Cascading Stylesheets (CSS)

CSS3 is latest standard these days. It supports all previous features of css2 as well. Important  modules added in css3 are:

• Selectors
• Box Model
• Backgrounds and Borders
• Image Values and Replaced Content
• Text Effects
• 2D/3D Transformations
• Animations
• Multiple Column Layout
• User Interface

All these modules cover all latest features of css like gradient, shadow, effects, opacity etc.

Basics  and advanced details of CSS3 can be covered from w3c website http://www.w3schools.com/css/css3_intro.asp w3c validator validate the css

CSS frameworks are in demand these. These frameworks are based on some backend environment. Dynamic stylesheet language, extends the CSS with dynamic behavior such as variables, mixins, operations and functions.

Benefits of using frameworks are:

•  File size minimized.
• Code reusability increases.
• Encourage grid based design.
• No need to reinvent the wheel.
• Enables cross browser functionality.
• Speeds up development.

Most commonly used css frameworks are:

1. LESS Framework:  Refer http://lesscss.org/ and http://lessframework.com/    

It runs on both server side (using Node.js) and client side (in modern browsers only).

Less.js need to add on page to run less stylesheet.

File extension is .less

2. SASS Framework: Refer http://sass-lang.com

Ruby-on-rails required in backend to run SASS file.

File extension is .sass or .scss