SlideShare a Scribd company logo
PATTERN
LIBRARIES
CSSPATTERN
LIBRARIES
Who
is this guy?
Began in the web in 1995

Full CSS sites in 2002
Skills: UX, front-end dev, training

Recently: CSS pattern libraries
I have helped develop HTML/
CSS pattern libraries for very
large sites (media and university
sites) and complex applications
(banking applications).
In some cases, there are literally
hundreds of CSS, SCSS or
LESS files to review and
optimise as part of the process.
pages
Moving away from
A few years ago, many front end
developers approached
websites and web applications
as a series of “pages”.
Pages were often designed and
built as complete entities. This
meant that page components
were often closely tied to their
relevant pages.
More recently, the focus has
shifted from full page layouts to
re-usable components.
A re-usable component could
be a layout grid structure, a
button, an input, a drop-down, a
menu, a heading, a table, or
even a pullquote.
pattern libraries
HTML/CSS
HTML/CSS pattern libraries are
used to resolve commonly used
interface components. These
components are created as
HTML and CSS code and
documented, so that they can
be easily re-used as needed.
The terms “style guide” and
“pattern library” are often used
interchangeably.
A style guide is a set of
standards for implementing the
overall design, and can include
corporate branding, color
schemes, layout and more.
Style guides are used to ensure
uniformity of the design or
“brand” across all aspects of
the website or application.
On the other hand, HTML/CSS
pattern libraries generally
document code components
for all aspects of the website or
application.
On larger web projects, style
guides and HTML/CSS pattern
libraries are generally separate
entities.
For smaller web projects, style
guides and pattern libraries are
often combined into one
overall entity.
cons?
Pros and
Why use a pattern library at all?

!
Easier to build sites

Easier to maintain sites

Easier to hand over

Better workflow

Shared vocabulary

Promotes consistency
What are the downsides?

!
Time-consuming to write

Often done post-project

Serve current need only
Pre-existing
pattern libraries
There are a wide range of 

pre-existing pattern libraries
available today.
Some of these pattern libraries
have a simple purpose - such as
responsive grid systems.
Grid-based CSS libraries
1140 CSS Grid
Mueller Grid System
Responsive Grid System

Responsive Grid System

Less Framework

960 Grid System

Susy
320 and up
http://cssgrid.net/

http://www.muellergridsystem.com/

http://www.responsivegridsystem.com/

http://responsive.gs/

http://lessframework.com/

http://960.gs/

http://susy.oddbird.net/

https://github.com/malarkey/320andup
Others are considered full
“frameworks” that offer a wide
range of components.
These can include:

!
Reset styles

Grid systems

Typography styles

Browser fixes

Common user-interface
component styles
Complex CSS libraries
Bootstrap

Foundation

Skeleton

YAML

Inuit

Kraken

GumbyFramework

http://twitter.github.com/bootstrap/

http://foundation.zurb.com/

http://www.getskeleton.com/

http://www.yaml.de/

https://github.com/csswizardry/inuit.css/

https://github.com/cferdinandi/kraken

http://gumbyframework.com/
There are some great benefits to
using an existing framework:

!
ready-to-use solution

can pick & choose components

easy implementation

quick prototyping
great for teams
There may also be some
downsides:

!
may not suit your project

no need for a complex library

someone else’s conventions
generic look
Bootstrap
Bootstrap vs. mid-range website
Bootstrap vs. University data site
Bootstrap vs. Banking application
Should you use a pre-existing
framework? It depends on the
needs of the site and your
team. There is no one answer.
Assuming you want to create
your own CSS pattern library,
how do you go about it?
abstraction
Understanding
Abstraction is essential to any
CSS pattern library.
The process involves:

!
looking for components that may
be repeated within the layout

defining their characteristics
creating HTML/CSS patterns
for them
1.
!
2.
3.
An example:
coloured boxes
CSS pattern libraries
CSS pattern libraries
These boxes look like they have
similar characteristics. If they
were resolved into a pattern,
this would make our HTML and
CSS more efficient.
What are the key things to keep
in mind when creating any
pattern?
Avoid using IDs
All patterns needs to be class-
based so they can appear as
many times as needed within an
HTML document.
/* avoid */!
#signup-box { }!
Avoid naming
based on content
We should avoid naming
patterns based on the content,
as we want to reuse these
patterns often within the layout.
/* avoid */!
.signup { }!
.member { }!
.member-news { }!
.wiki { }!
.support { }!
.database { }!
!
/* preferred */!
.box { }
Avoid location-
based styles
All patterns should work
regardless of where they’re
placed within the layout.
/* avoid */!
.sidebar .box { }!
.main .box { }!
!
/* preferred */!
.box { }
Avoid widths
Ideally, patterns should avoid
defining widths. Patterns should
be allowed to spread to the
width of any parent container.
/* avoid */!
.box-wide { width: 500px; }!
.box-medium { width: 240px; }!
.box-small { width: 120px; }!
!
/* preferred */!
.box { /* no width defined */ }
Keep patterns as
simple as possible
Patterns should be defined as
simply as possible. Otherwise
they can become restrictive.
.box!
{!
! border-bottom: 5px solid #C8C8C8;!
! background-color: #e6e6e6;!
! /* may not be suitable */!
! margin-bottom: 1em;!
}
Don’t undo
Patterns should not be written
to undo other rules. For
example, the <h3> element:
CSS pattern libraries
We could be tempted to style
the <h3> element with a
coloured background - as it
looks like this is the “default”
appearance for all <h3>
elements.
/* default style */!
h3!
{!
! padding: 1em;!
! color: white;!
! background-color: red;!
}
But what happens if we needed
to use an <h3> element later,
and it doesn’t have a
background-color? We might
have to write a rule to undo our
previous one.
/* default style */!
h3!
{!
! padding: 1em;!
! color: white;!
! background-color: red;!
}!
!
/* undoing default style */!
.no-background !
{!
! padding: 0;!
! color: #000;!
! background-color: none;!
}!
It is best to avoid over-styling
elements or patterns so that
they do not have to be undone
later.
/* default style */!
h3!
{!
}!
!
/* only when background needed */!
.class-name!
{!
! padding: 1em;!
! color: white;!
! background-color: red;!
}!
Avoid dependency
on HTML structure
Patterns should not rely on the
HTML structure. What happens
if the structure changes in some
instances - like a different
heading level being used?
<div class="box">!
! <h3></h3>!
<div>!
!
<div class="box">!
! <h4></h4>!
<div>!
!
!
/* avoid if possible */!
.box h3, .box h4!
{!
! padding: 10px; !
! background-color: orange; !
}!
!
It is always better to create a
class-based pattern for any
specific styling needs.
<div class="box">!
! <h3 class="box-heading"></h3>!
<div>!
!
<div class="box">!
! <h4 class="box-heading"></h4>!
<div>!
!
!
/* preferred */!
.box-heading!
{!
! padding: 10px; !
! background-color: orange; !
}!
Modules,
modifiers & descendants
How can we let developers
know that our new class called
“box-heading” relates to the
“box” class?
<div class="box">!
! <h3 class="box-heading"></h3>!
<div>!
We could use a naming
convention that was originally
defined as part of BEM:

