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CSS

Cascading style sheets

CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, is a cornerstone technology of the web, alongside HTML and JavaScript. CSS is used to describe the presentation of a document written in HTML or XML.

It controls the layout of multiple web pages all at once and allows web developers to create visually engaging websites.

This guide aims to provide a detailed understanding of CSS, explaining its significance, how it works, and its practical applications.

What is CSS?

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a stylesheet language used to define the look and formatting of a document written in HTML or XML. While HTML structures the content on a web page, CSS determines how that content is displayed.

By separating the content from the design, CSS enables more flexibility and control over the presentation of web pages.

Key Features of CSS

CSS offers a variety of features that make it an essential tool for web design:

  • Styling: CSS allows you to apply styles such as colors, fonts, and spacing to HTML elements. This includes everything from text formatting to background colors and borders.
  • Layout Control: CSS provides control over the layout of web pages, including the positioning of elements, grid layouts, and flexible box layouts (Flexbox).
  • Responsive Design: CSS is crucial for creating responsive designs that adapt to different screen sizes and devices. Media queries, a feature of CSS, allow you to apply different styles based on the characteristics of the device.
  • Animations and Transitions: CSS can be used to create animations and transitions, adding movement and interactivity to web pages without the need for JavaScript.
  • Modular and Reusable: CSS can be written in separate files, known as external stylesheets, making it easier to maintain and reuse across multiple web pages.

How CSS Works

CSS works by associating rules with HTML elements. A CSS rule consists of a selector and a declaration block:

  • Selector: This part of the rule specifies which HTML element the rule applies to.
  • Declaration Block: This contains one or more declarations, each consisting of a property and a value. For example, color: red; is a declaration that sets the text color to red.

Here’s a simple example:

h1 {
color: blue;
font-size: 24px;
}

In this example, h1 is the selector that targets all <h1> elements, and the declarations change the text color to blue and the font size to 24 pixels.

Types of CSS

There are three ways to apply CSS to a web page:

  • Inline CSS: CSS is applied directly within an HTML element using the style attribute. This method is generally discouraged because it mixes content with presentation.
    <h1 style="color: red;">Hello, World!</h1>
  • Internal CSS: CSS is placed within a <style> tag inside the HTML document’s <head> section. This is useful for small websites or individual pages with unique styles.
    <head>
    <style>
    h1 {
    color: red;
    }
    </style>
    </head>
  • External CSS: CSS is written in a separate file with a .css extension and linked to the HTML document using the <link> tag. This is the preferred method for larger websites as it keeps the style separate from the content.
    <head>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css">
    </head>

Benefits of Using CSS

Implementing CSS in your web design offers numerous advantages:

  • Consistency: CSS enables consistent styling across multiple web pages. By using external stylesheets, you can ensure that your website maintains a uniform look and feel.
  • Improved Maintenance: With CSS, you can update the style of your entire website by changing just one file, making it easier to manage and maintain.
  • Faster Loading Times: Separating content from design can reduce the amount of HTML code, resulting in smaller file sizes and faster loading times.
  • Accessibility: CSS allows for better accessibility by providing options to design with accessibility standards in mind. This includes responsive layouts and media queries for different devices.

Practical Applications of CSS

CSS is used in various aspects of web design and development:

  • Web Layouts: CSS is essential for creating complex layouts, from simple column structures to intricate grid systems.
  • Styling Text: CSS provides numerous properties to style text, including font-family, font-size, font-weight, color, line-height, and text-align.
  • Responsive Design: Using media queries, CSS can adapt web pages to look good on all devices, from mobile phones to large desktop monitors.
  • Animations: CSS animations can bring web pages to life with smooth transitions and effects.
  • Theming: CSS enables the creation of themes that can be easily switched to change the look and feel of a website.

Conclusion

CSS is a powerful tool that plays a fundamental role in web design and development. By separating content from presentation, CSS provides greater flexibility and control over the appearance of web pages.

Understanding and mastering CSS can significantly enhance your ability to create visually appealing, user-friendly websites.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced web developer, CSS is an invaluable skill that opens up a world of creative possibilities.

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April 26, 2024

Bob manages three websites for me and he's brilliant at what he does. Every time I have a question or need help to add or change something, he's always prompt and ready to support. We know how sometimes WordPress can screw things up with updates, or a plugin that stops working, Bob is there fixing it before I even realise there's an issue. He's so reliable and I never have to worry about things breaking. This peace of mind is invaluable.

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March 28, 2024

Bob has been really helpful in the much needed redesign of our website, and set-up of our new webshop. He has been supportive and quick in responding to any queries we've had since and we would highly recommend him. Thanks Bob! :) Abby & Jon

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December 15, 2023

We use Bob at SushiWP for our website. He comes highly recommended as a reliable and professional web developer. Excellent communication and high quality work.

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December 15, 2023

Brilliant service. Bob is extremely knowledgeable and efficient. He explains everything clearly and delivers results in a timely manner. I highly recommend his services. Thank you!

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December 13, 2022

When creating the website for the Duke of Connaught's Own Club, Bob was tasked with one thing; that when people open our page, the reaction is "Wow, where do I go first". Bob did not disappoint. He has developed a first class site that shows off all that is good about our Club. A very friendly guy and very easy to work with. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

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Darcy's Bistro & Bar
October 28, 2022

Nothing is never to much to ask , we are a new business and litrally bob has just helped us lift it of the ground with no stress as you have so many things to think about when opening a new business! .We just gave a few very vague ideas and bob put the whole website together , thank you so much :)

Really really pleased with my new website. I love it! It works brilliantly, most of our clients book online and we always get great comments from them about how good our web site is. Bob was great at listening to what I wanted and how I wanted it to look and work. He goes that extra mile, several in my case as we made quite a few changes along the way. We need to update our web page weekly with new content and Bob made that really easy for us to do and created a video to show us how to do it. I highly recommend him to anyone wanting a brilliant web page. Thanks a million Bob, its so good to have a web page I am really proud of.

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September 23, 2021

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September 16, 2021

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September 14, 2021

After the 1st lock down we realised we needed a stronger website , Bob came as a recommendation and at the 1st meeting both companies clicked which is so important, At Sushi Wp they listen to our ideas and our vision on how we wanted the site to look and function, over coming issues with site traffic and bespoke development to help us give our customer a great web experience. Great Work Bob and his team

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July 1, 2021

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Hazel Hopkinson
November 11, 2020

Bob at SushiWP has proved to be invaluable in building my businesses new website! He is not afraid to talk to you personally rather than via email and doesn't blind you with science when discussing the technicalities of the World Wide Web! I would highly recommend this very patient human.

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Simply Hog Roast
February 6, 2020

Great firm, very professional and easy to deal with. Great communication, modern and vibrant ideas. Awsome value for money. I can easily recommend SushiWp to everyone looking for a decent website and many more related stuff. I Will be using them again soon. Thank you Bob. Great stuff. Raffa Ziegler Simply Hog Roast

SushiWP has been my website design & development partner for a couple of years now. In that time they replaced my very out-dated website with a streamlined new one that has resulted in a steep increase in orders, thanks mainly to a successful search engine optimisation & marketing campaign that has elevated many of my products onto page one of Google. I'd happily recommend them to anyone!

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Orbitpress Limited
February 18, 2019

SushiWP have always been very helpful, friendly and quick to respond to any issues we've had regarding our website or emails, sorting them swiftly so we can get on with our business. We love our latest website design. Orbitpress would definitely recommend them.

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Ellie Whitehall
February 18, 2019

I found Bob to be really easy to work with. He really understood my needs and developed a website that I am really pleased with. Any changes have been made quickly and easily. I would definitely recommend SushiWP.

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Nik Kershaw
February 15, 2019

Web design and hosting is a completely foreign world to me so I need a company I can trust to guide me through it. SushiWP are that company. They are knowledgeable and creative and any issues that inevitably crop up from time to time are dealt with promptly and with little fuss. I can't recommend SushiWP strongly enough.

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Spec Lens
February 15, 2019

SushiWP have served me well in creating and supporting my commercial website. They provide a friendly, professional creative, supportive service.

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Sue Adlam
February 14, 2019

The support that I've received from Bob of SushiWP has been totally amazing. I totally trust his integrity as a business owner and he is very personable/easy to chat to. His expertise and advice is always given with generosity and I trust him to offer the right options for me based on what I need and what I can afford. A rare commodity not often found in business - it's good to know that there are experts around that not only know their industry well, but take the trouble to consider how that applies to each individual - a truly bespoke service.

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Barnaby Howe
February 14, 2019

Super service and a great website.

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Sam Colverd
February 13, 2019

Since Sushi WP rebuilt my website, enquiries have increased and Bob was really helpful in sourcing and testing a great online booking system which has transformed my business! Highly recommended.

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