Welcome to CSS-Tricks Chronicle XXXXI

CSS-Tricks Chronicle XXXXI

Everything You Need to Know About What's New in CSS

Welcome to the CSS-Tricks Chronicle, a bi-monthly update that covers everything new and exciting in the world of CSS. In this edition we'll take a look at the latest features and changes available in modern CSS, along with some helpful tips and tricks for making your websites stand out from the rest. So let's dive right in!

Design Flexibility with CSS Variables

CSS variables are a powerful tool to help you create custom design elements with minimal effort and maximum flexibility. By creating one or more variables, you can quickly adjust values to change the overall look of your site, without having to change code throughout your stylesheet. Plus, by keeping your variables in external files like Sass or Less, they'll be easily accessible for future projects and updates.

Improve Performance with Defer Parsing of JavaScript

Deferring parsing of JavaScript is an important part of improving page loading times. By adding the "defer" attribute to script tags, the browser will not execute any JavaScript until after the page has finished loading. This will result in improved performance, especially on slower connections. Keep in mind that this doesn't apply to all JavaScript, so make sure to research which scripts are most important and defer them accordingly.

New Pseudo-Elements to Enhance Design

CSS now supports two new pseudoelements, ::marker and ::placeholder. These are useful for styling specific elements, such as list numbers or form input fields. For example, instead of having to add extra markup to a list, you can now use the ::marker pseudoelement to style the bullets of a list set. Similarly, you can use the ::placeholder pseudoelement to change the styling of a placeholder text in a form field.

Grid Layout: A Powerful New Tool for Building Responsive Layouts

One of the new tools now available in CSS is the Grid Layout. This feature allows developers to quickly and easily create complex grid-based layouts with minimal effort. Grid Layout works by dividing a page into columns and rows, allowing for flexible, responsive designs. This is especially helpful for mobile devices, as the grids remain intact even when the screen size changes.

The Future of CSS

As CSS continues to evolve, it will be interesting to watch these newest features become mainstream. With more tools for design flexibility and performance optimization, developers will be able to quickly create beautiful, functional websites with ease. We look forward to seeing what else CSS has in store for us in the near future.