Bootstrap - A CSS Framework
“ Before being an open-source framework, Bootstrap was called Twitter Blueprint. ”
This is a series of two articles, in this article I will give an overview of Bootstrap and how to set it up and in the next article I will talk about the Bootstrap templates.
Introduction
Bootstrap is a free and open-source web development framework. It’s designed to ease the web development process of responsive, mobile-first websites by providing a collection of syntax for template designs. In other words, Bootstrap helps web developers build websites faster as they don’t need to worry about basic commands and functions. It consists of HTML, CSS, and JS-based scripts for various web design-related functions and components.
Bootstrap in web development has become popular because it helps developers to create responsive websites without spending much time and effort. The Bootstrap framework is based on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Bootstrap provides a set of reusable components, such as buttons, forms, navigation bars, and modals, that can be easily integrated into web applications. These components are designed to be responsive, meaning that they adjust to different screen sizes and device types, such as mobile phones, tablets, and desktops.
Bootstrap also includes a grid system that makes it easy to create responsive layouts for web pages. The grid system is based on a 12-column layout, and developers can use classes to specify how many columns each element should span.
Advantages of Bootstrap
- Easy to learn and use
When learning Bootstrap, you are playing by the rules set by other developers. You have to follow certain conventions and that makes learning Bootstrap a breeze.
Anyone can use Bootstrap for web development, irrespective of their level of expertise with CSS/HTML or JavaScript.
- It comes with a strong grid system
Bootstrap’s grid system is one of the most important aspects of the framework, as it provides a strong foundation to build your website. The grid system is responsive, meaning it adjusts itself to fit different screen sizes and devices.
It also makes use of various CSS classes, and this is helpful to further customize the website’s layout.
- It saves time
When you use Bootstrap in your web development projects, you’re not creating a website from scratch. Instead, you are starting with a framework that contains all the basic elements needed for any type of website (navigation menus, modal windows, etc.).
It makes it much faster to build websites by limiting the amount of time spent on tasks like styling buttons or adding input fields for forms.
- It has a huge community
Bootstrap has a strong community behind it that continues to grow as more designers and developers use the framework for their projects. Due to its growing community, you have thousands of tutorials and articles to learn from.
The Bootstrap community is also supportive, which means if you get stuck with something or have a question, other developers will be able to help you out.
- It’s customizable
Bootstrap is easily customizable. You can adjust it to meet your needs and use it to create a unique website that looks great on any device, regardless of screen size or resolution.
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- It’s mobile-first
The most important thing about Bootstrap is that it’s mobile-first, which means that the design is optimized for mobile devices. Mobile first means that you start with the smallest screen and work your way up from there.
Downloading the Bootstrap
There are mainly two ways to start using Bootstrap on your web development projects:
- Download Bootstrap from getbootstrap.com – If you want to download and host Bootstrap on your server, you can go to getbootstrap.com, follow the instructions and download Bootstrap.
- Include Bootstrap from a CDN – If you don’t want to download and host Bootstrap, you can include it from a CDN (content delivery network). For Bootstrap, StackPath (previously MaxCDN) is one of the most popular CDNs currently in use.
Note:
Bootstrap is a front-end web development framework, which means that it provides a set of tools that can be used to create web pages.
Bootstrap doesn’t create the page layout itself. Rather, it provides an HTML structure and CSS styles that can be applied to a blank page, or one created using other tools/frameworks.
Conclusion
Bootstrap is a great tool for web developers who want to quickly design responsive and visually appealing websites. Its robust framework, large library of pre-built components, and dynamic grid system make it an excellent choice for both novices and seasoned professionals. Developers can use Bootstrap to improve their workflow, save time and effort, and offer excellent user experiences across a wide range of devices and screen sizes. I hope you enjoyed reading this article, in my next article I will introduce you to Bootstrap Templates.
References
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article-bootstrap-kabilan-m/
https://in.godaddy.com/blog/impact-of-bootstrap-in-web-development/
https://www.hostinger.in/tutorials/what-is-bootstrap/#3_Primary_Files_of_Bootstrap
By Charan Mokra & Kevin Vincent