So in class, we've been applying css frameworks like Bootstrap, Foundation, Normalize.css but I do not understand what the point is of using them. Can someone briefly explain WHY they are used? How am I supposed to know which framework to use? For example, let's say I made a basic HTML file for my blog and I want to style it. Would I need to use a framework? How would I know which to use? How is it different from just styling on my own from scratch? I know these seem like stupid, ridiculous questions but I just started learning CSS a month ago and do not understand what frameworks like Bootstrap, Foundation, Normalize, etc. are and the purpose of them. Someone please explain as if how they would explain to a little child so I understand? Thanks.
A bit of an opinion-based question, but in short: developers are lazy and it takes time to code sites that are mobile-ready, consistent across browsers, and are easy to manage as browsers get updated.
With frameworks, developers need not waste time figuring any of this out.
For example, with Bootstrap, using the grid system, it is possible to make mobile-ready sites with minimal media queries and complex CSS rules.
Using other people's code, which has been tested on production environments and is constantly being patched and updated, saves a lot of time and a lot of bugs down the road.
You can think of frameworks (in any language, not just CSS) as a bunch of existing reusable codes you can readily use for your own projects. They essentially make your life easier because you don't have to reinvent the wheel anymore. Simply put, frameworks are a bunch of tested reusable codes for common tasks.
The purpose is to avoid having to make your CSS from scratch. There are a LOT of CSS activities that most people do over and over. If you look at a wide variety of sites, you'll notice similarities in the way information is presented. As a result, if you're going to be presenting information using one of those standard layouts, it's vastly easier to simply use a CSS framework than roll your own version.
Also, different browsers have different default CSS settings. Using a CSS framework will provide a CSS reset as part of what they do. This helps ensure that what you see in one browser is what will be seen in all browsers. This helps you spend more time building your site and less time trying to figure out why the display is different in a particular version of IE, for example.
frameworks comes with lots of features like grid, components, typography along with good browser compatibility so you can simple use them instead of creating them from scratch. It totally based on project requirement that what framework you should use. Apart from bootstrap and Foundation there are more great out there created by few geeks.
I am basically a PHP developer, but interested in javascript, so learned angularjs and jquery by own. The recent update I got is only learning angular is not enough, need to learn bootstrap also. But I really scared of CSS, because need to deal with pixels and have to design such a way that it has to fit for any device.
Bootstrap does that, ok fine, but how to keep in mind those hundreds of css class names. Can you guys give me some tricks and clues on how to memorize the css classes. And what we have to know before designing a layout (Asking these silly question, because I am into css for the first time).
You don't need to keep in mind class names, you just have to know framework components purpose.
On first steps you just need to checkout BS components and feature list (grids, tables, buttons, js-features) and see how they work and how could be used in your projects.
Next step checkout show cases and examples - you will get to know how compose page using grids and how components works together.
On this stage you will have enough information to start develop with BS.
Later you will face a lot of issues for sure, but it will be concrete questions, which answers could be googled.
I have been thinking of using a CSS framewrok as many web designers use it. They say that it is good, etc. But is there any real advantage of using a CSS framework like 960 Grid System or Blueprint? Will it make my life easier? Do these frameworks consider the devilish Internet Explorer?
Any insights will be helpful.
Many frameworks include Reset-Rules, which is a single stylesheet (Generally Meyers' or a derivation of it) that balances out the rendering of elements across multiple browsers. Now, if you decide to use a CSS Framework or not, you SHOULD use a Reset.
I've only really used 960, and I must say that I enjoy it. The cool thing is that your layout is laid out with classNames that contain numerical-values, meaning you could programmatically determine a new layout if you like - simple math. It also makes developing a complicated layout much faster in many cases. Nettuts did a video of 960 some time back called "A Detailed Look at the 960 CSS Framework."
Do you NEED a framework? No. Do they help? In many cases. At the very least, I would encourage you to download 960 and play with it, and from now on start using at least a Reset.
Example of 960 Markup and Class Names:
<div class="container_12">
<div class="grid_7 prefix_1">
<div class="grid_2 alpha">
...
</div>
<div class="grid_3">
...
</div>
<div class="grid_2 omega">
...
</div>
</div>
<div class="grid_3 suffix_1">
...
</div>
</div>
It's a good idea not to confuse the concept of a framework with a type or instance of a particular framework. Some argue that because a framework (like 960 for example) doesn't suit a certain use case, you should avoid frameworks altogether. Crazy!