!
http://bem.info/
And then extended by Nicolas
Gallagher:

!
http://nicolasgallagher.com/about-html-semantics-
front-end-architecture/
And then modified slightly
again by Harry Roberts:

!
http://csswizardry.com/2013/01/mindbemding-
getting-your-head-round-bem-syntax/
This naming convention is based
on the idea that page layouts
can be broken down into a
series of re-usable “modules”.
If a module needs to be modified
or extended, a “module
modifier” would be used.
If a module has child elements
that need to be styled, a
“module descendant” could be
used.
These different types of class
names need to be relatable and
recognisable.
/* Module */!
.module-name {}!
!
/* Module modifier*/!
.module-name--modifier-name {}!
!
/* Module descendant*/!
.module-name__descendant-name {}!
!
/* Module descendant modifier*/!
.module-name__descendant--modifier {}!
<!-- Module -->!
<div class="box"></div>!
!
<!-- Module modifier -->!
<div class="box box--alt"></div>!
!
<!-- Module descendant -->!
<div class="box">!
! <h3 class="box__heading"></h3>!
</div>!
!
<!-- Module descendant modifier -->!
<div class="box">!
! <h3 class="box__content
box__content--alt"></h3>!
</div>!
Module
descendants
With this naming convention, we
can now add two “module
descendants” to our HTML
markup:
<!-- Module -->!
<div class="box">!
!
! <!-- Module descendant -->!
! <h3 class="box__heading"></h3>!
!
! <!-- Module descendant -->!
! <div class="box__content"></div>!
</div>!
.box!
{!
! margin-bottom: 1em;!
! border-bottom: 5px solid #C8C8C8;!
! background-color: #e6e6e6;!
}!
!
.box__heading!
{!
! margin: 0;!
! padding: 10px 15px;!
! text-transform: uppercase;!
}!
!
.box__content { margin: 15px; }!
Module modifiers
But what about the boxes that
are very similar, but have some
unique characteristics - like the
decorative cog image?
CSS pattern libraries
If we needed to modify or extend
the original module, we would
create a modifier class name.
<!-- Module modifier -->!
<div class="box box--alt">!
! <h3 class="box__heading"></h3>!
! <div class="box__content"></div>!
</div>!
However, in this case, we need
to modify the “box__content”
class. We need to create a
“module descendant
modifier”.
<!-- Module modifier -->!
<div class="box">!
! <h3 class="box__heading"></h3>!
! <div class="box__content box__content
—cog"></div>!
</div>!
.box__content--cog!
{!
! padding-right: 100px;!
! background-image: url(cog.png);!
! background-repeat: no-repeat;!
! background-position: 100% 0;!
}!
Helper
classes
In one of the boxes, there is a
piece of text that is aligned to
the right. How do we solve this?
CSS pattern libraries
We could make it another
module descendant - and
apply this to the link.
.box__link {}!
!
!
!
<div class="box">!
! <h3 class="box__heading"></h3>!
! <div class="box__content">!
! ! <p class="box__link"></p>!
! </div>!
</div>!
!
Or we could use a different type
of class, called a “helper” or
“utility” class.
Nicolas Gallagher’s SUIT CSS
includes a set of classes called
“utilities”.

!
https://github.com/suitcss/suit
/* Utility classes */!
.u-utilityName {}!
!
!
<!-- example markup --> !
<article class="Tweet">!
! <a class="u-floatRight"></a>!
! <div class="u-sizeFill">!
! ! <a class="u-linkComplex"></a>!
! </div>!
</article>!
Bootstrap also uses these types
of classes, but calls them
“helper” classes.

!
http://getbootstrap.com/css/#helper-classes
/* Utility classes */!
.text-muted { color: #777; } !
.text-primary { color: #428bca; }!
.text-success { color: #3c763d; }!
!
!
<!-- example markup --> !
<p class="text-muted">...</p>!
<p class="text-primary">...</p>!
<p class="text-success">...</p>
These types of classes are
designed to be added to
elements where needed,
without having to resort to
styling elements individually.
/* Helper classes */!
.h-text-right { text-align: right; }!
!
!
!
!
<!-- example markup --> !
<p class="h-text-right">!
! <a href="#">More</a>!
</p>!
For front-end developers who
grew up in the “keep your
markup clean” era, these
classes could be considered
the work of Satan.
I’ve found them to be invaluable
- when you need to add a single
function to an element without
having to create a specific class.
Theme classes
In 2011, Jonathan Snook
introduced SMACSS. One of the
key principles is to categorise
CSS rules into five different
categories.

!
https://smacss.com/
Base - HTML elements

Layout - grids

Module - reusable components

State - states of modules etc

Theme - theming modules etc
These categories are a great way
to break up huge chunks of
CSS rules into manageable
sections.
We could use one of these
categories - theme styles - to
define the background-colors
on our headings.
CSS pattern libraries
<h3 class="box__heading bgcolor-red"></h3>!
<h3 class="box__heading bgcolor-blue"></h3>!
<h3 class="box__heading bgcolor-orange"></h3>!
<h4 class="box__heading bgcolor-grey"></h4>!
.bgcolor-red, .bgcolor-blue, .bgcolor-
orange, .bgcolor-grey { color: #fff; }!
!
.bgcolor-red !
{ background-color: #B21F24; }!
!
.bgcolor-blue !
{ background-color: #1D5980; }!
!
.bgcolor-orange !
{ background-color: #C56F00; }!
!
.bgcolor-grey !
{ background-color: #444445; }
Tips
Pattern library
Here are some tips on the
overall approach to CSS pattern
libraries.
Smallest to largest
In mid 2013, Brad Frost
introduced Atomic Design - a
methodology for creating design
systems with five distinct levels
in atomic design.

!
http://bradfrostweb.com/blog/post/atomic-web-
design/
Atoms - HTML elements

Molecules - groups of atoms

Organisms - groups of molecules

Templates - groups of organisms

Pages - instances of templates
Atomic design defines the
process as starting from
smallest components and
building to largest.
Ideally, large components should
not need to be defined in a
pattern library as they should
be build up, like lego, from
smaller components.
Class names
Establish a class naming
convention as early as possible
in the process. Then document
this convention and enforce it!
Intuitive class
names
Make sure any class naming
convention is easy for others to
follow. I have worked on
projects where teams are
constantly changing, so quick
take-up is critical.
Keep it simple
I’ve worked on projects where
the LESS architecture needs to
be mapped out in spreadsheets
in order for teams to understand.
In almost all cases, this was
unnecessary. Keep it as simple
as possible.
Final
thoughts?
Bottom line:
HTML/CSS pattern libraries are
an important tool for anyone
doing CSS today no matter how
large or small your website. Get
out there and get busy!
Russ Weakley

Max Design

!
Site: maxdesign.com.au

Twitter: twitter.com/russmaxdesign

Slideshare: slideshare.net/maxdesign

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/russweakley

More Related Content

What's hot (20)

Git - The Incomplete Introduction
Git - The Incomplete IntroductionGit - The Incomplete Introduction
Git - The Incomplete Introduction
rschwietzke
 
Git 101 for Beginners
Git 101 for Beginners Git 101 for Beginners
Git 101 for Beginners
Anurag Upadhaya
 
우아한 모노리스
우아한 모노리스우아한 모노리스
우아한 모노리스
Arawn Park
 
Introduction To Liquibase
Introduction To Liquibase Introduction To Liquibase
Introduction To Liquibase
Knoldus Inc.
 
