Bootstrap
Before Bootstrap. At the beginning of the internet and web development, building websites were a time consuming and focus driven work. It takes up a lot of effort. A developer writing multiple codes starting from scratch increases the chances of possible mistakes. These can be hidden in the code that could potentially lead to future losses such as time, effort, and money.
But as the internet developed, more and more frameworks that lessen the burden of developers are made. One such example is Bootstrap that has risen in popularity in the developer community since its beginning in 2011.
The Blueprint
Back then, Bootstrap was still using the name Twitter Blueprint, since the idea first came at Twitter. It all started when developer Mark Otto and Jacob Thornton got together with other developers to create a library of internal tools for web design.
Their main reason for developing this framework is to promote consistency and reduce the maintenance burden in using different libraries in website interfaces. Eventually, other users also saw the potential in their work. They began adding their work to make the library bigger. Right now, Bootstrap is still managed by the main developer’s Otto and Thornton, and other main contributors in the community.
According to its website, Bootstrap is a free and open-source toolkit. It’s for those who want to create applications or web designs on the internet. It uses the Cascading Style Sheets language or the CSS framework.
Bootstrap is highly recommended for its ease of use in providing its users with what they need while working on a project. Its framework automatically adjusts depending on the device that you are using, be they phones, tablets, or desktops. With the use of the jQuery framework, the application also becomes highly compatible with different browsers. These include Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera.
Getting standard
Just download Bootstrap from its main website, and you can immediately start creating your website. Besides creating new sites, Bootstrap also works in re-designing already existing sites on the web. It only needs to integrate itself with the platform and framework of the pre-existing website.
Different templates and examples that are available for use are provided by Bootstrap. The application is user friendly in the sense that its users don’t need good knowledge of HTML and CSS. The layout can be easily customized to what you need and prefer it to be. Since Bootstrap has prepared codes that you can re-use instead of starting from scratch.
These pre-written codes are useful in that it saves time for developers to spend on creating code on the basic parts of the website. The quality and consistency of the code are also assured. This means that developers won’t need to worry about figuring out mistakes they may have possibly made, and fixing it in the meantime.
Easily customizable
In web design, the proper use of images is an important factor to create a professional or chic looking website. This is why developers constantly use image resizing to make sure that the images can come out in high quality, but still take up the minimum time during loading.
Bootstrap has its own prepared code for resizing images, which saves up development time. It also has a grid that can easily be customized by selecting the content you wish. You simply need to put in the areas you need. Bootstrap’s grid is arranged in fixed sizes so that all content can be aligned with each other.
When you are stuck on a problem while doing your code, you can always ask the Bootstrap community for their support. You can also check out their tutorials and demos to get a better understanding of how the app works. News and version updates of Bootstrap are released on their blog which is regularly maintained.
Obstacles
On the other hand, Bootstrap also has its own downsides that lead developers to look for other building frameworks just like Bootstrap.
One obstacle that developers face in using Bootstrap is that their websites will turn out with similar styles as compared to other websites that also used Bootstraps. This problem is the side-effect of the Bootstrap framework being too user friendly and easy to use.
As long as more and more people who have a surface knowledge of HTML and CSS use Bootstrap. The more websites with similar templates will turn out on the internet. This will also mean that it is harder to create a unique looking website using Bootstrap.
However, this problem is offset by the fact that Bootstrap is great for individuals that want to start-up their website. It’s perfect if you lack the resources to hire a web designer. It can serve as a temporary measure until a web designer comes to look at it in the future.
Bootstrap the final word
While Bootstrap is a useful tool in its efficient and easy to use interface, it is still up to the developer’s preference. If they want a website with the basics taken care of by Bootstrap or create their own distinctive one from scratch.
