Why @each loop over lists in SASS? - Purpose & Use Cases

The Big Idea

Discover how a simple loop can save you hours of repetitive styling work!

The Scenario

Imagine you are styling a website with multiple buttons, each needing a different background color. You write CSS rules for each button color one by one, repeating similar code again and again.

The Problem

If you want to add or change a color, you must find and update every single rule manually. This takes a lot of time and can cause mistakes or inconsistent styles.

The Solution

The @each loop in Sass lets you list all your colors once and automatically create styles for each. You write less code and can easily add or remove colors without repeating yourself.

Before vs After

✗ Before

.btn-red { background: red; }
.btn-blue { background: blue; }
.btn-green { background: green; }

✓ After

@each $color in (red, blue, green) {
  .btn-#{$color} {
    background: $color;
  }
}

What It Enables

You can quickly generate many similar styles from a list, making your CSS easier to maintain and update.

Real Life Example

When building a theme with multiple color options, you can define all colors in a list and use @each to create button styles, link colors, or backgrounds automatically.

Key Takeaways

@each loops over a list of items to repeat code for each.

It saves time and reduces errors by avoiding repeated manual code.

It makes your styles flexible and easy to update.

Practice

1. What does the @each loop do in Sass when used with a list?

easy

A. It repeats a block of styles for each item in the list.

B. It creates a new list from the original list.

C. It deletes items from the list one by one.

D. It converts the list into a map automatically.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of @each

   The @each loop is designed to run a block of code for every item in a list.

2. Step 2: Identify what happens with each item

   For each item, it repeats the styles or code inside the loop, creating multiple style blocks.

3. Final Answer:

   It repeats a block of styles for each item in the list. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   @each loops = repeat styles [OK]

Hint: Remember: @each repeats code for every list item [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking @each modifies the list itself
• Confusing @each with list functions like map
• Assuming it deletes or filters items

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to loop over a list (red, green, blue) using @each in Sass?

easy

A. @each $color in (red, green, blue) { color: $color; }

B. @each color in red, green, blue { color: color; }

C. @each $color from (red, green, blue) { color: $color; }

D. @each $color on (red, green, blue) { color: $color; }

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify correct @each syntax

   The correct syntax uses @each $variable in (list) to loop over items.

2. Step 2: Check each option

   @each $color in (red, green, blue) { color: $color; } uses @each $color in (red, green, blue) which is correct. Options A, B, and D use wrong keywords or miss the $ sign.

3. Final Answer:

   @each $color in (red, green, blue) { color: $color; } -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Use @each $var in (list) syntax [OK]

Hint: Use 'in' keyword and $variable for each item [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Omitting the $ before the variable
• Using wrong keywords like 'from' or 'on'
• Not wrapping list in parentheses

3. What will be the output CSS of this Sass code?

@each $size in (small, medium, large) {
  .btn-#{$size} {
    font-size: if($size == small, 1rem, if($size == medium, 1.5rem, 2rem));
  }
}

medium

A. Syntax error due to nested if statements

B. .btn-small { font-size: 2rem; }
.btn-medium { font-size: 1rem; }
.btn-large { font-size: 1.5rem; }

C. .btn-small { font-size: 1rem; }
.btn-medium { font-size: 1.5rem; }
.btn-large { font-size: 2rem; }

D. .btn-small { font-size: 1.5rem; }
.btn-medium { font-size: 2rem; }
.btn-large { font-size: 1rem; }

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the loop and interpolation

   The loop runs over sizes: small, medium, large. The class name uses interpolation to create .btn-small, .btn-medium, .btn-large.

2. Step 2: Evaluate the font-size condition

   Using nested if: small -> 1rem, medium -> 1.5rem, large -> 2rem.

3. Final Answer:

   .btn-small { font-size: 1rem; } .btn-medium { font-size: 1.5rem; } .btn-large { font-size: 2rem; } -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Loop + interpolation + if = correct CSS [OK]

Hint: Match each list item to its style using interpolation [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Mixing up font-size values
• Thinking nested if causes syntax error
• Ignoring interpolation in class names

4. Identify the error in this Sass code using @each loop:

@each $color (red, green, blue) {
  .text-#{$color} {
    color: $color;
  }
}

medium

A. Variable $color should not have a $ sign.

B. Interpolation syntax #{$color} is incorrect.

C. Parentheses around the list are not allowed.

D. Missing 'in' keyword after $color in the loop.

Solution

1. Step 1: Check the @each loop syntax

   The correct syntax requires the keyword in between the variable and the list.

2. Step 2: Identify the missing keyword

   The code misses in after $color, causing a syntax error.

3. Final Answer:

   Missing 'in' keyword after $color in the loop. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   @each $var in (list) needs 'in' [OK]

Hint: Always write '@each $var in (list)' with 'in' keyword [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Forgetting the 'in' keyword
• Removing $ from variable names
• Misusing interpolation syntax

5. Given the list (10px, 20px, 0, 30px), how can you use @each to create margin classes but skip the zero value?

hard

A. @each $m in (10px, 20px, 0, 30px) { .m-#{$m} { margin: $m; } }

B. @each $m in (10px, 20px, 0, 30px) { @if $m != 0 { .m-#{$m} { margin: $m; } } }

C. @each $m in (10px, 20px, 0, 30px) { @if $m == 0 { .m-#{$m} { margin: $m; } } }

D. @each $m in (10px, 20px, 0, 30px) { @if $m > 30px { .m-#{$m} { margin: $m; } } }

Solution

1. Step 1: Loop over all margin values

   The @each loop goes through each value including zero.

2. Step 2: Use @if to skip zero

   Inside the loop, add @if $m != 0 to only create classes for non-zero margins.

3. Final Answer:

   @each $m in (10px, 20px, 0, 30px) { @if $m != 0 { .m-#{$m} { margin: $m; } } } -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Use @if inside @each to filter items [OK]

Hint: Use @if inside @each to skip unwanted values [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Not filtering zero, so unwanted class is created
• Using wrong condition like == 0 instead of != 0
• Trying to filter outside the loop