Jenkins Pipelines
Jenkins PipelinesJenkins Pipelines
Jenkins Pipelines
Steffen Gebert
 
Ais 308-activity-w1-w2-gonzales
Ais 308-activity-w1-w2-gonzalesAis 308-activity-w1-w2-gonzales
Ais 308-activity-w1-w2-gonzales
helenrosecepeda
 
Building a Microservices-based ERP System
Building a Microservices-based ERP SystemBuilding a Microservices-based ERP System
Building a Microservices-based ERP System
MongoDB
 
The DevOps Journey
The DevOps JourneyThe DevOps Journey
The DevOps Journey
Micro Focus
 
Overview of github
Overview of githubOverview of github
Overview of github
Sangeetha Subramani
 
쿠버네티스를 이용한 기능 브랜치별 테스트 서버 만들기 (GitOps CI/CD)
쿠버네티스를 이용한 기능 브랜치별 테스트 서버 만들기 (GitOps CI/CD)쿠버네티스를 이용한 기능 브랜치별 테스트 서버 만들기 (GitOps CI/CD)
쿠버네티스를 이용한 기능 브랜치별 테스트 서버 만들기 (GitOps CI/CD)
충섭 김
 
Cloud-Native CI/CD on Kubernetes with Tekton Pipelines
Cloud-Native CI/CD on Kubernetes with Tekton PipelinesCloud-Native CI/CD on Kubernetes with Tekton Pipelines
Cloud-Native CI/CD on Kubernetes with Tekton Pipelines
Nikhil Thomas
 
Gitlab ci, cncf.sk
Gitlab ci, cncf.skGitlab ci, cncf.sk
Gitlab ci, cncf.sk
Juraj Hantak
 
Stateful set in kubernetes implementation & usecases
Stateful set in kubernetes implementation & usecases Stateful set in kubernetes implementation & usecases
Stateful set in kubernetes implementation & usecases
Krishna-Kumar
 
DevOps introduction
DevOps introductionDevOps introduction
DevOps introduction
Mettje Heegstra
 
Devops ppt
Devops pptDevops ppt
Devops ppt
Sulekha IT Training
 
DevOps
DevOps DevOps
DevOps
Hakan Yüksel
 
Developer Experience (DX) as a Fitness Function for Platform Teams
Developer Experience (DX) as a Fitness Function for Platform TeamsDeveloper Experience (DX) as a Fitness Function for Platform Teams
Developer Experience (DX) as a Fitness Function for Platform Teams
Andy Marks
 
CI/CD with Github Actions
CI/CD with Github ActionsCI/CD with Github Actions
CI/CD with Github Actions
Md. Minhazul Haque
 
The Architecture of an API Platform
The Architecture of an API PlatformThe Architecture of an API Platform
The Architecture of an API Platform
Johannes Ridderstedt
 
Introducing GitLab (September 2018)
Introducing GitLab (September 2018)Introducing GitLab (September 2018)
Introducing GitLab (September 2018)
Noa Harel
 
Git - The Incomplete Introduction
Git - The Incomplete IntroductionGit - The Incomplete Introduction
Git - The Incomplete Introduction
rschwietzke
 
우아한 모노리스
우아한 모노리스우아한 모노리스
우아한 모노리스
Arawn Park
 
Introduction To Liquibase
Introduction To Liquibase Introduction To Liquibase
Introduction To Liquibase
Knoldus Inc.
 
Ais 308-activity-w1-w2-gonzales
Ais 308-activity-w1-w2-gonzalesAis 308-activity-w1-w2-gonzales
Ais 308-activity-w1-w2-gonzales
helenrosecepeda
 
Building a Microservices-based ERP System
Building a Microservices-based ERP SystemBuilding a Microservices-based ERP System
Building a Microservices-based ERP System
MongoDB
 
The DevOps Journey
The DevOps JourneyThe DevOps Journey
The DevOps Journey
Micro Focus
 
쿠버네티스를 이용한 기능 브랜치별 테스트 서버 만들기 (GitOps CI/CD)
쿠버네티스를 이용한 기능 브랜치별 테스트 서버 만들기 (GitOps CI/CD)쿠버네티스를 이용한 기능 브랜치별 테스트 서버 만들기 (GitOps CI/CD)
쿠버네티스를 이용한 기능 브랜치별 테스트 서버 만들기 (GitOps CI/CD)
충섭 김
 
Cloud-Native CI/CD on Kubernetes with Tekton Pipelines
Cloud-Native CI/CD on Kubernetes with Tekton PipelinesCloud-Native CI/CD on Kubernetes with Tekton Pipelines
Cloud-Native CI/CD on Kubernetes with Tekton Pipelines
Nikhil Thomas
 
Gitlab ci, cncf.sk
Gitlab ci, cncf.skGitlab ci, cncf.sk
Gitlab ci, cncf.sk
Juraj Hantak
 
Stateful set in kubernetes implementation & usecases
Stateful set in kubernetes implementation & usecases Stateful set in kubernetes implementation & usecases
Stateful set in kubernetes implementation & usecases
Krishna-Kumar
 
Developer Experience (DX) as a Fitness Function for Platform Teams
Developer Experience (DX) as a Fitness Function for Platform TeamsDeveloper Experience (DX) as a Fitness Function for Platform Teams
Developer Experience (DX) as a Fitness Function for Platform Teams
Andy Marks
 
The Architecture of an API Platform
The Architecture of an API PlatformThe Architecture of an API Platform
The Architecture of an API Platform
Johannes Ridderstedt
 
Introducing GitLab (September 2018)
Introducing GitLab (September 2018)Introducing GitLab (September 2018)
Introducing GitLab (September 2018)
Noa Harel
 

Similar to CSS pattern libraries (20)

CSS: a rapidly changing world
CSS: a rapidly changing worldCSS: a rapidly changing world
CSS: a rapidly changing world
Russ Weakley
 
CSS - OOCSS, SMACSS and more
CSS - OOCSS, SMACSS and moreCSS - OOCSS, SMACSS and more
CSS - OOCSS, SMACSS and more
Russ Weakley
 
Big Design Conference: CSS3
Big Design Conference: CSS3 Big Design Conference: CSS3
Big Design Conference: CSS3
Wynn Netherland
 
Cssbestpracticesjstyleguidejandtips 150830184202-lva1-app6892
Cssbestpracticesjstyleguidejandtips 150830184202-lva1-app6892Cssbestpracticesjstyleguidejandtips 150830184202-lva1-app6892
Cssbestpracticesjstyleguidejandtips 150830184202-lva1-app6892
Deepak Sharma
 
