Learning CSS for Beginners

Ever wondered what CSS is? In this article, we will focus on having a deeper look into CSS. From its definition to its importance and how it is used. The main aim of this CSS tutorial is to make you have a better understanding of the term CSS.

CSS also known as Cascading Style Sheets, are used in describing and formatting documents that are in markup language. It defines how HTML elements can be presented. This could be on media, paper or screen. HTML refers to the content or meaning. Style sheets refer to how the document is presented. CSS also offers an extra feature to HTML.

CSS and HTML are used to change user interfaces and the style of web pages. It is used with a wide range of XML documents such as XUL, SVG, and plain XML just to name but a few. Most website designers use HTML and CSS to create different user interfaces for web applications and mobile applications.

What does CSS allow you to do?

CSS allows you to do a wide range of activities, below are the two core things it enables you to do.

1. Change the face of your website with a few alterations on the CSS code

2. Give your old HTML documents a new look.

CSS can be applied in 3 ways to HTML

Inline, internal and external

Inline:

Using style attribute, inline styles are placed directly into HTML tags. You then provide properties to it which makes the chosen paragraph red.

Internal:

CSS can also be applied by using the style element. It is applied in the head segment of the HTML document being worked on. Also referred to as embedded and is used in full paragraphs. Style tags surround all styles for the page, making the links on that page blue and the paragraphs red.

External:

In this, an external stylesheet is used. A CSS extension is used to create a stylesheet and its link included in the HTML document.

CSS selectors

To style elements, they have to be selected first. Below are the different ways that HTML can be selected.

1. Element – use the name to select an HTML element

2. Class- the elements are allotted different cases. A single element can have many classes and one class can have many elements as well.

3. ID- ID elements are used to HTML elements and then styling is applied to them.

Fonts and colors

There are two types of fonts categories that CSS uses to enhance the look of HTML documents.

Generic. This is a group of font families with comparable looks.
Font. This is a precise font family.

Benefits of using CSS

1. Simplifies a big problem

Initially, it was tedious to change the font, border, color, size, and background style as one was required to repeat the procedure on each page. This is time-consuming, especially where you are developing a large website and you have to repeat the process on each page. CSS enables you to do that with ease.

2. Offers more features

As compared to plain HTML, it offers more attributes with more details giving websites a better look and edge.

3. Saves on time and work

Since the definitions of CSS style are saved in an external CSS file, you can change the whole website by adjusting a single file. CSS allows you to control the layout of multiple pages on a website at once.

We trust that the CSS tutorial offered above has shed more light on CSS as well as how it is used and its benefits.