rest of my hair out, can anyone shed some light on why this might not work? I’ve tried two types of @import declarations and neither work. Here is a code sample:

    //reset
    @import url("normalize.less");
    
    // grid system & page structure
    @import url("layout.less");
    @import url("12columnGrid.less");
    
    // base css
    @import url("type.less");
    @import url("forms.less");
    @import url("tables.less");
    

    I also tried in the format:

    @import "normalize.css";
    

    HELP!! Thanks in advance!
11. Paul Schlereth

    Crap. Forgot the code tags. Here’s the sample once more:

    //reset
    @import url("normalize.less");
    
    // grid system & page structure
    @import url("layout.less");
    @import url("12columnGrid.less");
    
    // base css
    @import url("type.less");
    @import url("forms.less");
    @import url("tables.less");
    
    //END of first sample
    
    //I also tried:
    @import "normalize.css";
    
12. Paul Schlereth

    nevermind. figured it out!
• Cyrylski

  Man, please tell us how. I still have this problem on Windows. Can only import a single file, more than one makes the LESS stop compiling to CSS…