---
tags: mstu5003, tinker, html, css, bootstrap
---

# TINKER: Bootstrap 5.x

---

**See demonstration: https://codepen.io/jmk2142/pen/yLXdqbd**
<!-- (Old version 4.x): https://codepen.io/jmk2142/pen/EwKXbo -->

[codepen External Bootstrap CSS URL](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.2.2/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css)

After our run with basic HTML/CSS and trying to produce our websites, many of you have probably noticed that it's actually quite a chore to get your pages and parts of to align correctly using `margins` and `padding`, different `width and height units` like `px` and `%`. Actually, there are even more: `em rem vh vw` etc. To make matters even more difficult, I think you all have probably experienced how the representations of your visual layouts and definitions of dimensions is highly impacted by the hierarchy of your elements and what rules are set on the parents and grandparents of a particular thing.

The nice thing is: **there are solutions to this.**

## Responsive Design and Bootstrap

This week is mostly about continuing to practice the basic `html/css` we've learned last week in preparation for having some content and interactive user interfaces that we can use to make Javascript more interesting.

Thus, I wanted this week's tinker problem to be around something called Bootstrap - which is simply a `CSS` file that two people at Twitter created so that you don't have create all those intricate rules yourself.

Bootstrap provides a bunch of pre-defined helper classes that do things for the [LAYOUT](https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.2/layout) Things like:

- Set margins and paddings for you and provide a simple, predictable, yet flexible way to layout content at the page level, (see [Grid System](https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.2/layout/grid/).)
- Set rules that will automatically make your page change it's layout depending on what kind of screen is being used to view it. (e.g. 3 columns on a big screen but only 1 and content stacked in order if on mobile.)
- Provide basic pretty styles to your typography and interfaces.
- Provide ways to create components, which are groups of different elements to make a more sophisticated larger thing.
- Provide more advanced javascript driven interactive interfaces and features.

Bootstrap isn't the only option here. There are many different kinds of 3rd party libraries which we call HTML/CSS Frameworks. Examples:

- https://getbootstrap.com/
- http://materializecss.com/
- https://getmdl.io/components/index.html
- https://semantic-ui.com/usage/layout.html

Bootstrap traditionally was one of the more popular ones as it's pretty easy to pick up and made significant contributions to this space. I will support Bootstrap in this class but if you learn to use Bootstrap, the basics concepts apply to other frameworks. You just need to learn the framework specific `classes`.

Like mentioned, they generally share common features. The basic thing to keep in mind with these frameworks is:

- Use the provided **GRID SYSTEM**.
- The results are driven by the correct use of the framework provided `classes`.
- In using their `classes`, you are agreeing to their _opinions_ about how to use the classes.
- This means, `classes` tend to have distinct effects based on how they are used *together* and the *hierarchy* in which they are used.
- Thus, you MUST follow their specifications exactly.

:::success
**RECOMMENDED STUDY**

To get the most of Bootstrap:

- Align your studies with FCC: Front End Libraries > Bootstrap unit
- Read the Bootstrap documentation on Grids carefully: https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.2/layout/grid/ --- They work in conjunction with `containers > rows > columns`

- [Containers](https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.2/layout/containers/)
- [Grid](https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.2/layout/grid/)
- [Columns](https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.2/layout/columns/)
- Browse through the https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.2/content page (i.e. typography, code, images, tables, figures) to be aware of the `classes` available to you to do certain stylistic things.
- Browse through the https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.2/components page to be aware of the _components_ available to you through Bootstrap and a gist of how `classes` are used to create these components.
:::

## Tinker Tasks

- Like we did with the prior Tinker, fork the codepen to play with it.
- **COMPARE AND CONTRAST** this Tinker (which uses Bootstrap) with [last week's codepen](https://codepen.io/jmk2142/pen/dVMRRq).
- Use the guiding prompts and questions to **manipulate** the code **one thing at a time** and _see_ what happens.
- **Articulate** your understanding and share your findings and insights with your weekly group and/or the class.

### FRAMEWORK: OVERARCHING

- In the settings of the CSS Pane (click on the gear) there is a section called Add External CSS. Remove the resource (Bootstrap) line.
- What happens to the page and why?