Css best practices style guide and tips
Css best practices style guide and tipsCss best practices style guide and tips
Css best practices style guide and tips
Chris Love
 
Scalable CSS You and Your Back-End Coders Can Love - @CSSConf Asia 2014
Scalable CSS You and Your Back-End Coders Can Love - @CSSConf Asia 2014Scalable CSS You and Your Back-End Coders Can Love - @CSSConf Asia 2014
Scalable CSS You and Your Back-End Coders Can Love - @CSSConf Asia 2014
Christian Lilley
 
The Cascade, Grids, Headings, and Selectors from an OOCSS Perspective, Ajax ...
The Cascade, Grids, Headings, and Selectors from an OOCSS Perspective,  Ajax ...The Cascade, Grids, Headings, and Selectors from an OOCSS Perspective,  Ajax ...
The Cascade, Grids, Headings, and Selectors from an OOCSS Perspective, Ajax ...
Nicole Sullivan
 
Accelerated Stylesheets
Accelerated StylesheetsAccelerated Stylesheets
Accelerated Stylesheets
Wynn Netherland
 
What is Object Oriented CSS?
What is Object Oriented CSS?What is Object Oriented CSS?
What is Object Oriented CSS?
Nicole Sullivan
 
Web design-workflow
Web design-workflowWeb design-workflow
Web design-workflow
Peter Kaizer
 
The Fast And The Fabulous
The Fast And The FabulousThe Fast And The Fabulous
The Fast And The Fabulous
Nicole Sullivan
 
CSS3 Refresher
CSS3 RefresherCSS3 Refresher
CSS3 Refresher
Ivano Malavolta
 
More of less (take 2)
More of less (take 2)More of less (take 2)
More of less (take 2)
Guilherme Zühlke O'Connor
 
960 grid psd
960 grid psd960 grid psd
960 grid psd
Raju Nag
 
A Complete Guide to Frontend - UI Developer
A Complete Guide to Frontend - UI DeveloperA Complete Guide to Frontend - UI Developer
A Complete Guide to Frontend - UI Developer
nariyaravi
 
Design Systems are Coming... Are you Ready?
Design Systems are Coming... Are you Ready?Design Systems are Coming... Are you Ready?
Design Systems are Coming... Are you Ready?
Vernon Kesner
 
CSS Best Practices
CSS Best PracticesCSS Best Practices
CSS Best Practices
nolly00
 
Hardcore CSS
Hardcore CSSHardcore CSS
Hardcore CSS
PDX Web & Design
 
Evolution of CSS
Evolution of CSSEvolution of CSS
Evolution of CSS
Ecaterina Moraru (Valica)
 
Perch, Patterns and Old Browsers
Perch, Patterns and Old BrowsersPerch, Patterns and Old Browsers
Perch, Patterns and Old Browsers
Rachel Andrew
 
CSS: a rapidly changing world
CSS: a rapidly changing worldCSS: a rapidly changing world
CSS: a rapidly changing world
Russ Weakley
 
CSS - OOCSS, SMACSS and more
CSS - OOCSS, SMACSS and moreCSS - OOCSS, SMACSS and more
CSS - OOCSS, SMACSS and more
Russ Weakley
 
Big Design Conference: CSS3
Big Design Conference: CSS3 Big Design Conference: CSS3
Big Design Conference: CSS3
Wynn Netherland
 
Cssbestpracticesjstyleguidejandtips 150830184202-lva1-app6892
Cssbestpracticesjstyleguidejandtips 150830184202-lva1-app6892Cssbestpracticesjstyleguidejandtips 150830184202-lva1-app6892
Cssbestpracticesjstyleguidejandtips 150830184202-lva1-app6892
Deepak Sharma
 
Css best practices style guide and tips
Css best practices style guide and tipsCss best practices style guide and tips
Css best practices style guide and tips
Chris Love
 
Scalable CSS You and Your Back-End Coders Can Love - @CSSConf Asia 2014
Scalable CSS You and Your Back-End Coders Can Love - @CSSConf Asia 2014Scalable CSS You and Your Back-End Coders Can Love - @CSSConf Asia 2014
Scalable CSS You and Your Back-End Coders Can Love - @CSSConf Asia 2014
Christian Lilley
 
The Cascade, Grids, Headings, and Selectors from an OOCSS Perspective, Ajax ...
The Cascade, Grids, Headings, and Selectors from an OOCSS Perspective,  Ajax ...The Cascade, Grids, Headings, and Selectors from an OOCSS Perspective,  Ajax ...
The Cascade, Grids, Headings, and Selectors from an OOCSS Perspective, Ajax ...
Nicole Sullivan
 
What is Object Oriented CSS?
What is Object Oriented CSS?What is Object Oriented CSS?
What is Object Oriented CSS?
Nicole Sullivan
 
Web design-workflow
Web design-workflowWeb design-workflow
Web design-workflow
Peter Kaizer
 
The Fast And The Fabulous
The Fast And The FabulousThe Fast And The Fabulous
The Fast And The Fabulous
Nicole Sullivan
 
960 grid psd
960 grid psd960 grid psd
960 grid psd
Raju Nag
 
A Complete Guide to Frontend - UI Developer
A Complete Guide to Frontend - UI DeveloperA Complete Guide to Frontend - UI Developer
A Complete Guide to Frontend - UI Developer
nariyaravi
 
Design Systems are Coming... Are you Ready?
Design Systems are Coming... Are you Ready?Design Systems are Coming... Are you Ready?
Design Systems are Coming... Are you Ready?
Vernon Kesner
 
CSS Best Practices
CSS Best PracticesCSS Best Practices
CSS Best Practices
nolly00
 
Perch, Patterns and Old Browsers
Perch, Patterns and Old BrowsersPerch, Patterns and Old Browsers
Perch, Patterns and Old Browsers
Rachel Andrew
 
Ad

More from Russ Weakley (20)

Accessible chat windows
Accessible chat windowsAccessible chat windows
Accessible chat windows
Russ Weakley
 
Accessible names & descriptions
Accessible names & descriptionsAccessible names & descriptions
Accessible names & descriptions
Russ Weakley
 
A deep dive into accessible names
A deep dive into accessible namesA deep dive into accessible names
A deep dive into accessible names
Russ Weakley
 
What are accessible names and why should you care?
What are accessible names and why should you care?What are accessible names and why should you care?
What are accessible names and why should you care?
Russ Weakley
 
How to build accessible UI components
How to build accessible UI componentsHow to build accessible UI components
How to build accessible UI components
Russ Weakley
 
What is WCAG 2 and why should we care?
What is WCAG 2 and why should we care?What is WCAG 2 and why should we care?
What is WCAG 2 and why should we care?
Russ Weakley
 
Accessible states in Design Systems
Accessible states in Design SystemsAccessible states in Design Systems
Accessible states in Design Systems
Russ Weakley
 
Creating accessible modals and autocompletes
Creating accessible modals and autocompletesCreating accessible modals and autocompletes
Creating accessible modals and autocompletes
Russ Weakley
 
Building an accessible progressive loader
Building an accessible progressive loaderBuilding an accessible progressive loader
Building an accessible progressive loader
Russ Weakley
 
