[import] Is it possible to import a whole directory in sass using @import?

I am modularizing my stylesheets with SASS partials like so:

@import partials/header
@import partials/viewport
@import partials/footer
@import partials/forms
@import partials/list_container
@import partials/info_container
@import partials/notifications
@import partials/queues

is there a way to include the whole partials directory(it's a directory full of SASS-partials) like @import compass or something?

This question is related to import sass partials

The answer is


It might be an old question, but still relevant in 2020, so I might post some update. Since Octobers'19 update we generally should use @use instead of @import, but that's only a remark. Solution to this question is use index files to simplify including whole folders. Example below.

// foundation/_code.scss
code {
  padding: .25em;
  line-height: 0;
}

// foundation/_lists.scss
ul, ol {
  text-align: left;

  & & {
    padding: {
      bottom: 0;
      left: 0;
    }
  }
}

// foundation/_index.scss
@use 'code';
@use 'lists';

// style.scss
@use 'foundation';

https://sass-lang.com/documentation/at-rules/use#index-files


I create a file named __partials__.scss in the same directory of partials

|- __partials__.scss
|- /partials
   |- __header__.scss
   |- __viewport__.scss
   |- ....

In __partials__.scss, I wrote these:

@import "partials/header";
@import "partials/viewport";
@import "partials/footer";
@import "partials/forms";
....

So, when I want import the whole partials, just write @import "partials". If I want import any of them, I can also write @import "partials/header".


You can generate SASS file which imports everything automatically, I use this Gulp task:

concatFilenames = require('gulp-concat-filenames')

let concatFilenamesOptions = {
    root: './',
    prepend: "@import '",
    append: "'"
}
gulp.task('sass-import', () => {
    gulp.src(path_src_sass)
        .pipe(concatFilenames('app.sass', concatFilenamesOptions))
        .pipe(gulp.dest('./build'))
})

You can also control importing order by ordering the folders like this:

path_src_sass = [
    './style/**/*.sass', // mixins, variables - import first
    './components/**/*.sass', // singule components
    './pages/**/*.sass' // higher-level templates that could override components settings if necessary
]

Check out the sass-globbing project.


You might want to retain source order then you can just use this.

@import
  'foo',
  'bar';

I prefer this.


http://sass-lang.com/docs/yardoc/file.SASS_REFERENCE.html#import

doesn't look like it.

If any of these files always require the others, then have them import the other files and only import the top-level ones. If they're all standalone, then I think you're going to have to keep doing it like you are now.


The accepted answer by Dennis Best states that "Otherwise, load order is and should be irrelevant... if we are doing things properly." This is simply incorrect. If you are doing things properly, you make use of the css order to help you reduce specificity and keeping you css simple and clean.

What I do to organize imports is adding an _all.scss file in a directory, where I import all the relevant files in it, in the correct order. This way, my main import file will be simple and clean, like this:

// Import all scss in the project

// Utilities, mixins and placeholders
@import 'utils/_all';

// Styles
@import 'components/_all';
@import 'modules/_all';
@import 'templates/_all';

You could do this for sub-directories as well, if you need, but I don't think the structure of your css files should be too deep.

Though I use this approach, I still think a glob import should exist in sass, for situations where order does not matter, like a directory of mixins or even animations.


This feature will never be part of Sass. One major reason is import order. In CSS, the files imported last can override the styles stated before. If you import a directory, how can you determine import order? There's no way that doesn't introduce some new level of complexity. By keeping a list of imports (as you did in your example), you're being explicit with import order. This is essential if you want to be able to confidently override styles that are defined in another file or write mixins in one file and use them in another.

For a more thorough discussion, view this closed feature request here:


You could use a bit of workaround by placing a sass file in folder what you would like to import and import all files in that file like this:

file path:main/current/_current.scss

@import "placeholders"; @import "colors";

and in next dir level file you just use import for file what imported all files from that dir:

file path:main/main.scss

@import "EricMeyerResetCSSv20"; @import "clearfix"; @import "current";

That way you have same number of files, like you are importing the whole dir. Beware of order, file that comes last will override the matching stiles.


With defining the file to import it's possible to use all folders common definitions.

So, @import "style/*" will compile all the files in the style folder.

More about import feature in Sass you can find here.


I also search for an answer to your question. Correspond to the answers the correct import all function does not exist.

Thats why I have written a python script which you need to place into the root of your scss folder like so:

- scss
  |- scss-crawler.py
  |- abstract
  |- base
  |- components
  |- layout
  |- themes
  |- vender

It will then walk through the tree and find all scss files. Once executed, it will create a scss file called main.scss

#python3
import os

valid_file_endings = ["scss"]

with open("main.scss", "w") as scssFile:
    for dirpath, dirs, files in os.walk("."):
        # ignore the current path where the script is placed
        if not dirpath == ".":
            # change the dir seperator
            dirpath = dirpath.replace("\\", "/")

            currentDir = dirpath.split("/")[-1]
            # filter out the valid ending scss
            commentPrinted = False
            for file in files:
                # if there is a file with more dots just focus on the last part
                fileEnding = file.split(".")[-1]
                if fileEnding in valid_file_endings:
                    if not commentPrinted:
                        print("/* {0} */".format(currentDir), file = scssFile)
                        commentPrinted = True
                    print("@import '{0}/{1}';".format(dirpath, file.split(".")[0][1:]), file = scssFile)

an example of an output file:

/* abstract */
@import './abstract/colors';
/* base */
@import './base/base';
/* components */
@import './components/audioPlayer';
@import './components/cardLayouter';
@import './components/content';
@import './components/logo';
@import './components/navbar';
@import './components/songCard';
@import './components/whoami';
/* layout */
@import './layout/body';
@import './layout/header';

this worked fine for me

@import 'folder/*';