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CSS Application Architecture
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Turn features on and off without deploys. Used by thousands of Ruby developers.
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Nicolas Gallagher
September 10, 2013
Programming
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CSS Application Architecture
An introduction to the aims and design of the SUIT framework
Nicolas Gallagher
September 10, 2013
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Transcript
CSS Application Architecture @necolas
What’s the difference between “Architecture”, “Framework”, and “Toolkit”?
Architecture… a plan about how to structure an application.
None
Framework… an implementation of an architecture that someone can use
as the basis for a working application.
None
Toolkit / Library… a collection of pre-built patterns that can
be assembled to create an application.
None
Making architectural decisions
Client / Agency work
None
I don’t need an architecture!
None
None
Long-lived product work
No clients to blame :(
Find the right problems
Clean code! …no
“Does he ever think of anything rbut himself?”
Dealing with change
Reducing helplessness
Communicate ways of thinking
The freest human is the one who never has to
choose
1. Single responsibility 2. Extension over modification 3. Composition over
inheritance 4. Low coupling 5. Encapsulation 6. Documentation
Home Sidebar Tweetbox .home .sidebar .tweetbox { ... } .home
.footer .listbox { ... } Footer Listbox
Home Sidebar Tweetbox .tweetbox { ... } .listbox { ...
} Footer Listbox
SUIT framework github.com/suitcss/suit
Web Component-y .tweet { /* make it look good */
} .avatar { ... } .text { ... } <article class="tweet"> ... <img class="avatar" ...> ... <p class="text">...</p> </article>
# utilities u-utilityName # components ComponentName ComponentName--modifierName ComponentName-descendantName # js
utilities js-hookName
None
HTML example <article class="Tweet is-favorited"> ... <img class="Avatar Avatar--large" ...>
... <p class="Tweet-text">...</p> </article>
.Tweet { ... } /* Component */ .Tweet.is-favorited { ...
} /* State */ <article class="Tweet is-favorited"> ... <img class="Avatar Avatar--large" ...> ... <p class="Tweet-text">...</p> </article>
.Tweet { ... } /* Component */ .Tweet-text { ...
} /* Descendant */ <article class="Tweet is-favorited"> ... <img class="Avatar Avatar--large" ...> ... <p class="Tweet-text">...</p> </article>
.Avatar { ... } /* Component */ .Avatar--large { ...
} /* Modifier */ <article class="Tweet is-favorited"> ... <img class="Avatar Avatar--large" ...> ... <p class="Tweet-text">...</p> </article>
<article class="Tweet"> <a class="u-linkComplex" ...> ... <b class="u-linkComplex-target"> {user.name} </b>
<span class="u-textMute"> {user.screenname} </span> </a> <p class="Tweet-text u-textBreak">...</p> ... </article>
<article class="Tweet"> <a class="u-linkComplex" ...> ... <b class="u-linkComplex-target"> {user.name} </b>
<span class="u-textMute"> {user.screenname} </span> </a> <p class="Tweet-text u-textBreak">...</p> ... </article>
<article class="Tweet"> {{>partials/tweet_useridentity}} <div class="u-sizeFit"> {{>partials/tweet_text}} {{>partials/tweet_media}} {{>partials/tweet_actions}} </div> </article>
<x-tweet user-fullname="{{user.fullname}}" user-screenname="{{user.screenname}}" user-avatar="{{user.avatar}}" show-actions show-media> {{text}} </x-tweet>
What about RWD?
bostonglobe.com
92 separate @media directives 27 different width values 380 480
481 600 620 639 640 700 750 768 788 799 800 809 810 900 930 931 960 980 1024 1050 1100 1200 1210 1220 1400
Restraint required
@import “component/grid-v1.css”; @import “component/grid-v2.css” (min-width: 20em); @import “component/grid-v3.css” (min-width: 50em);
.v1-u-size1of2 { ... } .v2-u-size1of4 { ... } .v3-u-size1of6 {
... }
Tooling
bower.io
# bower.json { "name": "my-app", "dependencies": { "normalize-css": "~2.1.0", "suit-utils":
"~0.6.0", "suit-button": "~2.0.0”, "suit-grid": "~0.2.0", ... } }
None
CSS preprocessing
Automatic vendor prefixes
.Button { background: linear-gradient(…); }
.Button { background: -webkit-linear-gradient(…); background: linear-gradient(…); }
CSS variables
:root { var-button-bg: linear-gradient(…); } .Button { background: var(button-bg); }
.Button { background: linear-gradient(…); }
Conformance checking
Nothing is perfect Nothing lasts Nothing is finished
Accept transience and imperfection
End