Accessibility in Design systems - the pain and glory
Accessibility in Design systems - the pain and gloryAccessibility in Design systems - the pain and glory
Accessibility in Design systems - the pain and glory
Russ Weakley
 
Accessible Inline errors messages
Accessible Inline errors messagesAccessible Inline errors messages
Accessible Inline errors messages
Russ Weakley
 
Accessible Form Hints and Errors
Accessible Form Hints and ErrorsAccessible Form Hints and Errors
Accessible Form Hints and Errors
Russ Weakley
 
What is accessibility?
What is accessibility?What is accessibility?
What is accessibility?
Russ Weakley
 
Accessibility in Pattern Libraries
Accessibility in Pattern LibrariesAccessibility in Pattern Libraries
Accessibility in Pattern Libraries
Russ Weakley
 
Accessibility in pattern libraries
Accessibility in pattern librariesAccessibility in pattern libraries
Accessibility in pattern libraries
Russ Weakley
 
Building an accessible auto-complete - #ID24
Building an accessible auto-complete - #ID24Building an accessible auto-complete - #ID24
Building an accessible auto-complete - #ID24
Russ Weakley
 
Building an accessible auto-complete
Building an accessible auto-completeBuilding an accessible auto-complete
Building an accessible auto-complete
Russ Weakley
 
Creating Acessible floating labels
Creating Acessible floating labelsCreating Acessible floating labels
Creating Acessible floating labels
Russ Weakley
 
Creating an Accessible button dropdown
Creating an Accessible button dropdownCreating an Accessible button dropdown
Creating an Accessible button dropdown
Russ Weakley
 
Creating a Simple, Accessible On/Off Switch
Creating a Simple, Accessible On/Off SwitchCreating a Simple, Accessible On/Off Switch
Creating a Simple, Accessible On/Off Switch
Russ Weakley
 
Accessible chat windows
Accessible chat windowsAccessible chat windows
Accessible chat windows
Russ Weakley
 
Accessible names & descriptions
Accessible names & descriptionsAccessible names & descriptions
Accessible names & descriptions
Russ Weakley
 
A deep dive into accessible names
A deep dive into accessible namesA deep dive into accessible names
A deep dive into accessible names
Russ Weakley
 
What are accessible names and why should you care?
What are accessible names and why should you care?What are accessible names and why should you care?
What are accessible names and why should you care?
Russ Weakley
 
How to build accessible UI components
How to build accessible UI componentsHow to build accessible UI components
How to build accessible UI components
Russ Weakley
 
What is WCAG 2 and why should we care?
What is WCAG 2 and why should we care?What is WCAG 2 and why should we care?
What is WCAG 2 and why should we care?
Russ Weakley
 
Accessible states in Design Systems
Accessible states in Design SystemsAccessible states in Design Systems
Accessible states in Design Systems
Russ Weakley
 
Creating accessible modals and autocompletes
Creating accessible modals and autocompletesCreating accessible modals and autocompletes
Creating accessible modals and autocompletes
Russ Weakley
 
Building an accessible progressive loader
Building an accessible progressive loaderBuilding an accessible progressive loader
Building an accessible progressive loader
Russ Weakley
 
Accessibility in Design systems - the pain and glory
Accessibility in Design systems - the pain and gloryAccessibility in Design systems - the pain and glory
Accessibility in Design systems - the pain and glory
Russ Weakley
 
Accessible Inline errors messages
Accessible Inline errors messagesAccessible Inline errors messages
Accessible Inline errors messages
Russ Weakley
 
Accessible Form Hints and Errors
Accessible Form Hints and ErrorsAccessible Form Hints and Errors
Accessible Form Hints and Errors
Russ Weakley
 
What is accessibility?
What is accessibility?What is accessibility?
What is accessibility?
Russ Weakley
 
Accessibility in Pattern Libraries
Accessibility in Pattern LibrariesAccessibility in Pattern Libraries
Accessibility in Pattern Libraries
Russ Weakley
 
Accessibility in pattern libraries
Accessibility in pattern librariesAccessibility in pattern libraries
Accessibility in pattern libraries
Russ Weakley
 
Building an accessible auto-complete - #ID24
Building an accessible auto-complete - #ID24Building an accessible auto-complete - #ID24
Building an accessible auto-complete - #ID24
Russ Weakley
 
Building an accessible auto-complete
Building an accessible auto-completeBuilding an accessible auto-complete
Building an accessible auto-complete
Russ Weakley
 
Creating Acessible floating labels
Creating Acessible floating labelsCreating Acessible floating labels
Creating Acessible floating labels
Russ Weakley
 
Creating an Accessible button dropdown
Creating an Accessible button dropdownCreating an Accessible button dropdown
Creating an Accessible button dropdown
Russ Weakley
 
Creating a Simple, Accessible On/Off Switch
Creating a Simple, Accessible On/Off SwitchCreating a Simple, Accessible On/Off Switch
Creating a Simple, Accessible On/Off Switch
Russ Weakley
 
Ad

Recently uploaded (20)

Influence line diagram in a robust model
Influence line diagram in a robust modelInfluence line diagram in a robust model
Influence line diagram in a robust model
ParthaSengupta26
 
"The Enigmas of the Riemann Hypothesis" by Julio Chai
"The Enigmas of the Riemann Hypothesis" by Julio Chai"The Enigmas of the Riemann Hypothesis" by Julio Chai
"The Enigmas of the Riemann Hypothesis" by Julio Chai
Julio Chai
 
Electrical and Electronics Engineering: An International Journal (ELELIJ)
Electrical and Electronics Engineering: An International Journal (ELELIJ)Electrical and Electronics Engineering: An International Journal (ELELIJ)
Electrical and Electronics Engineering: An International Journal (ELELIJ)
elelijjournal653
 
ISO 4548-9 Oil Filter Anti Drain Catalogue.pdf
ISO 4548-9 Oil Filter Anti Drain Catalogue.pdfISO 4548-9 Oil Filter Anti Drain Catalogue.pdf
ISO 4548-9 Oil Filter Anti Drain Catalogue.pdf
FILTRATION ENGINEERING & CUNSULTANT
 
ISO 4020-6.1- Filter Cleanliness Test Rig Catalogue.pdf
ISO 4020-6.1- Filter Cleanliness Test Rig Catalogue.pdfISO 4020-6.1- Filter Cleanliness Test Rig Catalogue.pdf
ISO 4020-6.1- Filter Cleanliness Test Rig Catalogue.pdf
FILTRATION ENGINEERING & CUNSULTANT
 
UNIT-4-PPT UNIT COMMITMENT AND ECONOMIC DISPATCH
UNIT-4-PPT UNIT COMMITMENT AND ECONOMIC DISPATCHUNIT-4-PPT UNIT COMMITMENT AND ECONOMIC DISPATCH
UNIT-4-PPT UNIT COMMITMENT AND ECONOMIC DISPATCH
Sridhar191373
 
Software Engineering Project Presentation Tanisha Tasnuva
Software Engineering Project Presentation Tanisha TasnuvaSoftware Engineering Project Presentation Tanisha Tasnuva
Software Engineering Project Presentation Tanisha Tasnuva
tanishatasnuva76
 
