Less

What is it?

Less (Leaner Style Sheets) is a backward-compatible CSS preprocessor that adds dynamic behavior to CSS. It is compiled into standard CSS and works seamlessly with existing frontend workflows.

What does it do?

Less introduces features such as variables, nested rules, mixins, operations, and functions. These capabilities reduce repetition, improve readability, and make large stylesheets easier to manage.

Where is it used?

Less is commonly used in enterprise web applications, legacy frontend systems, UI libraries, and projects built with frameworks like Bootstrap that historically rely on Less for styling.

When & why it emerged

Less was introduced around 2009 as one of the earliest CSS preprocessors. It emerged to solve maintainability and scalability issues in growing CSS codebases before native CSS variables were widely supported.

Why we use it at Internative

We use Less in projects that require compatibility with existing styling architectures or legacy UI frameworks. It allows us to maintain and evolve large CSS systems with minimal disruption.