Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

CSS

Connor Toth
Connor Toth
7,335 Points
Posted by Connor Toth
Connor Toth
7,335 Points

How is sass more efficient (more dry) than css if it just gets outputted to the same "wet" css code?

Does not the browser have to load the same repetitive css? I guess I don't understand how, once the website is finished and the files are uploaded to the hosting server, Sass getting outputted to CSS works exactly.

4 Answers

Layne Benofsky
Layne Benofsky
6,914 Points
Layne Benofsky
Layne Benofsky
6,914 Points

My take would be that the "dry" aspect has to do with the coding and development process for the humans, rather than the output code for the browsers to use. Until they can process things like Sass natively, there will always be long repetitions of style statements, etc.

It's also far easier to maintain. Maybe that's the most important part. :)

Connor Toth
Connor Toth
7,335 Points
Connor Toth
Connor Toth
7,335 Points

Is there any word on CSS being updated, so that it includes code/fixes provided by using Sass?

Ryan Carson
Ryan Carson
23,287 Points
Ryan Carson
Ryan Carson
23,287 Points

Hi Connor

Great question. The answer is that the output is the same, but there's a drastic difference in the .scss file. You only have to type something once in the .scss file and it will output multiple times in the css. The DRY ("Don't Repeat Yourself") principle applies to the code you're writing in the .scss file, not the outputted .css file.

Thanks for being a Treehouse Student!

Cheers, Ryan

Connor Toth
Connor Toth
7,335 Points
Connor Toth
Connor Toth
7,335 Points

Ok so, the DRY aspect of using Sass is for our sake, the developer's sake, and has nothing to do with actually making the load time any shorter by using less code on the Sass side.

Ok thanks for clearing that up!

-connor

Guil Hernandez
STAFF
Guil Hernandez
Treehouse Teacher
Guil Hernandez
Guil Hernandez
Treehouse Teacher

Hi Connor Toth,

Also, if you want to learn how to write Sass that outputs "DRY" CSS, take a look at our new course: Modular CSS with Sass. :)