node-less

1.0.0 verified Fri May 01 auth: no javascript deprecated

A minimal Node.js wrapper around the Less CSS preprocessor, allowing compilation of .less files to CSS programmatically and via command-line. Version 1.0.0 is the initial release with basic compilation support. No longer maintained; users should switch to the official 'less' npm package which is actively developed and includes all features.

Common errors

error Error: Cannot find module 'less' ↓

cause Missing peer dependency 'less'.

fix

npm install less

error less.compile is not a function ↓

cause Incorrect import style; default export is an object, not a function.

fix

Use import less from 'node-less' then call less.compile(input).

Warnings

deprecated This package is no longer maintained. Use official 'less' package instead. ↓

fix npm uninstall node-less && npm install less

gotcha compile() does not support options like paths or plugins. ↓

fix Migrate to 'less' package's render() for full feature set.

gotcha render() returns a string, not a promise. It throws synchronously on error. ↓

fix Wrap in try-catch block. For async usage, use official 'less' package's renderAsync.

Install

npm install node-less

yarn add node-less

pnpm add node-less

Imports

node-less
wrong
```
const less = require('node-less')
```
correct
```
import less from 'node-less'
```
This package is deprecated; use 'less' package instead. ESM import shown for clarity.

less.compile

wrong

const { compile } = require('node-less'); compile('.class { color: red; }')

correct

import less from 'node-less'; const css = less.compile('.class { color: red; }')

The API is synchronous; no promise or callback needed.

less.render
wrong
```
less.renderFile('style.less', callback)
```
correct
```
import less from 'node-less'; less.render('.a { .b { color: red; } }')
```
render() expects string input, not file path. For file compilation, use CLI or migrate to 'less' package.

Quickstart

Shows basic usage of less.compile() to process Less source and produce CSS output synchronously.

import less from 'node-less';

const input = `
@base: #f938ab;
.box {
  color: @base;
  border-color: darken(@base, 10%);
}
`;

try {
  const output = less.compile(input);
  console.log(output);
} catch (err) {
  console.error('Compilation error:', err);
}