UI Made Easier for You and I
22 Feb 2024
While there is a learning curve to picking up a UI framework like Bootstrap 5, its value cannot be understated. UI frameworks help payoff in the end by streamlining the creation of a responsive web interface. As with any language being learned, one must invest time to learn before they can reap the rewards.
Blueprints
UI frameworks like Bootstrap provide many tools to help create an aesthetically pleasing functional website by providing commonly used basic components (e.g. navigation bars and dropdown menus) and stylization without compromising on customizability. I’ve appreciated how they provide structure and a basic set up through classes which I can further customize. Such simplification helps make the process take less time by reducing the amount of time that’s needed to build a website from scratch. I look at it kind of like a basic blueprint that I can build off of. The use of predefined classes in Bootstrap simplifies the process of styling and structuring website elements, allowing developers to focus more on the functionality and overall design of the website rather than spending a lot of time writing CSS code from scratch. In addition to this, it helps enable programmers to stick to relatively consistent standards such as matching margins and alignment. Through these frameworks, one can more easily create a website responsive design that is cross-platform compatible. And on top of that, if a developer encounters any issues, typically, commonly used frameworks also have a large community of users so one may be able to find help or other resources needed.
Building Blocks
While UI frameworks like Bootstrap have the ability to streamline the UI creation process, they cannot completely replace coding with raw HTML and CSS. Customizing HTML with CSS offers more precise control over design elements on a webpage because you can change the exact attributes you want and apply it each individual element. These languages prove to be useful tools in any developer’s toolkit when entering the professional scene. Having precise control over design elements can help a developer better optimize and meet the unique design requirements for various projects in addition to helping to give the page more personality and identity. Knowing these languages helps enable developers to grasp the underlying structure of web pages and gain insights into how different design decisions can impact the final product. While UI frameworks like Bootstrap serve as powerful tools for quick prototyping and development, they are most effective when used together with a solid foundation in HTML and CSS. By combining the convenience of frameworks with the power of custom coding, developers have the ability to create highly functional and aesthetically pleasing web experiences that meet the different needs of users and clients.
Final Thoughts
At the beginning, it has been challenging learning so many tools and languages at the same time. However, it has been a lot of fun being able to see the power that some of these tools have. Overall, frameworks like Bootstrap seem to offer a nice balance between efficiency and allowing for further control and customization. Compared to other documentation, I’ve found Bootstrap documentation pretty easy to navigate due to the usage of examples and organization, and the framework has been able to accomplish all the basic functions that I needed it to so far. I am curious about trying other frameworks and seeing how they compare, though. One frustration that I have had as a beginner with Bootstrap is customization. One thing that I like about working with raw code is that it works well with the way I think. If I encounter a problem, I can mentally go through the code and take it apart to rebuild and identify the exact source of the problem. Sometimes, when I cannot see everything that is happening within the code, it can be a bit frustrating to troubleshoot issues or understand how certain styles are being applied. However, I believe as I gain more experience with Bootstrap and other frameworks, this frustration will decrease over time. I am excited to add these tools to my toolbox and further explore their potential.