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CSS CSS to Sass Refactoring with Sass Defining Media Queries

Shaheer Mir
Shaheer Mir
11,599 Points
Posted by Shaheer Mir
Shaheer Mir
11,599 Points

Why did we have to use interpolation for the media queries ?

Hi, Could someone please explain why we had to use interpolation in the following manner for media queries. I thought we needed interpolation ${} when we wanted to insert a variable inside a string.

@media #{$brk-narrow}{
    font-size: 1rem;
  }

Why will the following code not work ? 

@media $brk-narrow {
    font-size: 1rem;
  }

How is this different than working with any other variable ?

Thank you in advance!

2 Answers

Craig Watson
Craig Watson
27,930 Points

Hi,

When using the @media rule in Sass if you use a variable without interpolation it simply prints out the variable name not the value of the variable.

I do not know the exact reason behind this but that is the info provided when I tried your code snippet in sassmiester.

To try and help you in the future this is the way I use media queries in Sass...

// Media Breakpoints
$break-xs : 420px;
$break-sm : 768px;
$break-md : 992px;
$break-lg :   1200px;

// Media Query Mixin
@mixin mq($break-point) {
    @media (min-width: #{$break-point}) { 
        @content; 
    }
}

// Using The Mixin
.selector {

  // Usual Styles
  property: value;
  property: value;

  // Include The Mixin
  @include mq($break-sm) {
    property: value;
    property: value;
  } 
}

I thought I would give you that mixin as it will become a much better way to use your media queries in the future.

Craig

Kirsty Pollock
Kirsty Pollock
14,261 Points
Kirsty Pollock
Kirsty Pollock
14,261 Points

That's a useful method, thanks. I have been puzzling myself, over what the over-arching principle is, for when interpolation is required - and I think interpolation is necessary when it has been necessary to declare the variable within quotes - which is the case for all but simple single values.

Piotr Manczak
seal-mask
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree seal-36
Piotr Manczak
Front End Web Development Techdegree Graduate 29,363 Points
Piotr Manczak
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree seal-36
Piotr Manczak
Front End Web Development Techdegree Graduate 29,363 Points

(following Kirsty thought).........which brings us to the conclusion that entire css is a string. It's funny because css rules look alike an object. I agree with Mr Mir this needs clarification. Or we have to accept at the face value. I just realized something. You are replacing entire parenthesis which include prop value pair not only value. Also they are a parameter in the function. We should follow this path I think.