Axial Capacity Estimation of FRP-strengthened Corroded Concrete Columns
Axial Capacity Estimation of FRP-strengthened Corroded Concrete ColumnsAxial Capacity Estimation of FRP-strengthened Corroded Concrete Columns
Axial Capacity Estimation of FRP-strengthened Corroded Concrete Columns
Journal of Soft Computing in Civil Engineering
 
HVAC Air Filter Equipment-Catalouge-Final.pdf
HVAC Air Filter Equipment-Catalouge-Final.pdfHVAC Air Filter Equipment-Catalouge-Final.pdf
HVAC Air Filter Equipment-Catalouge-Final.pdf
FILTRATION ENGINEERING & CUNSULTANT
 
MODULE 4 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH HVAC SYSTEM IN BUILDING
MODULE 4 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH HVAC SYSTEM IN BUILDINGMODULE 4 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH HVAC SYSTEM IN BUILDING
MODULE 4 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH HVAC SYSTEM IN BUILDING
Dr. BASWESHWAR JIRWANKAR
 
May 2025 - Top 10 Read Articles in Artificial Intelligence and Applications (...
May 2025 - Top 10 Read Articles in Artificial Intelligence and Applications (...May 2025 - Top 10 Read Articles in Artificial Intelligence and Applications (...
May 2025 - Top 10 Read Articles in Artificial Intelligence and Applications (...
gerogepatton
 
Forensic Science – Digital Forensics – Digital Evidence – The Digital Forensi...
Forensic Science – Digital Forensics – Digital Evidence – The Digital Forensi...Forensic Science – Digital Forensics – Digital Evidence – The Digital Forensi...
Forensic Science – Digital Forensics – Digital Evidence – The Digital Forensi...
ManiMaran230751
 
Influence line diagram for truss in a robust
Influence line diagram for truss in a robustInfluence line diagram for truss in a robust
Influence line diagram for truss in a robust
ParthaSengupta26
 
Software Developer Portfolio: Backend Architecture & Performance Optimization
Software Developer Portfolio: Backend Architecture & Performance OptimizationSoftware Developer Portfolio: Backend Architecture & Performance Optimization
Software Developer Portfolio: Backend Architecture & Performance Optimization
kiwoong (daniel) kim
 
fy06_46f6-ht30_22_oil_gas_industry_guidelines.ppt
fy06_46f6-ht30_22_oil_gas_industry_guidelines.pptfy06_46f6-ht30_22_oil_gas_industry_guidelines.ppt
fy06_46f6-ht30_22_oil_gas_industry_guidelines.ppt
sukarnoamin
 
May 2025: Top 10 Cited Articles in Software Engineering & Applications Intern...
May 2025: Top 10 Cited Articles in Software Engineering & Applications Intern...May 2025: Top 10 Cited Articles in Software Engineering & Applications Intern...
May 2025: Top 10 Cited Articles in Software Engineering & Applications Intern...
sebastianku31
 
Highway Engineering - Pavement materials
Highway Engineering - Pavement materialsHighway Engineering - Pavement materials
Highway Engineering - Pavement materials
AmrutaBhosale9
 
MODULE 5 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH ACOUSTICS SYSTEM IN BUILDING
MODULE 5 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH ACOUSTICS SYSTEM IN BUILDINGMODULE 5 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH ACOUSTICS SYSTEM IN BUILDING
MODULE 5 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH ACOUSTICS SYSTEM IN BUILDING
Dr. BASWESHWAR JIRWANKAR
 
Structural Health and Factors affecting.pptx
Structural Health and Factors affecting.pptxStructural Health and Factors affecting.pptx
Structural Health and Factors affecting.pptx
gunjalsachin
 
Influence line diagram in a robust model
Influence line diagram in a robust modelInfluence line diagram in a robust model
Influence line diagram in a robust model
ParthaSengupta26
 
"The Enigmas of the Riemann Hypothesis" by Julio Chai
"The Enigmas of the Riemann Hypothesis" by Julio Chai"The Enigmas of the Riemann Hypothesis" by Julio Chai
"The Enigmas of the Riemann Hypothesis" by Julio Chai
Julio Chai
 
Electrical and Electronics Engineering: An International Journal (ELELIJ)
Electrical and Electronics Engineering: An International Journal (ELELIJ)Electrical and Electronics Engineering: An International Journal (ELELIJ)
Electrical and Electronics Engineering: An International Journal (ELELIJ)
elelijjournal653
 
UNIT-4-PPT UNIT COMMITMENT AND ECONOMIC DISPATCH
UNIT-4-PPT UNIT COMMITMENT AND ECONOMIC DISPATCHUNIT-4-PPT UNIT COMMITMENT AND ECONOMIC DISPATCH
UNIT-4-PPT UNIT COMMITMENT AND ECONOMIC DISPATCH
Sridhar191373
 
Software Engineering Project Presentation Tanisha Tasnuva
Software Engineering Project Presentation Tanisha TasnuvaSoftware Engineering Project Presentation Tanisha Tasnuva
Software Engineering Project Presentation Tanisha Tasnuva
tanishatasnuva76
 
MODULE 4 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH HVAC SYSTEM IN BUILDING
MODULE 4 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH HVAC SYSTEM IN BUILDINGMODULE 4 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH HVAC SYSTEM IN BUILDING
MODULE 4 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH HVAC SYSTEM IN BUILDING
Dr. BASWESHWAR JIRWANKAR
 
May 2025 - Top 10 Read Articles in Artificial Intelligence and Applications (...
May 2025 - Top 10 Read Articles in Artificial Intelligence and Applications (...May 2025 - Top 10 Read Articles in Artificial Intelligence and Applications (...
May 2025 - Top 10 Read Articles in Artificial Intelligence and Applications (...
gerogepatton
 
Forensic Science – Digital Forensics – Digital Evidence – The Digital Forensi...
Forensic Science – Digital Forensics – Digital Evidence – The Digital Forensi...Forensic Science – Digital Forensics – Digital Evidence – The Digital Forensi...
Forensic Science – Digital Forensics – Digital Evidence – The Digital Forensi...
ManiMaran230751
 
Influence line diagram for truss in a robust
Influence line diagram for truss in a robustInfluence line diagram for truss in a robust
Influence line diagram for truss in a robust
ParthaSengupta26
 
Software Developer Portfolio: Backend Architecture & Performance Optimization
Software Developer Portfolio: Backend Architecture & Performance OptimizationSoftware Developer Portfolio: Backend Architecture & Performance Optimization
Software Developer Portfolio: Backend Architecture & Performance Optimization
kiwoong (daniel) kim
 
fy06_46f6-ht30_22_oil_gas_industry_guidelines.ppt
fy06_46f6-ht30_22_oil_gas_industry_guidelines.pptfy06_46f6-ht30_22_oil_gas_industry_guidelines.ppt
fy06_46f6-ht30_22_oil_gas_industry_guidelines.ppt
sukarnoamin
 
