Compass is a stylesheet authoring framework built on top of Sass that provides a rich set of mixins, functions, and helpers for writing maintainable CSS. It offers abstractions for vendor prefixes, cross-browser compatibility fixes, and reusable UI patterns like grids, buttons, and typography helpers. With Compass, developers can write cleaner Sass code that compiles into consistent CSS across browsers without hand-coding workarounds. The framework also includes a command-line tool for compiling Sass, managing sprite sheets, and integrating with build workflows. It was widely adopted in the era before modern CSS standards caught up with mixins and variables, helping developers speed up styling while reducing redundancy. While less dominant today, Compass remains an important historical tool that influenced the evolution of Sass and frontend best practices.
Features
- A rich library of Sass mixins and helpers for CSS
- Built-in CSS resets and cross-browser normalization
- Supports grid layout, typography defaults, plugins for buttons, tabs, sprites
- Includes printing stylesheet support
- Command-line interface and Rake integration for build workflows
- Deprecated but historically influential in CSS toolsets