Are you excited to make your website more advanced and attractive? Do you struggle a lot to style your pages properly? Without effective CSS, web pages might look dull.
A well-optimized website requires more than HTML and other programming languages. Without the correct application of CSS, it is tough to add colors and different layouts and styles in making responsive pages. A poor design can make users frustrated.
In this article, I will craft a list of 10+ exciting features of CSS in detail with its different types. With powerful features like cascading style, padding, selectors, Box Models, layouts, positioning, and cross-browser compatibility, CSS creates a buzz in the programming world!
If you are looking for in-depth CSS knowledge or a professional who wants to upskill, joining a Full-Stack Web Development Course can assist you in leveling up your web development journey.
These below-listed stunning features not only help you make dynamic and versatile websites but also guide you with media queries for responsiveness.
Let’s kickstart your learning by understanding the concept of CSS first!
Learn Full-stack Web Development designed by industry experts with strategical planning that makes the way simpler for newbies.
What is CSS?
CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets, usually applied highly by developers to style web pages quickly and easily. You can adjust fonts, layouts, colors, styles, and more with the proper application of CSS. It helps you to keep your website well-optimized and look visually appealing.
Websites might look boring and flat without the proper application of CSS. Responsive websites which is, function accurately on different screen sizes and all of these made possible with the usage of CSS. It also allows the integration of animations and effects into your design.
HTML and CSS are the two major programs for creating responsive web pages. It is a popular programming language in web development and easy to learn. It takes fewer hours and manual efforts to design captivating and engaging websites with different types of CSS.
Table of Contents
Types of CSS in HTML
CSS is the most versatile programming language independent of HTML. There are three different types of CSS and they are; Inline CSS, Embedded or Internal CSS, and External CSS.
I have tried to cover each of these types below.
Let’s get started.
1. Inline CSS
Inline CSS is used immediately within an HTML tag with the help of the “Style” attribute. It is highly effective for fast styling and layouting of separate elements. Although, if you are working on a large project, it is not recommended, as code management will become challenging.
Advantages
- Inline CSS is beneficial for quick modifications.
- You don’t need any external files.
- It is easy to employ right away to a particular component.
- It is highly recommended for small design projects.
- It offers high preference over other types of CSS.
Disadvantages
- It is challenging to manage large websites or large projects.
- It enhances the size of the code and reduces its readability.
- It hurts the overall website performance due to repeated patterns and layouts.
- You can’t reuse the CSS for multiple components.
- The integration of CSS with HTML reduces the power of clean coding practices.
2. Embedded or Internal CSS
Internal CSS or Embedded CSS refers to the type that is written within the “<style>” tag inside the “<head>” section under the HTML file. It is beneficial for incorporating different styles and layouts into a webpage without needing external CSS files.
Advantages
- Internal CSS is beneficial for styling and layering a webpage.
- It helps in keeping different styles within the same file as HTML.
- It has a higher preference than external CSS.
- It enables the application of media queries for particular page styles.
- You don’t need to load additional CSS files.
Disadvantages
- One major drawback is it makes the HTML files more extensive than needed..
- This is not recommended for large websites having several web pages.
- You will not be able to reuse the styles again over multiple webpages.
- It is tough to manage while the website starts to expand.
- It offers a slower page loading speed than external CSS.
3. External CSS
External CSS is referred to as the type of CSS that is written under an external .css file, and it is linked to it with the help of <link> tag. It is the most essential way for styling different web pages independently.
Advantages
- External CSS helps to keep both the CSS and HTML separate and this makes code more cleaner as well as easy.
- It enables the re-application of different styles over various web pages.
- It also quickly updates the styles for the whole website.
- External CSS boosts the overall performance of website decreasing the size of HTML file.
- It assists in managing the design to look consistent to users.
Disadvantages
- External CSS needs additional HTTP requests to upload the CSS file.
- One major disadvantage of this type of CSS is that it takes a longer time to load larger files.
- This is not recommended to initiate fast style modifications
- Your website might look flat and unstyled due to the missing CSS file.
- This can also cause a FOUC, commonly known as Flash of Unstyled Content, before style loading.
10+ Unique Features of CSS You Must Know
As we already gained some idea about CSS and its types, we can now more toward to know more about the features of CSS. It has various dynamic features that help develop stunning yet responsive web pages.
Let’s get to know the excellent features of CSS below;
1. Free and Open-Source
You might use CSS without costing a penny as it is free and open source. You don’t need any license or subscription fee to use it. The styling of web pages becomes more manageable with the help of CSS or cascading style sheets. This is one of the most popular features of CSS. Due to it’s open-source nature, anyone can use it effectively in making websites.
Developers can modify and customize the CSS accordingly. Most of the developers perform actively in making CSS better than before. Due to its dynamic use, tutorials, free online materials, and community support are always available. It also helps in making user-intuitive and visually captivating websites.