A framework is a tool that good developers use to get a job done. A skilled developer might even build their own framework for their own consumption. Abstraction is a powerful concept that every developer should master.
It's interesting to take a moment to consider a good definition of a framework: "An abstraction in which software providing generic functionality can be selectively changed by user code". It could perhaps be argued that CSS is in fact, a framework extending HTML.
I have played around with 960 and I recommend giving it a go but these days, I tend to make my own set of rules (a framework) using something like sass. There is a port of 960 and blueprint into sass, I think.
I recently worked on a large enterprise website and one of the first things I did was abstracted out the hex values from the CSS into a color palette so there was less redundancy in the CSS files. A month or so later the client asked us to rebrand the site for a different market which meant changing a few sprites and updating the color palette and the job was done. It took just a few minutes!
But to answer at least part of your question: Yes! There are advantages to using a framework. I would even go as far to say that avoiding them is a little naive.
PS: sorry if my answer is not specific but you did mention any insights would be helpful :)
I agree with what's been said so far. Those frameworks do speed things up. Yes, it is important to really know what's going on behind the scenes, but to answer your question, what are advantages of using a CSS framework. Here's my take on that:
By using a framewok you don't need to be a CSS expert to implement any design. This has been especially useful for me when I need someone else to implement a design, and an expert is not available.
It depends. If you are learning CSS or the project doesn't require a lot of styling, I think you shouldn't use a CSS framework. Also, if you want to create a very unique or specific styling, it won't help you a lot.
However, if you are experienced with CSS and the project is large, a CSS framework may help you to save time and problems.
And yes, they consider IE.
CSS frameworks can really help save time laying out your page with just a set of predefined classes. I think they are great and can really decrease the time you spend converting a design to html/css. I would recommend taking a look at a few that I use on a regular basis.
heymuscle
960gs
1140 grid
hope this helps.
Once you get used to them, CSS frameworks can seriously speed up the creation of crossbrowser websites.
IE support varies from framework to framework. Some support only IE8 and up. Others support old IE up to IE6.
I released my own CSS framework "Cascade Framework" a couple of months ago.
Is there anything that CSS Frameworks give that its not easy to make yourself?
The main use I have for CSS frameworks is that they tend to force you to think about how you're going to organise you code rather than provide you with indispensable tools for your day to day tasks.
For that reason, I'm a fan of boilerplate rather than things like blueprint as boilerplate tends to focus on how you structure your css stylesheets and imports rather than providing you with a collection of semantically confusing helper classes.
They are simply a convenience and as such are good for things like wireframing and rapid prototyping. They are probably also a good way to learn CSS layout aswell if you can familiarise yourself with the layout code.
What I don't like about CSS frameworks is that they encourage the use of non-semantic class names and are a bit heavy handed for a simpler designs. I still think it's very important to understand how CSS layout works and not to just rely on the frameworks because you'd be limiting your creativity and what you could achieve. Sometimes reading CSS files from the csszengarden site can teach you things you weren't sure of how to achieve.
For wireframing this is the most promising CSS framework I've seen:
http://designinfluences.com/fluid960gs/
I think that all depends on your own knowledge and the project. If you have a lot of small business clients, or for other reasons makes a lot of similar designs, I think it saves some time to use css frameworks. And you save time for browser bugfixing, but you should always test anyways.
But if your CSS skills are good, you know the most common IE bugs and how to hack them, I dont see any need of using a framework in most cases.
A reset stylesheet of some description is a worthwhile starting point.
For example:
http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/reset/
IE6 compatibility.
given that you are already familiar with one particular framework, it's easier and quicker to do certain common grid layouts. You might want to learn and try to stick with a framework if you are doing a lot of CSS.
Blueprint CSS is the CSS framework I prefer.
Yes, testing testing and more testing. Do you have time to test and debug your code in all browsers? If you have it's the best to write your own code. If you need quick solution you can use some framework. I wrote one post about this subject: http://www.vcarrer.com/2008/08/when-to-use-css-framework.html
It depends on the framework and your end-goal.
A lot of times they can work as guides with pre-defined templates to aid your development effort. But other times you just want your page to look nicer and not have to deal with actual work on CSS files. In the latter, you can skip the "make yourself" part altogether, and invest more effort into other parts of your project.
