is a free and open source web development framework. It is designed to ease the process of developing responsive and mobile-oriented websites by providing a collection of syntax for template layouts.
In other words, Bootstrap helps developers get started faster, since they don’t have to worry about basic commands and functions. It consists of scripts based on , and JS for various functions and components related to web design.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the benefits of using Bootstrap and explain the different file types it uses. In the end, you will know if Bootstrap can benefit your workflow.
Basic Bootstrap Functions
The main goal of Bootstrap is to create responsive and mobile-friendly websites. The framework ensures that all interface elements of a website work optimally on all screen sizes.
Bootstrap is available in two variants: precompiled and source-based. Experienced developers prefer the latter as it allows them to customize the styles to suit their projects.
For example, the “source code” version of Bootstrap allows access to the Sass port. This means that it creates a custom style sheet that Bootstrap imports, allowing you to modify and extend the tool to suit your needs.
You can also install Bootstrap with a package manager, a tool that manages and updates frameworks, libraries, and assets.
Some of the more popular package managers are npm, Composer, and Bower. Npm handles server-side dependencies, while Composer focuses on the front-end. If you work on PHP-based projects, consider using Bower instead.
Due to its popularity, more and more Bootstrap communities are springing up. These are great places for web developers and designers to share knowledge and discuss the latest versions of Bootstrap patches.
Why should you use Bootstrap?
Some of Bootstrap’s interface components include navigation bars, grid systems, image carousels, and buttons.
If you’re still not convinced if Bootstrap is worth trying, here are the advantages of using it compared to other web development frameworks.
Easy to use
First of all, Bootstrap is easy to learn. Due to its popularity, there are plenty of tutorials and forums online to help you get started.
One of the reasons Bootstrap is so popular with web developers and designers is that it has a simple file structure. Its files are compiled for easy access and only basic knowledge of HTML, CSS and JS is required to modify them.
You can also use the topics of the most popular content management systems as learning tools. For example, most WordPress themes have been developed with Bootstrap, which can be accessed by any beginning web developer.
To reduce site page load time, Bootstrap minifies CSS and JavaScript files. Additionally, Bootstrap maintains syntax consistency between websites and developers, which is ideal for team projects.
responsive grid
Bootstrap comes with a predefined grid system, saving you from creating one from scratch. The grid system consists of rows and columns, which allows you to create a grid within the existing one instead of inserting media queries in the CSS file.
Additionally, Bootstrap’s grid system makes the data entry process easier. It contains many media queries, which allows you to define custom breakpoints for each column based on the needs of your web project.
The default settings are usually more than enough. After creating a grid, you just have to add content to the containers.
Bootstrap’s grid system has two classes of containers to best suit desktop and mobile projects: a fixed container (.container) and a fluid container (.container-fluid).
The first container class provides a fixed-width container, while the second class provides a full-width container capable of fitting your project to all screen sizes.
Browser Compatibility
Making your website accessible across different browsers helps reduce your bounce rate and rank higher in search results. Bootstrap meets this requirement by being compatible with the latest versions of the most popular browsers.
Despite not being compatible with lesser known browsers like , Bootstrap websites should work fine in them as well. However, there may be limitations to modals and dropdowns on smaller screens.
Bootstrap Image System
Bootstrap manages image display and responsiveness with its predefined HTML and CSS rules.
By adding the class .img-responsive, images will be automatically resized based on the users screen size. This will benefit the performance of your website, as image size reduction is part of the site optimization process.
Bootstrap also provides additional classes like .img-circle Y .img-roundedwhich help modify the shape of images.
Bootstrap Documentation
Bootstrap provides documentation for developers who want to learn the framework for the first time. Here are several topics you can find on the :
- Contents: covers precompiled Bootstrap source code.
- Browsers and devices: Lists all supported web and mobile browsers and mobile-based components.
- javascript: Breaks down various JS plugins built on top of jQuery.
- Theming: Explains built-in Sass variables for easy customization.
- Tools: Teaches you how to use Bootstrap npm scripts for various actions.
- Accessibility– Covers Bootstrap’s features and limitations regarding structural markup, components, color contrast, content visibility, and transition effects.
The documentation also includes code samples for the basic practices. You can even copy and modify the code examples for your projects, saving time from having to code from scratch.
Why not use Bootstrap
Despite its advantages, Bootstrap has certain limitations that make it unsuitable for certain types of projects.
Since Bootstrap has a consistent visual style, it needs strong customization and style substitution to make one project different from another. Otherwise, all websites built with this framework will have the same navigation, structure, and layout components, giving them an unprofessional look.
Having a large number of functions means that the files are large. Using Bootstrap in your project can slow down your website load time and overload your server. To avoid this problem, make sure to add only the classes you need and use the minified version of the files.
Although Bootstrap is compatible with the latest version of most popular browsers, the same is not true for older versions. This means that the appearance of your website will depend entirely on the willingness of users to update their browsers.
Another drawback is that Bootstrap styles are relatively bulky. This can result in unnecessary HTML output, which wastes central processing unit resources.
Although easy to use, Bootstrap does have a bit of a learning curve at first. It takes time to learn the available classes and components, which can be difficult for a non-technical person.
3 Primary Bootstrap Files
Bootstrap consists of a collection of syntax compiled into three main files: Bootstrap.css, Bootstrap.js Y glyphicons. Note that Bootstrap requires a JS library called jQuery to run plugins and JS components.
These are the three main framework files that manage the user interface and functionality of a website.
Bootstrap.css
Bootstrap.css is a CSS framework that organizes and manages the layout of a website. While HTML manages the content and structure of a web page, CSS deals with the design of the site. For that reason, both structures must coexist to perform a particular action.
Bootstrap.css and its features allow the developer to create a uniform look and feel across as many web pages as desired. So you won’t have to spend hours on manual editing.
Instead of programming from scratch, all you have to do is refer a web page to the CSS file. Any necessary alterations can be made to that single file.
CSS features are not just limited to text styles, as they can be used to format other aspects of the web page, such as tables and image layouts.
Since CSS has a lot of declarations and selectors, memorizing them all can take some time. You can see our to facilitate the learning process.
Bootstrap.js
This file is the main part of Bootstrap. It consists of files that are responsible for the interactivity of the website.
To save time writing JavaScript syntax many times, developers tend to use jQuery, a popular open source cross-platform JavaScript library.
Here are some examples of what jQuery can do:
- Perform requests, such as subtracting data from another location dynamically.
- Create widgets using a collection of JavaScript plugins.
- Create custom animations using CSS properties.
- Add dynamism to website content.
While a Bootstrap with CSS properties and HTML elements can work fine, you need jQuery to create a responsive layout. Otherwise you can just use the static parts of CSS.
Therefore, every software engineer should learn about , as it is an essential part of web development.
glyphicons
Icons are an integral part of a website’s frontend, as they often display actions and data within the user interface.
Bootstrap uses icons called Glyphicons, which include the . Although the design is basic, they fulfill their essential functions and their use is free.
If you want to find fancier icons, sell various premium sets for specific niche websites.
You can also download individual, theme-specific icons for free from various websites like , and .
To change the size of the Glyphicons, it is necessary to override the default style with the CSS font-size property.
How to use Bootstrap
To get a better idea of what bootstrap is and how to use it, take a look at the following example.
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