2. Selectors
Selectors are widely employed by CSS to add stunning styles to various HTML elements. Selectors come in a different range of forms, such as ID, element, and class selectors. These assist in the styling of specific sections of a webpage.
For example, .classname targets specific elements, while the p selector is specific for styling all paragraphs. Programmers can change the look of different elements with the proper application of selectors. When selectors are applied accurately, the style becomes structured and productive.
3. Cascading in CSS
A well-organized cascading rule is followed by CSS for better styling of HTML elements. This highlights the application of styles according to preferences. If a component has claimed multiple styles, the most specific one is used. This is one of the most demanding features of CSS.
The most important thing is placed on inline styles, which are then rendered by internal and external CSS. The cascade effect assists in managing the application of effective styles. If needed, progmmers can modify styles easily. To make use of CSS perfectly, one should know about cascading styles.
4. Adding Padding
In CSS, padding leads to a gap between the content and the border of an element. Both the design and readability are boosted by this specific feature of CSS. Padding can be set up for the right, left, button, and top sides separately or all together. Padding addition is one of the most crucial features of CSS.
You can include spacing with the proper application of the padding property. It keeps data from hitting the edges of an element. A better arrangement and visual attraction are ensured with perfect cushioning. In addition to this, it offers a polished as well as a professional look to the websites.
5. Media Queries for Responsiveness
Media queries aid users in developing responsive websites. This enables different styles to be modified depending on the size of the screens. This helps in making the good appearance of a website on other devices such as smart phones, desktops, and tablets.
Different types of conditions, such as “min-width” and “max-width,” are applied by media queries to use styles. Responsive design boosts the overall user experience. It guarantees the functionality and readability of HTML elements on various devices. Proper application of media queries is crucial for advanced web development.
6. Styling
Styling is one of the most essential features of CSS. Different styling options are available in CSS to boost the look of web pages. Colors, margins, backgrounds, borders, and various elements can all be modified quickly. The style gives appeal and vibrancy to different websites.
It promotes the development of intuitive and responsive user interfaces. Programmers can generate professionally appealing and clean layouts with the proper application of CSS. Adequate application of styles helps boost the readability and navigation of a website. It is a highly recommended element for improving the overall user experience.
7. Text Colort Change
With the help of color elements, CSS allows the color modifications of text. Links, headings, and paragraphs can all have different hues put on them. Names, HSL values, HEX codes, and RGB can all be applied to represent colors.
Text color makes content more straightforward to read. In addition, it also boosts the design and access of a website. Higher visibility for users is guaranteed by accurate color contrast. Text Cohort change is viewed as one of the most dynamic features of CSS.
8. Hover Effects
Elements that have hover effects alter as the mouse glides over them. The hover selector in CSS is usually employed for this. Links, buttons, and images are often exposed to hover effects. They boost user interaction and readability.
Hover-activated, color changes and animations embedded content are all within. Reach Websites become more stunning and engaging with the application of these hover effects.
9. Box Model
The box model is considered one of the most demanding features of CSS. The four significant elements that structure the CSS Box Model are padding, margin, border, and content. It defines the way how a web page should be displayed.
Proper element arrangement is integrated by the box model of CSS. Whereas margins are responsible for adding space outside the element, padding helps in generating the room inside it. The borders are responsible for determining the edges. It is essential to understand the concept of the box model to accurately build and design the layout of a website.
10. Font Size
With the proper application of the font-size attribute, CSS allows text size adjustment. Font size set up can be made posible in formats like pixels, rem, percentages, and em. Reading becomes more straightforward with the integration of larger font sizes. For more straightforward text, smaller font sizes are often used.
The generation of a well-organized design is assisted by font size modifications. A higher user experience is ensured over all devices such as smart phones, desktops and more, with dynamic font sizes.
11. Adding Link Manually
CSS helps in link styling to make those more captivating. For links, it uses “a” tag and various states are also styled with the help of “: visited,” “: h over,” and “:active.” A range of effects, colors and underlines are used by links.
These also assist users in detecting the clickable elements easily and quickly. Specific styling helps links highlight without compromising the quality and readability. This is considered one of the significant features of CSS.
Final Notes,
Cascading Styles Sheets most commonly known as CSS is one of the fundamental element of web development. With the rise of online marketing, web-based applications, and e-commerce, CSS has become a multidimensional programming language.
This programming language is dynamic and super versatile offering web developers the full control over the look and feel of their web pages. It is necessary to make user-intuitive and visually appealing websites.
I hope that I have covered all the essential features of CSS in the aforementioned section. In addition to this, I have also illustrated the concept of CSS along with its types in an obvious yet catchy manner. CSS has become the prime choice for developers due to its fast development time and easy formatting changes.
Whether you are an expert web development professional or a beginner eager to learn more about the features of CSS, a Certification in Full-Stack Web Development Course will help. You can visit W3 Web School and check the complete course brochure for further queries.
Happy reading.