Friday, January 8, 2010

Why Use CSS?

Coming up with a good website design is definitely a must if you want to make it big in the net. However, going all through those codes can hinder you from coming out with that good design. Luckily, you can make everything much easier by using CSS.

Short for cascading style sheet, CSS is a language that allows a web designer to define the stylistic elements and layout of a website. It provides the designer with an easy way to construct the site without having to go through all the code. Though it is primarily used for HTML sites, it also works with other markup languages, such as XML.

What CSS basically are small sets of code that defines what parameters the various elements of a site are set in. These codes can either be set inside the main code or separated in its own file. The browsers then read these and apply it to the pages or to specific areas indicated in the code.

Interestingly, many beginning web designers still feel a bit anxious about using CSS. This is mainly due to the fact that it means that they have to learn a new scripting language again. This is indeed true; however, CSS is a relatively simple language and can be easily learned while studying other web design languages. It also offers several other advantages that will be worth learning it.

For one, it makes designing much easier. All you need to do is put all the design elements in the CSS file and you can then concentrate on the contents in the main code. This also makes your main code much easier to read, since there are no more additional pieces that are in it.

Having a style sheet also makes redesigning your site much easier. Instead of having to change everything in the main code, all you have to do is modify a few lines in the CSS file and it automatically applies it to everything in the page. CSS is also very flexible, all you have to do is insert small bits of code to make minor changes.

Another good thing about CSS is that it is, in fact, supported by all browsers. This means that you will not have cross compatibility issues when running your site. Also, unlike other scripts, which are often blocked by browsers, CSS works freely with them without having to modify browser settings.

Using CSS also makes your pages load much faster, since the browser only needs to read through the CSS file once in order to render your pages. Also, it makes your files much smaller, which adds to the ease of loading. And faster loading times are very much important in having a good site.

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