CSS Frameworks and Tailwind CSS

Streamlining web development with modern tools

What are CSS Frameworks?

Pre-prepared libraries for easier, standards-compliant web design

Benefits of CSS Frameworks

  • Provide a grid system
  • Offer pre-styled components
  • Ensure cross-browser compatibility
  • Speed up development process

Popular CSS Frameworks

  • Bootstrap
  • Foundation
  • Bulma
  • Tailwind CSS
  • Material UI

Introduction to Tailwind CSS

A utility-first CSS framework for rapidly building custom user interfaces

Tailwind CSS Features

  • Highly customizable
  • Low-level utility classes
  • No pre-styled components
  • Flexible and composable

Tailwind CSS Basics


<div class="bg-blue-500 text-white p-4 rounded-lg shadow-md">
    This is a Tailwind styled div
</div>
                

Setting Up Tailwind CSS

Install Tailwind via npm:


npm install tailwindcss
                

Initialize Tailwind


npx tailwindcss init
                

Tailwind Configuration


// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  content: ["./src/**/*.{html,js}"],
  theme: {
    extend: {},
  },
  plugins: [],
}
                

Utility-First Approach

Tailwind uses small, single-purpose utility classes to build complex designs

Utility-First Example


<button class="bg-blue-500 hover:bg-blue-700 text-white font-bold py-2 px-4 rounded">
  Click me
</button>
                

Responsive Design with Tailwind


<div class="text-center sm:text-left md:text-right lg:text-justify">
  Responsive text alignment
</div>
                

Customizing Tailwind

Extend or override Tailwind's default theme:

Custom Theme Example


// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  theme: {
    extend: {
      colors: {
        'custom-blue': '#1da1f2',
      },
    },
  },
}
                

Tailwind Plugins

Extend Tailwind with reusable third-party plugins

Plugin Example


// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  plugins: [
    require('@tailwindcss/forms'),
    require('@tailwindcss/typography'),
  ],
}
                

Exercise: Tailwind Component

Create a simple card component using Tailwind CSS classes

Pros of Tailwind CSS

  • Rapid development
  • Highly customizable
  • No unused CSS in production
  • Consistent design system

Cons of Tailwind CSS

  • Learning curve
  • HTML can become cluttered
  • Requires build step
  • Not ideal for very small projects

Thank You!

Any questions about CSS frameworks or Tailwind CSS?

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