Compiling Less files with a standalone compiler

Once we've produced a valid Less file, we need to compile it into its CSS equivalent. For this, we have two options: the first is to compile from the command line; we will examine this in more detail later in this chapter, in the Compiling from the command line section. The second is using a standalone compiler, for which we can use one of the following compilers available for this purpose:

• WinLess (http://winless.org/)
• SimpLESS (http://www.wearekiss.com/simpless/)
• Koala (http://koala-app.com/)
• Crunch! (http://www.crunchapp.net/)

Each of these compilers performs the same basic function of compiling Less files, but in different ways. I would suggest that you try each one out and stick with the one that you find preferable.

We must start somewhere, so first, let's take a look at WinLess.

WinLess

WinLess is a Windows-based open source GUI frontend for less.js, which can be downloaded from http://winless.org/downloads/WinLess-1.8.2.msi. This includes an option to automatically monitor changes to any files stored within specific folders; as soon as they are changed, the corresponding CSS files are updated.

SimpLESS

If something that is a little simpler is sufficient for your needs, then you can always try SimpLESS, which is a cut-down version available for Windows, Apple Mac, or Linux platforms.

You can download this from http://www.wearekiss.com/simpless; it is designed to sit and work from the system tray, silently updating any changed Less files.

Koala

Koala is a relative newcomer to the Less preprocessor scene. It is a cross-platform GUI application that compiles most CSS preprocessors available, including Less. It was built using Node-Webkit, so versions are available for Mac OS, Linux, and Windows and can be downloaded from http://www.koala-app.com/.

You can find details of other compilers available for use with Less by browsing to and install Crunch!, as an example of one of the compilers available for Less.

Installing Crunch!

Crunch! is a cross-platform compiler for Less, which works using Adobe AIR. This compiler is different from the others, as it allows us to edit files within the compiler directly.

Installing Crunch! is a two-part process; we begin with installing Adobe AIR:

1. Download the installer from http://get.adobe.com/air/, making sure that you select the right version for your platform. Double-click on the AIR installer and accept all defaults.
2. Next, go ahead and download Crunch! from at this prompt.
   
3. Click on Continue to begin the installation; we can leave the default settings untouched, as they will suffice for our needs:
   
4. After a few minutes, Crunch!'s GUI will appear, ready for use, as shown in this screenshot: