Learning Curve
27 Feb 2025What are UI Frameworks
UI Frameworks are an essential tool of web development. They are pre-designed libraries that consist of ready-to-use components and styles to streamline the creation of web pages. They offer a more structured approach that increases efficiency and consistency. However, there is a downside: it takes a significant amount of time and dedication in order to become proficient in. It is like learning a new language. It makes you question whether you are better off sticking with html and css. In the long run, I believe it is worth the effort to learn and adapt to UI Frameworks.
First Expirence with HTML and CSS
In the past couple weeks I had my first experience with html and css. It was much different than the languages I have worked with before. The syntax was completely different so it was hard to understand at first. I think the initial assignments we worked on served as a good introduction to the language. Creating a web page step by step made it less intimidating, and allowed me to grasp the general idea of what each line of code did. After completing the assignments, I felt like I had a relatively good understanding of html and css.
Adding Bootstrap
About a week ago, we were introduced to Bootstrap 5. Initially, it felt very similar, however the differences became clear when I looked into it more. The biggest change was the implementation of classes, these allow developers to utilize a consistent styling and layout. Some examples of this are container, column, and row. Additionally, there are many other customizations that can be added on to make other adjustments. It is a lot to remember.
Earlier this week we were tasked to pick a website, and visually recreate it using Bootstrap 5. I chose to recreate Frank Ocean’s website. The design was simple but it still took a considerable amount of time to do. The biggest challenge was the formatting, it took a lot of micro adjustments in my css file in order to get everything (almost) right. Overall, it was actually enjoyable and allowed me to somewhat familiarize myself with Bootstrap 5. I atteched images above, the left one is the original and the right is my recreation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, UI Frameworks like Bootstrap 5 are an essential tool for software development. Despite the seemingly steep learning curve, I think it is worth it to learn and utilize them. It has the potential to make the development process easier and more consistent.