Why create a SASS cache folder?

What is SASS?

The full form of SASS is Syntropically Awesome Style Sheets. It is a preprocessor or compiler with which we can compile SCSS.

The question now is, what is SCSS? SCSS allows developers to write CSS code in a better way as it includes variables, nested rules, functions, etc. and similar advanced features.

For example, we can use variables in SCSS so we don't need to write a single value multiple times but can access it using the variable name. Likewise, we can create functions in SCSS and stop duplication while writing CSS code.

What is the cache folder and when is it created in SASS?

One of the SASS features that often confuses developers is the creation of cache folders. Before understanding the cache folder, let's first understand what cache is.

Frequently accessed data is stored in the cache to improve application performance. For example, computers store frequently accessed data in cache memory to improve response. Whenever we shut down the computer, all data is cleared from the cache.

The SASS cache folder will be automatically created when the SASS compiler is run for the first time. The location of the cache folder is determined by the operating system and the SASS compiler version used. Typically, the cache folder is located in the same directory as the "styles.scss" file.

Why create a cache folder?

Basically, cache folders are created in SASS to store the CSS output generated by the compiler to improve the performance of the compilation process.

So whenever we recompile a SCSS file, the compiler checks if the output of the relevant file already exists in the cache folder. If so, it will load the output from the old file. Otherwise, it compiles the SCSS file code if any new code is added or improvements are made to the file.

This can improve the efficiency of the compilation process, reduce compilation time, and improve SCSS compilation performance.

How to recompile all SCSS files?

Developers should be aware that manually deleting the cache folder may cause all SCSS files to be recompiled and increase compilation time. As we all know, compilation efficiency is crucial when developing applications.

However, if the user wants to ignore the output stored in the cache directory and recompile all files, they can use the following command in the terminal.

sass --force sass/styles.scss:css/styles.css

In the above command, we have added "--force" to the compile command to force all SCSS files to be recompiled by ignoring all output stored in the cache folder.

How to prevent the creation of cache folders?

If the user does not have high requirements for compilation efficiency, the cache directory can also be disabled.

Use the following command in the terminal to disable the creation of cache folders when compiling SCSS files.

sass --no-cache sass/styles.scss:css/styles.css

Here, we have used the "--no-cache" option in the above command, which will stop the creation of the cache directory whenever we recompile the SCSS file after inserting new code or making some changes.

in conclusion

We can conclude that whenever we compile SCSS code for the first time, a cache folder will be automatically created to improve the performance of the code. If the developer does not need to cache the folder, they can disable it or force a recompile of all files.

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