CSS Frameworks- Why They're Worth Using and Building

Introduction

CSS frameworks are indispensable tools in modern web development. They provide a robust foundation for your projects, enabling you to start quickly and efficiently. Let’s delve into why CSS frameworks are worth using and how you can build your own to suit your needs.

What is a CSS Framework?

A CSS framework is a collection of predefined styles and structures that provide a foundation for web development. Unlike a simple style guide or design framework, which may include UI layers and specific stylings, a CSS framework focuses on providing a solid background structure for your project. This is where tools like Inuit.css come into play.

Why You Need a Framework

If you frequently move from one project to another, you need tools that help you get started quickly. Starting from scratch every time—writing out simple classes for grids or resetting CSS—can be tedious and time-consuming. Many developers resort to copying and pasting from one project to another, which can lead to messy, inefficient code. A framework offers a solid foundation that you can easily customise for each project, ensuring consistency and efficiency.

Give Your Project Structure

As projects progress and deadlines loom, developers often resort to quick fixes. This can result in disorganised code with CSS placed haphazardly to override previous styles. A good framework provides a structured foundation, allowing you to add extra classes to elements that already have the necessary styling. This promotes a more organised and maintainable codebase, enabling you to implement a consistent naming convention and separate stylesheets for new objects.

Make It Your Own

Even if you didn’t build your base framework, you can still extend it to meet your specific needs. Often, you find yourself creating the same objects repeatedly for different projects. By customising and extending your framework, you can turn these objects on or off as needed, making your framework truly your own.

Inuit – An OOCSS Framework

One of our preferred frameworks is Inuit.css by csswizardry. Inuit is an excellent choice for its solid foundation and object-oriented approach. Here are some features of the Inuit and how they benefit us:

Use More Classes and Less CSS

Inuit.css uses the BEM (Block, Element, Modifier) methodology, which can be a bit challenging to grasp at first. However, it’s worth the effort. Unlike many libraries that rely heavily on mixins and extensions, Inuit’s classes are pre-built into object-oriented courses, allowing you to structure your project without writing custom code.

Start with a Good Responsive Grid System

Inuit includes a built-in grid system with responsive breakpoints, allowing you to structure your HTML for all viewports quickly. This reduces development time and ensures your project is responsive from the start.

Have a Custom UI Layer

Inuit doesn’t include a design layer, which we find advantageous. While many frameworks result in sites that look similar, Inuit allows you to apply your branding and design. This flexibility enables you to build unique, client-specific designs on top of a robust foundation.

Use Sass

Sass, a CSS extension language, is integral to Inuit. It speeds up development and helps maintain clean, maintainable code. With variables and mixins, you can quickly adapt the framework to meet your project’s specific design requirements.

Resetting the CSS

Inuit includes normalize.css, a popular CSS reset library that ensures consistent styling across different browsers. You can also customise this by replacing it with your own CSS reset if needed.

The Downside?

The primary downside of a framework is its size. However, this can be managed. For instance, Bootstrap allows you to download a custom build with only the components you need. Similarly, Inuit enables you to turn features on or off, ensuring your project includes only the necessary code.

Conclusion

CSS frameworks are invaluable tools for web development. They provide a solid foundation, save time, and ensure consistency across projects. While you have the ability to start from scratch, using a framework allows you to focus on building the unique, cool features that set your projects apart. Incorporate a framework into your build setup along with tools like grunt files and JavaScript libraries. A well-chosen framework will be a significant asset, helping you deliver high-quality projects efficiently.

If you’ve been relying on ad-hoc CSS solutions, consider investing the time to build a robust framework that can benefit you and others.