node-less-endpoint

Easily serve a LESS file as CSS from an express endpoint. No grunt/gulp, no build files, no required configuration – just pure data.

Dependencies

• LESS (taken care of by npm install)
• ES6 Object.assign (either use node v4.0+ or a polyfill)

Installation

$ npm install node-less-endpoint --save

Usage - Easy Version

Assuming you have the following directory structure:

client/
└── app.less

server/
└── index.js

package.json

Then you can write the following as your server/index.js:

// server.js
var LESS = require('node-less-endpoint');
var app  = require('express')();

app.get('/assets/app-bundle.css',
  LESS.serve('./client/app.less'));

console.log("Listening on port 5555...");
app.listen(5555);

And run node server/index.js.

Now any GET request to localhost:5555/app.css will compile and serve the LESS file located at ./client/app.less. Any @import statements within app.less will also be included in the final output.

Advanced Usage

app.get(
  '/app.css',
  LESS.serve('./client/app.less', {

    // (dev only) defaults to parent folder of LESS file.
    // Any LESS file changes in this directory will clear the output cache.
    watchDir: './client/',

    // Defaults to parent folder of the LESS file you specify.
    // The node_modules/ is always included.
    includePaths: ['./client/'],

    // Defaults to false
    debug: false
  })
);