CSS frameworks have been around for a while, and include
popular frameworks such as Blueprint, 960GS, and YUI. CSS Frameworks are a great way to ensure cross-browser
compatibility while working within a clearly defined standard – both of which
are extremely valuable in modern web development.
Cross-Browser Compatibility
Most of the popular CSS frameworks are cross-browser
compatible, meaning that if the developer follows the style guides defined in
the framework, the resulting website should look the same in every browser.
Some CSS frameworks utilize a reset style sheet to accomplish this, while others simply code
toward each given browser to ensure proper compatibility. Every browser has pre-defined values
for given HTML elements. For
example, Internet Explorer may set the body’s default line height to 1.0em,
whereas Firefox may set it to 1.1em.
A reset style sheet sets all the default values for every element to the
same, thus creating a blank slate for the framework to work from.
Well-defined
Standards & Constructs
A good CSS framework provides well-defined standards and
constructs. Blueprint, for
example, provides a nice grid system that one can utilize simply by setting the
proper classes. So, setting the
classes “column span-36 last” will ensure that the element you’re styling will
span 36 columns and then will clear so preceding elements fall underneath it.
Constructs such as these provide for faster development and
also help the developer to design more maintainable interfaces.
Tableless Web Design
Every modern CSS framework provides the proper constructs so
that the every day developer no longer needs to utilize tables to create
complex & beautiful web designs.
Tables are VERY slow for the browser to render and should
really only be used to render tabular data. Divs are much faster for the browser to render, more
flexible, and just as easy to use as a table with a CSS framework.
Conclusion
When developing software, it’s always a good idea to not
re-invent the wheel. Frameworks
provide a good, well-tested set of rules and functionality that a developer can
code against, thus resulting in better software developed in a shorter amount
of time.
CSS frameworks are no different. They provide a developer with a solid base, a rich set of
tools, and allow you to lay out your design with confidence that it will be cross-browser
compliant, fast, and maintainable.