May 2025: Top 10 Cited Articles in Software Engineering & Applications Intern...
May 2025: Top 10 Cited Articles in Software Engineering & Applications Intern...May 2025: Top 10 Cited Articles in Software Engineering & Applications Intern...
May 2025: Top 10 Cited Articles in Software Engineering & Applications Intern...
sebastianku31
 
Highway Engineering - Pavement materials
Highway Engineering - Pavement materialsHighway Engineering - Pavement materials
Highway Engineering - Pavement materials
AmrutaBhosale9
 
MODULE 5 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH ACOUSTICS SYSTEM IN BUILDING
MODULE 5 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH ACOUSTICS SYSTEM IN BUILDINGMODULE 5 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH ACOUSTICS SYSTEM IN BUILDING
MODULE 5 BUILDING PLANNING AND DESIGN SY BTECH ACOUSTICS SYSTEM IN BUILDING
Dr. BASWESHWAR JIRWANKAR
 
Structural Health and Factors affecting.pptx
Structural Health and Factors affecting.pptxStructural Health and Factors affecting.pptx
Structural Health and Factors affecting.pptx
gunjalsachin
 

CSS pattern libraries

  • 3. Began in the web in 1995 Full CSS sites in 2002 Skills: UX, front-end dev, training Recently: CSS pattern libraries
  • 4. I have helped develop HTML/ CSS pattern libraries for very large sites (media and university sites) and complex applications (banking applications).
  • 5. In some cases, there are literally hundreds of CSS, SCSS or LESS files to review and optimise as part of the process.
  • 7. A few years ago, many front end developers approached websites and web applications as a series of “pages”.
  • 8. Pages were often designed and built as complete entities. This meant that page components were often closely tied to their relevant pages.
  • 9. More recently, the focus has shifted from full page layouts to re-usable components.
  • 10. A re-usable component could be a layout grid structure, a button, an input, a drop-down, a menu, a heading, a table, or even a pullquote.
  • 12. HTML/CSS pattern libraries are used to resolve commonly used interface components. These components are created as HTML and CSS code and documented, so that they can be easily re-used as needed.
  • 13. The terms “style guide” and “pattern library” are often used interchangeably.
  • 14. A style guide is a set of standards for implementing the overall design, and can include corporate branding, color schemes, layout and more.
  • 15. Style guides are used to ensure uniformity of the design or “brand” across all aspects of the website or application.
  • 16. On the other hand, HTML/CSS pattern libraries generally document code components for all aspects of the website or application.
  • 17. On larger web projects, style guides and HTML/CSS pattern libraries are generally separate entities.
  • 18. For smaller web projects, style guides and pattern libraries are often combined into one overall entity.
  • 20. Why use a pattern library at all? ! Easier to build sites Easier to maintain sites Easier to hand over Better workflow Shared vocabulary Promotes consistency
  • 21. What are the downsides? ! Time-consuming to write Often done post-project Serve current need only
  • 23. There are a wide range of pre-existing pattern libraries available today.
  • 24. Some of these pattern libraries have a simple purpose - such as responsive grid systems.
  • 25. Grid-based CSS libraries 1140 CSS Grid Mueller Grid System Responsive Grid System Responsive Grid System Less Framework 960 Grid System Susy 320 and up http://cssgrid.net/ http://www.muellergridsystem.com/ http://www.responsivegridsystem.com/ http://responsive.gs/ http://lessframework.com/ http://960.gs/ http://susy.oddbird.net/ https://github.com/malarkey/320andup
  • 26. Others are considered full “frameworks” that offer a wide range of components.
  • 27. These can include: ! Reset styles Grid systems Typography styles Browser fixes Common user-interface component styles
  • 29. There are some great benefits to using an existing framework: ! ready-to-use solution can pick & choose components easy implementation quick prototyping great for teams
  • 30. There may also be some downsides: ! may not suit your project no need for a complex library someone else’s conventions generic look
  • 34. Bootstrap vs. Banking application
  • 35. Should you use a pre-existing framework? It depends on the needs of the site and your team. There is no one answer.
  • 36. Assuming you want to create your own CSS pattern library, how do you go about it?
  • 38. Abstraction is essential to any CSS pattern library.
  • 39. The process involves: ! looking for components that may be repeated within the layout defining their characteristics creating HTML/CSS patterns for them 1. ! 2. 3.
  • 43. These boxes look like they have similar characteristics. If they were resolved into a pattern, this would make our HTML and CSS more efficient.
  • 44. What are the key things to keep in mind when creating any pattern?
  • 46. All patterns needs to be class- based so they can appear as many times as needed within an HTML document.
  • 49. We should avoid naming patterns based on the content, as we want to reuse these patterns often within the layout.
  • 50. /* avoid */! .signup { }! .member { }! .member-news { }! .wiki { }! .support { }! .database { }! ! /* preferred */! .box { }
  • 52. All patterns should work regardless of where they’re placed within the layout.
  • 53. /* avoid */! .sidebar .box { }! .main .box { }! ! /* preferred */! .box { }
  • 55. Ideally, patterns should avoid defining widths. Patterns should be allowed to spread to the width of any parent container.
  • 56. /* avoid */! .box-wide { width: 500px; }! .box-medium { width: 240px; }! .box-small { width: 120px; }! ! /* preferred */! .box { /* no width defined */ }
  • 57. Keep patterns as simple as possible
  • 58. Patterns should be defined as simply as possible. Otherwise they can become restrictive.
  • 59. .box! {! ! border-bottom: 5px solid #C8C8C8;! ! background-color: #e6e6e6;! ! /* may not be suitable */! ! margin-bottom: 1em;! }
  • 61. Patterns should not be written to undo other rules. For example, the <h3> element:
  • 63. We could be tempted to style the <h3> element with a coloured background - as it looks like this is the “default” appearance for all <h3> elements.
  • 64. /* default style */! h3! {! ! padding: 1em;! ! color: white;! ! background-color: red;! }
  • 65. But what happens if we needed to use an <h3> element later, and it doesn’t have a background-color? We might have to write a rule to undo our previous one.
  • 66. /* default style */! h3! {! ! padding: 1em;! ! color: white;! ! background-color: red;! }! ! /* undoing default style */! .no-background ! {! ! padding: 0;! ! color: #000;! ! background-color: none;! }!
  • 67. It is best to avoid over-styling elements or patterns so that they do not have to be undone later.
  • 68. /* default style */! h3! {! }! ! /* only when background needed */! .class-name! {! ! padding: 1em;! ! color: white;! ! background-color: red;! }!
  • 70. Patterns should not rely on the HTML structure. What happens if the structure changes in some instances - like a different heading level being used?
  • 71. <div class="box">! ! <h3></h3>! <div>! ! <div class="box">! ! <h4></h4>! <div>! ! ! /* avoid if possible */! .box h3, .box h4! {! ! padding: 10px; ! ! background-color: orange; ! }! !
