I was wondering if there are any kind of CSS libraries like a Yahoo CSS Library?
Basically I am looking for something akin to JQuery but for CSS instead of JavaScript.
its not a library in the normal meaning.its like some files (templates) that have best practices so i dont need to reinvite the wheel.
Karim
2009-12-20 21:41:36
You need design education, not a library.
Azeem.Butt
2009-12-20 21:43:17
well i will give an example using jquery,if u read tons of javascript books, u still wont be able to write javascript efficiently as you will if you use jquery library. of course you can then write your own library but this will take much more time then using what is already written and probably will be inferior to to what is written by dedicated people.
Karim
2009-12-20 22:18:37
+3
A:
There's really not that much of a reason for a CSS library / framework (in one's opinion) as everything you'd be doing is specific to your application's style (Cascasing Style Sheets).
However, there is something I use alot (or the designers I work with), made by Eric Meyer called reset which is a nice tool (as it homongenizes the styles to be almost the same in all browsers), however it does force a rule upon every element on the page (which can slow stuff down sometimes). Here's the link - http://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/css/reset/
Dan Beam
2009-12-20 21:37:16
yes, there's a rule on every element, so every reflow or repaint that the browser does when an element changes must consider these rules in one more spot. also, you often munge the default values set by this stylesheet with your own variables (closer in the value inheritance chain), and this is slightly wasteful every time you change an element / transmit this over the network. see what I mean?
Dan Beam
2009-12-20 23:22:27
http://www.stubbornella.org/content/2009/03/27/reflows-repaints-css-performance-making-your-javascript-slow/#low he agrees
Dan Beam
2009-12-20 23:27:40
+1
A:
I think Blueprint is the nearest you’ll get to a CSS library, outside of the YUI stuff.
There are also standalone grid systems that make laying out your page easier, e.g. 960.gs
Because CSS isn’t a programming language, there isn’t really much scope for abstracting out common tasks. It’s very difficult to really isolate one style from another.
What I have found useful is looking at the CSS in CSS frameworks like Blueprint, to see what they do, and how they do it. Then do a slimmed down version of that for whatever site I’m working on.
Paul D. Waite
2009-12-20 21:41:42
A:
Using a CSS framework will only truly help if your mindset and needs align with those of the framework creator.
Personally, I think that something like SASS which allows you to generate whatever style of CSS you want, with nifty features such as variables for storing colors consistently, is the best thing to use for larger projects.
Chris Papadopoulos
2009-12-20 21:46:40
yeah i agree that i can use it if my needs agree with those of the framework creator. but basicaly i want to see the code so i can learn how to create mine :)
Karim
2009-12-20 22:24:53
A:
There are not really CSS frameworks. It's just a buzzword. A better name is "themes" or "look'n'feel".
jQuery has also several themes in its UI library and you can even roll your own.
BalusC
2009-12-20 21:51:07
A:
To not reinvent the wheel, I would recommend the book Pro CSS and HTML Design Patterns.
jbochi
2009-12-20 22:10:35