iWeb Communities: Blog

Compared to other languages such as php, javascript or python, the CSS standard in itself is very easy to learn. There are few rules to remember, and there is a great deal of freedom given to the person who writes the CSS and who wants to define fonts, colors and layouts of the webpage.

For instance, a code like this would get all of the text green in your webpage:

p { color:green; }

With the rise of web applications and complex management systems like Worpdress though, it’s becoming more difficult to write from scratch a CSS file to customize a website. A web designer now has to think about typography standards, baselines, forms, buttons, page layouts and grids, print and mobile versions plus cross-browser compatibility, which is usually the hardest part of the website’s integration. Luckily, there are now ready-to-use CSS frameworks which does this for you, such as:

• Blueprint
• Yahoo! CSS foundation
• Tripoli
• Hartija

Now, many “CSS experts” spoke publicly against the use of CSS frameworks, with most of the arguments stating that web developers would be “cheating” themselves if they used one. But practically, one can’t deny the fact that the use of CSS frameworks saves precious time and gives a solid foundation to start with. Plus not everyone has to know about all the typographic rules.

I especially advise either Blueprint or the Yahoo! CSS libraries, having used both of them. For instance, Blueprint will take care of typography, columns and layouts, and cross-browser compatibility between Firefox, Internet Explorer 7 and 5.5, Safari for you.

Of course, you should use it only as a starting point. The main css file on your website should look like this:


@import 'lib/reset.css';
@import 'lib/typography.css';
@import 'lib/grid.css';
@import 'lib/forms.css';

It gives you a professional-looking website in a couple of minutes, and you only have to add your custom designs at the end of the file, giving you no excuse not to embrace web standards and try out one of the CSS frameworks quoted above.