  • 72. It is always better to create a class-based pattern for any specific styling needs.
  • 73. <div class="box">! ! <h3 class="box-heading"></h3>! <div>! ! <div class="box">! ! <h4 class="box-heading"></h4>! <div>! ! ! /* preferred */! .box-heading! {! ! padding: 10px; ! ! background-color: orange; ! }!
  • 75. How can we let developers know that our new class called “box-heading” relates to the “box” class?
  • 76. <div class="box">! ! <h3 class="box-heading"></h3>! <div>!
  • 77. We could use a naming convention that was originally defined as part of BEM: ! http://bem.info/
  • 78. And then extended by Nicolas Gallagher: ! http://nicolasgallagher.com/about-html-semantics- front-end-architecture/
  • 79. And then modified slightly again by Harry Roberts: ! http://csswizardry.com/2013/01/mindbemding- getting-your-head-round-bem-syntax/
  • 80. This naming convention is based on the idea that page layouts can be broken down into a series of re-usable “modules”.
  • 81. If a module needs to be modified or extended, a “module modifier” would be used.
  • 82. If a module has child elements that need to be styled, a “module descendant” could be used.
  • 83. These different types of class names need to be relatable and recognisable.
  • 84. /* Module */! .module-name {}! ! /* Module modifier*/! .module-name--modifier-name {}! ! /* Module descendant*/! .module-name__descendant-name {}! ! /* Module descendant modifier*/! .module-name__descendant--modifier {}!
  • 85. <!-- Module -->! <div class="box"></div>! ! <!-- Module modifier -->! <div class="box box--alt"></div>! ! <!-- Module descendant -->! <div class="box">! ! <h3 class="box__heading"></h3>! </div>! ! <!-- Module descendant modifier -->! <div class="box">! ! <h3 class="box__content box__content--alt"></h3>! </div>!
  • 87. With this naming convention, we can now add two “module descendants” to our HTML markup:
  • 88. <!-- Module -->! <div class="box">! ! ! <!-- Module descendant -->! ! <h3 class="box__heading"></h3>! ! ! <!-- Module descendant -->! ! <div class="box__content"></div>! </div>!
  • 89. .box! {! ! margin-bottom: 1em;! ! border-bottom: 5px solid #C8C8C8;! ! background-color: #e6e6e6;! }! ! .box__heading! {! ! margin: 0;! ! padding: 10px 15px;! ! text-transform: uppercase;! }! ! .box__content { margin: 15px; }!
  • 91. But what about the boxes that are very similar, but have some unique characteristics - like the decorative cog image?
  • 93. If we needed to modify or extend the original module, we would create a modifier class name.
  • 94. <!-- Module modifier -->! <div class="box box--alt">! ! <h3 class="box__heading"></h3>! ! <div class="box__content"></div>! </div>!
  • 95. However, in this case, we need to modify the “box__content” class. We need to create a “module descendant modifier”.
  • 96. <!-- Module modifier -->! <div class="box">! ! <h3 class="box__heading"></h3>! ! <div class="box__content box__content —cog"></div>! </div>!
  • 97. .box__content--cog! {! ! padding-right: 100px;! ! background-image: url(cog.png);! ! background-repeat: no-repeat;! ! background-position: 100% 0;! }!
  • 99. In one of the boxes, there is a piece of text that is aligned to the right. How do we solve this?
  • 101. We could make it another module descendant - and apply this to the link.
  • 102. .box__link {}! ! ! ! <div class="box">! ! <h3 class="box__heading"></h3>! ! <div class="box__content">! ! ! <p class="box__link"></p>! ! </div>! </div>! !
  • 103. Or we could use a different type of class, called a “helper” or “utility” class.
  • 104. Nicolas Gallagher’s SUIT CSS includes a set of classes called “utilities”. ! https://github.com/suitcss/suit
  • 105. /* Utility classes */! .u-utilityName {}! ! ! <!-- example markup --> ! <article class="Tweet">! ! <a class="u-floatRight"></a>! ! <div class="u-sizeFill">! ! ! <a class="u-linkComplex"></a>! ! </div>! </article>!
  • 106. Bootstrap also uses these types of classes, but calls them “helper” classes. ! http://getbootstrap.com/css/#helper-classes
  • 107. /* Utility classes */! .text-muted { color: #777; } ! .text-primary { color: #428bca; }! .text-success { color: #3c763d; }! ! ! <!-- example markup --> ! <p class="text-muted">...</p>! <p class="text-primary">...</p>! <p class="text-success">...</p>
  • 108. These types of classes are designed to be added to elements where needed, without having to resort to styling elements individually.
  • 109. /* Helper classes */! .h-text-right { text-align: right; }! ! ! ! ! <!-- example markup --> ! <p class="h-text-right">! ! <a href="#">More</a>! </p>!
  • 110. For front-end developers who grew up in the “keep your markup clean” era, these classes could be considered the work of Satan.
  • 111. I’ve found them to be invaluable - when you need to add a single function to an element without having to create a specific class.
  • 113. In 2011, Jonathan Snook introduced SMACSS. One of the key principles is to categorise CSS rules into five different categories. ! https://smacss.com/
  • 114. Base - HTML elements Layout - grids Module - reusable components State - states of modules etc Theme - theming modules etc
  • 115. These categories are a great way to break up huge chunks of CSS rules into manageable sections.
  • 116. We could use one of these categories - theme styles - to define the background-colors on our headings.
  • 118. <h3 class="box__heading bgcolor-red"></h3>! <h3 class="box__heading bgcolor-blue"></h3>! <h3 class="box__heading bgcolor-orange"></h3>! <h4 class="box__heading bgcolor-grey"></h4>!
  • 119. .bgcolor-red, .bgcolor-blue, .bgcolor- orange, .bgcolor-grey { color: #fff; }! ! .bgcolor-red ! { background-color: #B21F24; }! ! .bgcolor-blue ! { background-color: #1D5980; }! ! .bgcolor-orange ! { background-color: #C56F00; }! ! .bgcolor-grey ! { background-color: #444445; }
  • 121. Here are some tips on the overall approach to CSS pattern libraries.
  • 123. In mid 2013, Brad Frost introduced Atomic Design - a methodology for creating design systems with five distinct levels in atomic design. ! http://bradfrostweb.com/blog/post/atomic-web- design/
  • 124. Atoms - HTML elements Molecules - groups of atoms Organisms - groups of molecules Templates - groups of organisms Pages - instances of templates
  • 125. Atomic design defines the process as starting from smallest components and building to largest.
  • 126. Ideally, large components should not need to be defined in a pattern library as they should be build up, like lego, from smaller components.
  • 128. Establish a class naming convention as early as possible in the process. Then document this convention and enforce it!
  • 130. Make sure any class naming convention is easy for others to follow. I have worked on projects where teams are constantly changing, so quick take-up is critical.
  • 132. I’ve worked on projects where the LESS architecture needs to be mapped out in spreadsheets in order for teams to understand. In almost all cases, this was unnecessary. Keep it as simple as possible.
  • 134. Bottom line: HTML/CSS pattern libraries are an important tool for anyone doing CSS today no matter how large or small your website. Get out there and get busy!
  • 135. Russ Weakley Max Design ! Site: maxdesign.com.au Twitter: twitter.com/russmaxdesign Slideshare: slideshare.net/maxdesign Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/russweakley