Take Skeleton and Tacit CSS frameworks for example. Both are pretty much minimal frameworks. The first is more centered on providing easy to use and adapt the boilerplate code and comes with a moderate amount of utility. Tacit on the other hand is a CSS framework for dummies, for people who, for example, have no interest in working with CSS but still want to get a nicer display look than the default CSS-less HTML display, and they want this out-of-the-box, not having to work with CSS classes.
i think that compatibility of any kind is best achieved when we band together, whether it be using CSS or Javascript frameworks, there's bound to be more chance that bugs will get fixed and wishes will get granted. there's also the chance that similar interfaces reduce the amount of training required for new users of your site.
I would never, ever use a CSS framework. They don't make anything faster or easier, increase code bloat and make debugging or testing much harder. If I do use a CSS framework to start with, it looks like this:
body {}
In what way would you ever need more than that? the baseline starting point should always be what the browser displays by default, nothing more.
Reset CSS stylesheets cause the same problems.
eg: http://withoutsubstance.blogspot.com/2008/09/why-you-should-never-ever-ever-use.html
I've worked with 960 a bit and found it's great for prototyping but I'm not a fan of putting it into production. I find the use of float makes my head hurt a little.
There's a common misconception that frameworks == bloat and another that a particular implementation of a framework represents the definition. A framework is just a tool. Here's an analogy: If you need a spanner to fix your car, you shouldn't throw away your screwdriver set.
If you've found that the frameworks you've looked at aren't suitable to the task at hand, you shouldn't write them off. You can easily make your own or use frameworks when they suit your needs.
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Reading on another forum I've came across the world of CSS Frameworks. The one I've been specifically looking at is BluePrint. I was wondering if anyone else had come across CSS frameworks, suggest which is the best and if they are worth the effort?
CSS 'frameworks' are completely missing the point.
CSS is not like JavaScript, where you can include a base library/framework and then call functions and objects from it to do higher-level work. All a CSS framework can give you is declarative rules: some default browser-rule-reset stuff, some class styles to be forced to author your page to, and layout rules using 'float' and 'clear'. You can write that in a few lines of CSS yourself rather than pulling in the bloat of a hundred framework rules.
The 'grid layout' stuff in particular goes back to the bad old days of mixing your presentation into your markup. 'div class="span-24"' is no better than a table, you'll have to go back in there and change the markup to affect the layout. And all the frameworks I've seen are based around fixed-pixel floated boxes, making it impossible to create a liquid layout accessible on a wide range of window sizes.
It's backwards authoring, of use only for someone too scared to write a CSS rule.
So, nobody's responded to this question yet (although I've seen a few upvotes), so I am going to at least attempt to tackle the second question in this prompt.
CSS Frameworks are great; like any other framework, they reduce development time and let you get working immediately on site-specific design and CSS. They think about hard decisions so you don't have to.
Unfortunately, there are two downsides to using a framework (in general):
The framework dictates the overall structure and mechanics of your CSS code. Now, I'm not talking about a CSS reset (these are useful in their own right, but they are not true frameworks); I'm talking about an honest to good framework, that has already made the decisions about what semantic tags you are going to be using in your document, etc. As such, you are made dependent on the framework, and when there is a bug in the framework, you will most commonly have to fix it yourself.
Frameworks are not an excuse for being oblivious to cross-browser/advanced CSS issues. You will invariably run into them, just as you would working with a PHP or JavaScript framework. And you need to know how to deal with them. There is a common saying that you should write your own framework first, before using someone else's.
Taking a quick peek at Blueprint, I would not really call it a framework; maybe a reset with a few extra goodies on top.
I've looked at BluePrint and a few others and the only CSS 'framework' I'd recommend is YUI Grids
Pros:
Written by one of the best frontend engineers out there (IMO) (Nate Koechley)
Very small. 4KB
Very flexible (1000 different layouts)
Supports fluid-width (100%) layouts as well as preset fixed-width layouts at 750px, 950px, and 974px, and the ability to easily customize to any number.
Supports easy customization of the width for fixed-width layouts.
Template columns are source-order independent, so you can put your most important content first in the markup layer for improved accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO).
Self-clearing footer. No matter which column is longer, the footer stays at the bottom.
Layouts less than 100% are automatically centered.
Somewhat semantic classnames (better than top, left, right, etc)
Cons:
Lots of extra markup compared to hand-written HTML and CSS
Takes some learning to figure out how to do complex layouts
As other have posted, there are no real 'frameworks' for CSS. Reset stylesheets help a lot with layout too. I usually stick with a reset stylesheet and go from there. But if you don't have a lot of CSS experience YUI Grids could save you some time.
