CSS
CSS Frameworks Every Web Developers Should Know
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Introduction
Creating good and responsive websites from the ground up can take a while. CSS frameworks allow it to be done much faster and provide templates for styles and positioning. In this guide, we will go through the most popular CSS frameworks that can save you hours of work. We will explain what they are, what is the best suited for and provide you with easy to follow examples to demonstrate their application.
What Are CSS Frameworks?
CSS frameworks are ready packets of CSS components, layouts and styles, enabling a developer to create pages practically from cut-and-paste of small chunks. Due to these frameworks, it is now easy to develop and maintain some of the websites which consist of complicated enterprise applications to the simplest individual websites which are friendly on all devices. Here are the best CSS frameworks that you should know in the year 2024.
1. Bootstrap
Bootstrap has remained one of the most loved CSS frameworks in web development, mainly for its responsive design feature.
Why Developers Love It: Bootstrap with their responsive grid and components are great to get quick mobile ready sites online. All styled, it features buttons, navbars, forms, and modals.
Example: Here is is a basic Bootstrap example of how a layout may look:
<div class="container">
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-6">Column 1</div>
<div class="col-md-6">Column 2</div>
</div>
</div>
This layout intelligently overlays on other small interfaces, which is remarkably mobile-friendly without much code.
2. Foundation
Foundation from ZURB is one of the most popular and flexible CSS frames suitable for creating big sites with complex layouts.
- Why Developers Love It: Customization aspects of Foundation include building blocks, Accessible components and highly flexible themes
- Example: Below is an easy Foundation button:
<button class="button large">Click Me</button>
This button is prebuilt for multiple size screen widths and is highly recommended for mobile first design.
3. Tailwind CSS
Tailwind CSS is the only known "utility-first" CSS framework that provides you with flexibility while designing through its unique use of utility-based classes.
- Why Developers Love It: The user interface of Tailwind is very fluid and can look and feel like you want it to; thus, if you want absolute control over any graphic design, it’s the best.
- Example: This is how you style a button with Tailwind:
<button class="bg-blue-500 text-white py-2 px-4 rounded hover:bg-blue-600"> Custom Button</button>
The utility classes of Tailwind provide an opportunity to build distinctive, responsive styles without additional CSS.
4. Bulma
Bulma is a CSS framework to develop beautiful and responsive website. it has been designed exclusively using flexbox.
- Why Developers Love It: Bulma is easy to use, flexible, needs no JavaScript and is perfect for beginners.
- Example: This example below uses Bulma’s columns to create a responsive layout:
<div class="columns"> <div class="column">Column 1</div> <div class="column">Column 2</div> <div class="column">Column 3</div></div>
Columns add or reduce in height correspondingly, it is excellent when the design is clean and not cluttered.
5. Semantic UI
This means that Semantic UI comes with natural language class names, these make it easier for a beginner to read.
Why Developers Love It: Since the framework uses mostly basic English words for its class such as ui button it is quite easy to remember and use, and it has thousands of ready made UI elements that makes it possible to use it in virtually any project.
Example: Here is a simple example of the Semantic UI card type of layout:
<div class="ui card">
<div class="content">
<div class="header">Title</div>
<div class="description">Card description goes here.</div>
</div>
</div> As you would expect, this is perfect for those who crave clean and easy to understand code.
6. Materialize CSS
Materialize is designed against Google’s Material Design and is great for building clean sites with the current trend.
Why Developers Love It: Materialize includes nice features like sliding and transitioning, as well as an extensive collection of Material Design components.
Example: A simple Materialize button:
<button class="btn waves-effect waves-light" type="submit">
Submit
</button>
The button itself has a wave effect when clicked to make the user engagement to be easier.
7. Ant Design
It is specially used for enterprise applications, and is well used by React developers. It’s minimalistic and there are parameters that can be changed throughout the design.
Why Developers Love It: Because of its modularity and suitability to work with complex interfaces, Ant Design is best suited for large-scale applications.
Example: Ant Design button in React:
import { Button } from 'antd';
const App = () => (
<Button type="primary">Ant Design Button</Button>
);
The button is designed to be a primary button, and Ant Design trifles with a consistent colour scheme of the entirety of the project.
8. UIKit
Not sure if UIKit is for you? UIKit is a neat and light weight css-framework, suitable for small projects or custom designs where you don’t need a bunch of styling.
Why Developers Love It: UIKit’s modularity takes only those addendum features that you require, making your project swift.
Example: A simple UIKit card:
<div class="uk-card uk-card-default uk-card-body">
<h3 class="uk-card-title">Title</h3>
<p>Card content goes here.</p>
</div>
This is not the case with the UIKit’s classes since they are just basic and do not clutter the code.
9. Skeleton
Skeleton is a css framework which is best suited for those who want to work on a small project or a prototype. It simply has enough styles to help you to kick start your work.
Why Developers Love It: Easy to learn, rather lightweight, Skeleton is perfect for creating a fast mockup.
Example: Below, there is a basic two-column format:
<div class="row">
<div class="one-half column">Column 1</div>
<div class="one-half column">Column 2</div>
</div>
The layout stacks neatly on small screens, which makes Skeleton a universal, simple framework for minimalistic styling.
10. Pico.css
Pico.css is actually a bare bones framework that only styles your design without complicating it with JavaScript.
Why Developers Love It: Pico.css is the simplest of the options known and is strictly a CSS framework, providing clean lines design.
Example: Here’s a basic form with Pico.css:
<form><label for="email">Email:</label><input type="email" id="email" name="email"></form>
To form elements that are created in HTML, Pico.css provides rather universal styles to make the elements look professional from the start.
How to Choose the Right CSS Framework?
Each CSS framework has its strengths:
For Beginners: Bootstrap and Bulma are easy to learn and the simplicity lies with the former.
For Customization: If we talk about the kind of flexibility, then there can be no better tool than Tailwind CSS.For Enterprise Use: Ant Design and Foundation are more suitable for large projects as they both sitting well in these solutions.
Conclusion
CSS frameworks make web design easier and more efficient as practicing developers work through the multiple designs. These frameworks are perfect for both an indie, who just wants to have one project and find something easy to begin with, and a professional developer, who creates an application with lots of features, but wants to look professional and invest less time in design.
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