diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'content/blog/2019-01-07-useful-css.org')
| -rw-r--r-- | content/blog/2019-01-07-useful-css.org | 111 |
1 files changed, 50 insertions, 61 deletions
diff --git a/content/blog/2019-01-07-useful-css.org b/content/blog/2019-01-07-useful-css.org index d0f79f8..eee3cd3 100644 --- a/content/blog/2019-01-07-useful-css.org +++ b/content/blog/2019-01-07-useful-css.org @@ -5,35 +5,31 @@ * Introduction to CSS -[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSS][CSS]], the language used to markup -HTML code and make it "pretty", is one of the most effective ways to -increase the attractiveness of a website. It can also lead to increased -user engagement, retention, and satisfaction. In fact, there are whole -career fields are dedicated to the improvement of user experiences, +[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSS][CSS]], the language used to markup HTML code and make it "pretty", is one of the +most effective ways to increase the attractiveness of a website. It can also +lead to increased user engagement, retention, and satisfaction. In fact, there +are whole career fields are dedicated to the improvement of user experiences, known as UI design and UX design. -Some web developers are used to the common CSS properties, such as -element sizing, fonts, colors, etc., but are not as well versed in -less-used properties and values such as =flexbox=, =clip-path=, and -=transform=. This article will provide some insight into the less-used -and unique CSS properties. +Some web developers are used to the common CSS properties, such as element +sizing, fonts, colors, etc., but are not as well versed in less-used properties +and values such as =flexbox=, =clip-path=, and =transform=. This article will +provide some insight into the less-used and unique CSS properties. * CSS Variables -The first topic today is CSS variables. Variables are not often used by -smaller developers. CSS variables allow you to give your website a -well-defined structure, where you can easily reuse CSS properties -throughout the project. +The first topic today is CSS variables. Variables are not often used by smaller +developers. CSS variables allow you to give your website a well-defined +structure, where you can easily reuse CSS properties throughout the project. -You can use variables to define things, such as color palettes. Then, -you can use these colors for backgrounds anywhere else in the HTML. This -could be extended, where extra variables could be defined for -=primary-text=, =quoted-text=, etc. Variables can also be used to define -spacing (e.g. =32px= or =2rem=), which can then be applied to margins, -padding, font sizes, and more. +You can use variables to define things, such as color palettes. Then, you can +use these colors for backgrounds anywhere else in the HTML. This could be +extended, where extra variables could be defined for =primary-text=, +=quoted-text=, etc. Variables can also be used to define spacing (e.g. =32px= or +=2rem=), which can then be applied to margins, padding, font sizes, and more. -For example, here are some variables defined at the root of the website, -which allows for any subsequent CSS rules to use those variables: +For example, here are some variables defined at the root of the website, which +allows for any subsequent CSS rules to use those variables: #+begin_src css :root { @@ -49,23 +45,21 @@ body { * CSS Box Shadows -Box shadows were once my mortal enemy. No matter how hard I tried, I -just couldn't get them to work how I wanted. Because of this, my -favorite discovery has been CSSMatic's -[[https://www.cssmatic.com/box-shadow][box shadow generator]]. It -provides an excellent tool to generate box shadows using their simple -sliders. Surprisingly, this is the reason I learned how box shadows -work! You can use the sliders and watch how the CSS code changes in the -image that is displayed. Through this, you should understand that the -basic structure for box shadows is: +Box shadows were once my mortal enemy. No matter how hard I tried, I just +couldn't get them to work how I wanted. Because of this, my favorite discovery +has been CSSMatic's [[https://www.cssmatic.com/box-shadow][box shadow generator]]. It provides an excellent tool to +generate box shadows using their simple sliders. Surprisingly, this is the +reason I learned how box shadows work! You can use the sliders and watch how the +CSS code changes in the image that is displayed. Through this, you should +understand that the basic structure for box shadows is: #+begin_src css box-shadow: inset horizontal vertical blur spread color; #+end_src -Now, let's look at some basic examples! You can copy and paste the -following code into a site like CodePen or your own HTML files. Feel -free to play around with the code, experiment, and learn. +Now, let's look at some basic examples! You can copy and paste the following +code into a site like CodePen or your own HTML files. Feel free to play around +with the code, experiment, and learn. *Box Shadow #1* @@ -121,22 +115,20 @@ free to play around with the code, experiment, and learn. } #+end_src -Try these box shadows out on your own and see how changing each shadow -value works. +Try these box shadows out on your own and see how changing each shadow value +works. * CSS Flexbox -Now, let's move on to the best part of this article: flexbox. The -flexbox is by far my favorite new toy. I originally stumbled across this -solution after looking for more efficient ways of centering content -horizontally AND vertically. I had used a few hack-ish methods before, -but flexbox throws those out the window. The best part of it all is that -flexbox is /dead simple/. +Now, let's move on to the best part of this article: flexbox. The flexbox is by +far my favorite new toy. I originally stumbled across this solution after +looking for more efficient ways of centering content horizontally AND +vertically. I had used a few hack-ish methods before, but flexbox throws those +out the window. The best part of it all is that flexbox is /dead simple/. -Flexbox pertains to the parent div of any element. You want the parent -to be the flexbox in which items are arranged to use the flex methods. -It's easier to see this in action that explained, so let's see an -example. +Flexbox pertains to the parent div of any element. You want the parent to be the +flexbox in which items are arranged to use the flex methods. It's easier to see +this in action that explained, so let's see an example. *Flexbox* @@ -171,24 +163,21 @@ example. } #+end_src -You may notice that we no longer need to use the =top= property for the -=h3= elements in our code. This is because we set the display box to be -a flex container for the small boxes, AND we made the small boxes flex -containers for their elements (the h3 tags). Flex boxes can be nested -like this to center content that is inside centered content. +You may notice that we no longer need to use the =top= property for the =h3= +elements in our code. This is because we set the display box to be a flex +container for the small boxes, AND we made the small boxes flex containers for +their elements (the h3 tags). Flex boxes can be nested like this to center +content that is inside centered content. -For the example above, we designated the =justify-content= property to -be =flex-start= so that the boxes stack from the left side of the -screen. This property can be changed to =center= to make the boxes -appear in the center of the screen. +For the example above, we designated the =justify-content= property to be +=flex-start= so that the boxes stack from the left side of the screen. This +property can be changed to =center= to make the boxes appear in the center of +the screen. -For an interactive example, -[[https://codepen.io/LandonSchropp/pen/KpzzGo][check out this CodePen]] -from [[https://codepen.io/LandonSchropp/][LandonScropp]]. Resize the +For an interactive example, [[https://codepen.io/LandonSchropp/pen/KpzzGo][check out this CodePen]] from [[https://codepen.io/LandonSchropp/][LandonScropp]]. Resize the window with dice to see how they collapse and re-align. * Even More CSS -For more inspiration, you can visit [[https://www.codepen.io][CodePen]], -[[https://dribbble.com][Dribbble]], or [[https://uimovement.com][UI -Movement]] to browse the collections of many amazing web designers. +For more inspiration, you can visit [[https://www.codepen.io][CodePen]], [[https://dribbble.com][Dribbble]], or [[https://uimovement.com][UI Movement]] to browse +the collections of many amazing web designers. |