Compass is an actual CSS framework in the sense that it gives you not only templates (both YUI and blueprint), but also reusable constructs and higher-level declarations while still giving you familiar CSS syntax.
Take the time to study and understand (really understand!) a few css frameworks such as BluePrint and YUI, and css resets like Eric Meyer's. Then, take the time to put together your own reset and/or framework based on your work methods and the kind of sites you build.
Personally, I use most of the Eric Meyer reset with some classes and resets of my own, plus a few ideas from BluePrint and YUI.
I recently watched Eric Meyer give a presentation on CSS Frameworks in which he asked the question: "so which one is the right one for me?" He then answered the question by showing a blank slide. His point was, that there are certainly some useful concepts built into most resets and frameworks, but the one that will suit you the best is the one that you write for yourself (it's worth the effort).
Why use css 'frameworks'?
If you are pressured for time.
If you do not know css, and don't
know someone who can write it for
you.
If you are not overly precious about
standards etc.
I know programmers who have been really happy to use blueprint or 960, as it allows them to put together a layout on their own, without turning to a front-end developer. This is ideal for personal projects, or startups with limited resources.
If you have decent knowledge of CSS already, then presumably you have a decent library of stock layouts already, so you clearly won't need a framework.
However, if you're a beginner and just need to get something up and running, then you might turn to a framework, as it makes basic layout much simpler, and tackling browser compatibility also.
Having said all that, many frameworks out of the box do make use of some horrible class names etc. I know of some websites that have taken a framework as a starting point and then customised it with their own class and id tags. But clearly there's a bit of work involved in that rewrite too. Using something like Compass, as mentioned above, does help to get around that.
So, CSS frameworks - they can save you time, at the cost of semantics. They might also hurt your knowledge of CSS, but that is more up to how much you invest in learning the subject in general. Whether you make use of them is up to you.
You'd have to ask yourself how effective the available frameworks are at solving your problems. Do they meet your requirements?
By using a framework, you can set some rules or details at the pixel level and devote the rest of your time to implementing and producing. It's a massive productivity boost. If you find yourself spending time adjusting things by a few pixels late in the project (micro managing the design), it's a sign that a framework can be useful.
Tip #17 in The Pragmatic Programmer says: "Program close to the problem domain". Using a layer of abstraction can get you closer to solving the real problems of layout. For example: you might be able to concentrate of enhancing the user experience with the extra time you have rather than minor adjustments of pixels.
This is not to say you must sacrifice quality for quantity. It's about efficiency.
On a recent project, I made my own framework because we had very limited resources and the popular frameworks didn't do what I wanted. Then, I set up the design team's PSDs to snap to the same grid I deployed.
A framework doesn't have to be any particular implementation of CSS. It doesn't have to be something bloated you downloaded from the interweb or something implementing outdated ideas. It's just a technique for getting a job done. I wouldn't be surprised if some coders already have their own frameworks and don't even know it. In fact, if you consider the DOM as a set of default elements you extend with CSS, then that's a framework by definition.
I actually spent a good portion of the last 24 hours investigating this on my own, heh. My conclusion was that a nice reset (I used YUI Reset), and maybe something else to set baseline stuff (YUI fonts was worthwhile in my case; maybe the "extra goodies" of BluePrint would be in yours) is a good idea. But, a "framework"---which is generally something like YUI grids---is too restrictive, forcing you to use their class names, ids, etc. and rarely fitting into your site like hand-made CSS would.
So in short: resets seem pretty nice; it's good to eliminate all the variation in e.g. margin-vs-padding for lists, or paragraph spacing, or whatever. But that's as far as I would take it.
i haven't used it yes, but i think emastic may be a good alternative worth a check. it it is similar to blueprint in scope, but also supports elastic layouts (hence the name) and you can specify values in px, em or %, and even mix them.
Compass I think is amazing. Make sure you see the screencast.
I am using 960.gs for a few websites and find it very simple and easy and worth the effort. Saves me a lot of work on layout. Make sure to check the custom CSS generator which goes away with the fixed width of 960 pixels.
I think that this video presentation by Site Point CEO Kevin Yank will answer your question. I really recommend to watch it.
