I'm an average web developer. Just want to find out if it's advisable to use CSS frameworks such as the 960 framework. if anyone has, what are the pros and cons of using it. thanks.
+6
A:
It depends on what you will use it for. It will probably speed up your css development if you use it, but you will lose a bit of flexibility.
It is actually the same for all of those 'frameworks', not only for css...
If you decide to work with a css framework, I recommend reading this article
Fortega
2009-06-03 11:43:50
Why do you lose flexibility? Is it because each framework uses some pre-defined layout that you build on top of? I'm curious, if this is obvious I apologize in advance. This is something I'm new to, but I'm very interested in.
Joseph
2009-06-03 11:54:42
yup, it is because of that. For example, documents created with the 960 framework mentioned above will always have a width of 960 px.
Fortega
2009-06-03 11:56:23
thanks Fortega...
Gbolahan
2009-06-03 11:56:29
what about the "blueprint framework". is it the same concept as the 960 grid?
Gbolahan
2009-06-03 12:07:22
Yes, it is the same concept... Actually it is just a (number of) .css file(s) which you can use to create your website + an explanation on how to use these css files.
Fortega
2009-06-03 12:31:14
+3
A:
There's two widely adopted options: 960 and blueprint. Both rely on a grid-based layout system. Both include a CSS reset as well.
The advantage here is obviously that you get more a consistent layout across multiple browsers and if you test on Firefox for example you have a better chance that it looks the same on IE. Because these frameworks are grid based, your layout is also a lot cleaner and well-aligned. Both have horizontal alignment but vertical alignment or vertical rhythm is only supported in Blueprint.
The downside is that it may be overkill for your layout. If you want a simple three column layout then you could just go for a CSS reset plus a three column layout template.
Personally I have found that using these frameworks gives me a lot of creative expression and I have done a lot more with my layouts after adopting these frameworks than I ever did before because of cross-browser CSS hackery. I use Blueprint because I find it very intuitive but 960 Grid System has also gotten great reviews.
aleemb
2009-06-03 11:55:28
+2
A:
Yes, as a starting point, provided you're ready to strip out the stuff that's irrelevant to you, and are happy making changes to it. It's a great way to get started on a layout/design, but it's no use if you then write a stylesheet that overrides the rules in the framework's CSS. Be ready to adjust it to suit what you're working on.
As an aside, I quite like bluetrip, which:
combine[s] the best of Blueprint, Tripoli (hence the name), Hartija's print stylesheet, 960.gs's simplicity, and Element's icons
Dominic Rodger
2009-06-03 11:56:12