Foundation (CSS Framework) (Essay Sample)

Foundation (CSS Framework) Author Institution of affiliation Course Instructor I. Introduction to Foundation (CSS Framework) Web development entails a series of tools and features that jointly facilitate the adoption of various techniques to execute project completion. Web developers rely on the adoption of various frameworks that work either in isolation or in combination with other frameworks. This report is geared towards the exploration of the adoption of frameworks in web development. More specifically, the report focuses on the Foundation CSS Framework used for web development. To begin with, Foundation CSS Framework is a set of pre-designed CSS and HTML templates known for its ability to create responsive and appealing websites. It is comprised of numerous components that allow web developers to streamline the design process thus ensuring consistent styling across various devices. A peak into the historical background of the framework reveals that it was created by a design agency known as ZURB and first released in 2011. Being one of the pioneers of CSS frameworks, Foundation CSS played a significant role in laying the ground work consequently influencing the way websites are built today. From whence it was first established, this framework has developed inculcating the changing trends and demands of web development in the present era. In a nutshell, the primary purpose and significance of Foundation CSS has been to simplify web development while concurrently enhancing users’ experience (Kennedy et al 2011). This objective is facilitated through the framework’s responsive grid system and the pre-designed UI elements that limit the need to write custom CSS from scratch. Collectively, it translates to quicker development and better cross device compatibility. With this in mind, the objective of this report is to explore Foundation CSS by unravelling its core features while cross examining it with other frameworks. With this information the significance of Foundation CSS in the web development community is revealed therefore prompting better implementation and decision making by developers. II. Understanding CSS Frameworks Before delving into dissecting and understanding Foundation CSS framework, it is crucial to first understand CSS Frameworks in isolation. CSS Frameworks are integral in web development which basically are pre-established libraries that contain CSS and JavaScript code. Their pre-prepared nature provide simplicity and standardization to the web development process. Ideally, CSS Frameworks offer a collection of reusable components, layout tools and styles which provide convenience for web developers allowing responsiveness and consistency in the visual aesthetics of developed websites. Through this existing form, CSS frameworks offer numerous advantages and benefits in their application. The first common advantage in their application emanates from their existing pre-prepared nature which promotes efficiency. Thanks to pre-existing libraries web development processes become more efficient due to the elimination of repetitive writing of CSS code Freeman & Freeman, 2019). As a result, web development becomes more streamlined saving valuable time. Secondly, CSS Frameworks are integrated with responsive grids and UI elements for web development. Their application ensures uniformity and consistency which greatly benefits user experience regardless of the devices used. This features particularly addresses specific browser components thus promoting cross-browser compatibility. The third benefit of CSS Frameworks emanates from its popularity of use among web developers. The popularity helps create an extensive community which is vital in building a strong support for updates and fixing of bugs. A cross comparison between CSS and other approaches reveals some significant disparities. For instance compared to traditional approaches that prompt writing CSS from scratch, CSS framework offers better organization and standardization to web development. CSS provides a structured approach that helps maintain consistency throughout the development process. Nonetheless, it is important to acknowledge that flexibility may be preferred in the form of writing custom CSS from scratch (Mohd et al 2022). For example web developers may prefer to adopt other approaches to CSS that may allow them to design specific requirements based on the unique styling demands and requirements of their projects. This is especially common in smaller web development projects that requires unique or specific types of code not present in CSS Frameworks. Regardless, CSS Frameworks have key features the first being the responsive grid system which provides benefits such as adaptation of layouts to different screen sizes, typographic styles for text formatting and pre-designed UI components such as navigation bars. The second feature in CSS Frameworks is the provision for Java Script components that allow interactive elements such as modals and sliders. Generally, CSS offers customization as a feature thus allowing the use of components that are needed or required. III. Introducing Foundation Framework With the overall depiction and understanding of the CSS Framework, it becomes easier to go deep into Foundation CSS Framework. As mentioned earlier, Foundation CSS is widely used as a tool that facilitates the design of responsive web development. Foundation CSS provides a comprehensive collection of pre-designed CSS and HTML components empowering developers to create modern and visually appealing websites. Similar to SaaS, Foundation is based on bootstrap making it more complex, versatile and configurable. Its development includes a command line interface that makes it simple to use with module bundlers. The flexibility of use provided within provides ease of use making it popular among developers in building user friendly websites that are responsive. The development of the framework can be traced back to ZURB where it started as an internal tool for projects before being open-sourced to the public. The foundation’s main goal is geared towards providing developers with an efficient platform for building robust and responsive websites. Its working principle is to simplify the development process by offering a well-structured and modular set of CSS and HTML components (Paternoster, 2017). The sensitization of cross compatibility in the platform emphasizes a mobile-first design which ensures developed websites function well on various devices from desktop screens to mobile screens. With reference to integrated features, Foundation offers a wide array of components such as the responsive grid system that enables flexibility and adaptability in layouts. More specifically, the XY gird allows a developer to control the layouts on the horizontal and vertical positions. In addition to the grid, it offers pre-exiting UI components for navigation bars, buttons and forms which save time and effort. Secondly, there is a features for a built in JavaScript that promotes interactivity with websites through provisions such as sliders, accordions and dropdowns (Attardi, & Attardi, 2020). Thanks to this feature developers can add smooth scroll properties to a specific part inside their developed webpage. The third notable feature is the customization option and extensive documentation which allows developers to tailor the framework to specific project requirements. Lastly, Foundation provides convenience and ease of prototyping by facilitating built in functionality that speeds the prototyping process. IV. Installation and Setup The information provided so far in the report has a set a background towards the basic knowledge and understanding of Foundation CSS Framework. Getting started with the application of the Framework begins with downloading and installation of the necessary programs. To begin, the framework can be downloaded from the official website. Alternatively, package managers such as NPM or yarn can be employed. When installing using NPM the package includes all the source Sass and JavaScript files. Additionally, it comprises of complied CSS and JavaScript in compressed and uncompressed flavors (Andrew, 2016). Aside from using NPM one can download the Framework using the command line interface which automatically installs all the necessary dependencies and sets up a new Foundation project. Setting up a new project in Foundation can be done by running CLI command where through a prompt one can choose from a variety of project templates. For example, some of the available templates to choose from include Sass, JavaScript or basic HTML. Upon selection the CLI creates a project based on the chosen template and becomes ready for customization and development. Organization is one of the strongest suite provided in Foundation CSS through the directory structure. It is imperative to understand the directory structure as the Framework follows it to keep projects organized. By taking into account the directory structure, the framework allows projects to remain manageable thus allowing developers to focus on the main process of development while avoiding disorganization (Drozd, & Pyatkin, 2018).. The structure incorporates different directories the main directories including “src” (for source files), “dist” (for distribution or production-ready files), "node_modules" (where the project dependencies are installed), and "public" (for static assets like images or fonts). In addition to these Foundation configuration files for task automation such as "package.json" for npm packages and "gulpfile.js" may be employed. V. Core Concepts of Foundation A. Grid System The report has so far provided a general overview that illustrates the basics of Foundation CSS Framework as well as the initial setup involved. Moving forward, the report majors on discussing the core concepts of the Framework. Under this section, the ...