Compass lets you rename your framework's classes and ids with your own semantic names, so you might want to check it out. It also provides access to stuff you just don't get with plain-vanilla CSS such as mixins.
I'm astounded by so-called "CSS experts" who criticize these tools without really having digged in and used them. Are they essential? No. If you like your own framework (you do have one of your own, right? A CSS framework is just a carefully defined library--everyone should be using one) then by all means, keep on using it. No one is forcing you to use other frameworks and I don't see people who are using frameworks telling CSS purists that they are "doing it wrong."
Criticizing frameworks from such a standpoint just reveals an insecurity as well as an ignorance. For example, the notion is laughable that a person would use a tool like Compass without knowing CSS. You realize, right, that a framework generally doesn't write all your CSS for you? You can still break out and write your own CSS within the context of most frameworks. In fact, if you don't know CSS you might get frustrated quickly.
For myself, I appreciate having a framework because it is already documented, tested by hundreds of other users, and I can apply my own classes and ids via Compass. If I need something that the framework isn't suitable for, then I'll code my own.
Matt Raible of AppFuse fame had a CSS Framework contest a while back to develop CSS Frameworks for AppFuse. The results are published here. There are a few variations and I have used some myself because I use AppFuse and find them very good.
I should add that these CSS Frameworks work well because they are used in themed applications. That is, if you stick to the rules then switching from one to the next is as simple as changing one value in a properties file.
I have used BluePrint with much success on a site (I could mention the site here but I am sure the post would be marked as spam!). I am not sure if I will use it in the future though because one of the ideas of CSS i thought was to not have layout logic hard coded. You shouldn't have css elements called span-24 and span-12 to define the layout but something like searchBox and mainContent. At least thats how I see it.
Good link I found : Top 12 CSS Frameworks and How to Understand Them
Here is my blog post about CSS Frameworks When to use CSS framework?
The only way I know of to use a CSS framework and retain semantic markup is to use a higher-level abstraction. At the moment, Compass is the only one I'm aware of that's mature enough to use, but Nicole Sullivan seems to be doing some interesting stuff with her "Object-Oriented CSS" project.
I find Compass' clever use of Sass mixins to be brilliant, and a big step toward the Holy Grail of maintainable semantic markup. I don't think I'd want to use a framework like Blueprint or YUI without an abstraction such as Compass to keep presentation classes out of the markup.
BTW, there's a nice-looking CSS framework called Elastic that looks good enough that I'm considering adding it to Compass.
I believe CSS is about simplicity. The goal is to have one or two places to check when you're referencing between the HTML and your stylesheet. Adding more lines, and especially lines that you did not write and are probably not that familiar with, will exponentially increase the complexity thereby volatility of the CSS code.
I would suggest your layouts as you write them and develop a generic template system from that. While I love making CSS more modular, often and depending on the design, your CSS may be very case-specific and not modular at all.
I've used Blueprint on a few one-off sites and it definitely saved time, primarily in cross-browser testing.
It definitely sucks adding presentation code to your markup, although on the bright side it's readable. While I love the concept of "you can redesign without touching the markup", if you're producing a site where that really isn't going to happen anyways and you just need it done yesterday, Blueprint is something to look at.
There are also tradeoffs in what types of layouts it can feasibly create though. If you wireframe the site from the start on a strict grid, it will be much easier to transpose into the framework with a minimum of fuss.
I have used BluePrint and YUI but I always get frustrated with some of the names they give their id and classes.
To each their own, but I prefer doing things from scratch, but after a while you develop a process in which you will use your previous work and apply it to new projects and just make some tweaks to make the web site look the way you would like it to.
Be sure to use a good naming convention, just in case someone else down the road comes in to edit the css, then they will have a good idea what each style name is referring to.
Craig,
Compass is what you're looking for: it allows you to rename your Blueprint CSS classes like "span-24" with your own names. It also expands CSS functionality with variables and mixins. Truly, those that prematurely judge frameworks without having checked out Compass are "missing the point." It's sort of like those folks who told us years ago that we are missing the point by using CSS instead of HTML tables for our layouts.
-Matt
check out http://www.ez-css.org/. one of easiest and lightest css framework to work on. :)
Take a look to this demo:
http://www.richstyle.org/demo-web.php
This framework is based on idea that "HTML tags should be enough".
I think re-usability is the most important factor for choosing a software component, including a web framework.
For web frameworks developers, the more you commit to standards, the more you guarantee re-usability.