Generating Dynamic CSS with JavaScript or LESS

Learn how to automate CSS generation using `LESS` or `JavaScript` by following a defined pattern for responsive design in this comprehensive guide.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/68284177/ asked by the user 'skarpeta' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/16358169/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/68284342/ provided by the user 'vanowm' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/2930038/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Generating Dynamic CSS with JavaScript or LESS: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating CSS styles for multiple elements can be a tedious and error-prone task, especially when patterns are involved. Have you ever found yourself needing to generate similar CSS rules repeatedly but in different variations? If so, you're not alone! This guide will address how you can automate the process using JavaScript or LESS, making it quicker and more efficient.

The Problem

Let's say you have a series of CSS classes that modify the height and positioning of elements based on a pattern. For instance, you have these CSS rules that change based on specific row and column combinations:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

...and many more variations following that pattern. Manually expanding these rules for different rows and maintaining them can be a daunting task, especially if you want to keep it flexible for different viewports and configurations.

The Solution

Fortunately, both LESS and JavaScript can help you automate this CSS generation. Let's explore how each method works.

Option 1: Using LESS

With LESS, you can leverage its looping capabilities to create a more organized and efficient CSS generation system. Here’s how you can implement it:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation of the LESS Code

The .loop mixin creates a loop that continues until @ i reaches 40.

For each iteration, it generates the CSS rules for .start-row-m-@ {i} while adjusting the dimensions accordingly.

The recursion ensures that for every three blocks (1, 2, and 3), the first number increments and the multiplier in top is updated.

Option 2: Using JavaScript

If you prefer to handle this dynamically using JavaScript, you can generate the CSS styles programmatically as follows:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation of the JavaScript Code

A loop iterates 40 times, generating the CSS as a string.

Each iteration creates specific styles for the predefined classes and appends it to the css variable.

Finally, a <style> element is created and injected into the document to apply the generated styles.

Conclusion

By using either LESS or JavaScript, you can efficiently manage and generate a large set of CSS rules that follow a specific pattern. Both methods streamline the CSS creation process and ensure that your styles remain flexible and easy to maintain, especially with varying viewports and layouts.

Give these coding techniques a try and discover how they can help transform your web development workflow!