CSS is that thing you can’t seem to ever get working exactly how you want it. Jokes aside CSS stands for cascading style sheets, and it’s what allows web developers to customize the appearance of their webpages.
Generally CS undergrad core curriculum doesn’t dedicate time to CSS. Certain universities might have a course for it or mention it briefly in a course, but it’s mostly self taught. Obviously because of this there isn’t a whole lot of value in analyzing the two groups here. For that reason lets jump into the resources.
This weeks edition of Learning Computations runs the gamut on CSS resources spanning beginner to expert.
MDN (mozilla developer network) - MDN is THE resource for when it comes to anything web. That being said it’s a massive resource not only covering CSS. Other topics include HTML, web standards, protocols, and the like. MDN mainly provides two types of resources. Tutorials and references. Their tutorials are great for beginners to learn the basics, and their references are great for experienced developers when they need a quick find. Looking to build a foundation for CSS? Checkout their comprehensive guide on CSS. Want to learn something specific like CSS transform? Checkout their page on transform. Want to learn about anything web related? I’m sure MDN has written something about it.
CSS-Tricks.com - CSS Tricks is another fantastic resource for CSS(and Design considerations). They have many in-depth guides you can see here. Looking to learn something in particular like flexbox or CSS grid? Look no further. On top of being a great place to learn they also have a newsletter worth checking out. They’re a high quality resource, and if you spend anytime doing front end development they’re a resource that will pop up.
Marksheet.io - Marksheet.io is a website that I recently came across. It popped up as I was refreshing my memory on CSS animation, transforms, and transitions. I found it very succinct and straight forward, also it provided good graphic illustrations that helped me visualize what was going on. I recommend it as a straight to the point no bullshit kind of resource.
Interneting Is Hard - Interneting is hard aims to help beginners learn about HTML & CSS with an emphasis on design. One thing I love about it is it stresses the importance of writing code, and how that helps you understand what your doing. Internting Is Hard is a detailed and hands on resource. If you like getting your hands dirty and really seeing how things work this is a great place to start.
CSS Essential Training - This video course is available on lynda, and aimed at teaching the basics of CSS. I think it’s a great CSS 101 resource, and it’s the one I used when I started learning about CSS.
In my experience CSS is one of those things that’s conceptually easy to understand, but a bit difficult to put into practice. Many people (including myself) who understanding CSS still need to experiment with it to get the designs they wish. The takeaway here is CSS is something that you need to practice repeatedly to be able to use effectively.
If your looking to build a foundation on which you can logically use CSS in your own work then take a look at these resources
If you already know CSS then you’re familiar with how difficult it can be at times. I recommend the following resources for when you need a reference or are trying to learn something new