*If Bootstrap line deleted, some resource Bootstrap provided will null(such as text and picture align, hierarchy of elements, button types, etc.)*
- You can add the resource back: https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.2.2/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css
- Enter the above resource directly into your browser URL input to go to the page and scan through the resource.
- What is Bootstrap really?
*Bootstrap is a front-end development framework that contains many tools for building a beautiful and fully functional website, including pull-down menus, button groups, button pull-down menus, navigation, navigation bars, path navigation, paging, typesetting, thumbnails, warning dialogs, progress bars, media objects, etc.*
- I have a few CSS rules in the CSS pane. Comment them out.
- What happens to the page and why?
*Converting comments to actual code will add dotted borders to all contents of the page.*

- What is the relation between my CSS and the External Resource?
*External Resource(s) provides a simplified version of the way that many css need to render web pages (you only need to provide specific class attributes to achieve specific requirements)*
- How does my CSS "intersect" with the External Resource?
*By given elements specific class name.*
- What do you think is the sequence of how the External Resource and my CSS are loaded?
*External Resource loaded at the beginning of code, CSS loaded as the code order.*
- What kinds of things could happen, if I am careless with my own CSS rules?
- Are you stuck with all of Bootstrap's rules? How does our own CSS come into play if we don't like a particular Bootstrap rule?
- Compare this Tinker's custom CSS vs. last week's CSS.
- What kind of specific rules did I have to make last week that I did not have to do this week to achieve a very similar result?
*No need to spend much time to code in CSS to layout various elements and control their attributes (border, size, color, etc.)*
- What then is the _advantage_ of using a framework like Bootstrap?
*Extremely simplify what programmer need to do in CSS and provides very useful and elegant features.*
- What are some _disadvantages_ of using a framework like Bootstrap?
*If any, the HTML code get longer and there is more specific class programmer need to remember and deal with.*
- Compare the HTML from this week's Tinker vs. last week's Tinker HTML.
- I use a class called `.container` in both. Is this a special `class`? Are they the same thing?
- There are many more `classes` used in this week's Tinker. Where do these classes come from?
- Remove classes like `img-thumbnail` and some of the `danger`, `info`, etc. classes in the table and/or try adding them to other elements. Might work, might not.
- How do these kinds of `classes` relate and rely on the bigger structure and `class` rules of a framework?
- Analyze the form and refer to https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.2/forms. Try to convert this BASIC form to an **horizontal form** and/or an **inline form**. Some of the examples have extra attributes like `id`, `placeholder`.
- Are the non-class attributes important in terms of getting Bootstrap to work? (How do you know?)
- If you deviate from the specifications, particularly: 1) the classes used, 2) the hierarchy expected, how might that affect your result?
- Manipulate the form to "exclude" certain classes as prescribed by the Bootstrap guide and examples.
- How does not following the specifications affect the output?
- What are the key aspects you need to be paying attention to when learning and implementing these framework features?
- What is the best way to learn how to use a new framework feature?
- Think about your experience building a page from scratch last week.
- What is your attitude on using, learning new frameworks like this?

### GRID SYSTEM

<div class="container">
  <div class="row">
    <div class="col-__">
      <!-- CONTENT -->
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

- FIND the above pattern(s) within the HTML.
- Move a `.row` to the outside of a container. What happens?
- Move a column outside a row but within a container. What happens?
- What is the importance of using these three classes together `container`, `row`, `col-__` and in the correct hierarchical sequence?
- Manipulate some of the content inside the columns to different parts of the page, keeping in mind whether the content is inside a `row`, or a `container`, or none.
- What happens when content falls outside of the columns?
- Manipulate the column classes to replace some `col-12` to `col-xl-4`. Then, drag your browser screen out to make it really large or really small. Or you can zoom in or zoom out of your browser to get the similar effect.
- What does the `xs`, `sm`, `md`, `lg`, `xl`, `xxl` represent in the column `class` notation?
*xs, xl, xxl are extra small, extra large and extra extra large separately, sm, md, lg are small, middle, large separately.*
- Manipulate the column classes to replace some `col-12` to `col-3`. This is partly dependent on how large your browser window is so you might have to play with the size or zoom in and out to see differences.
- What does the `number` in the column name represent with respect to the GRID system?
*Number notate how many parts you would like to divided.*
- Carefully observe and compare this column **class naming system** (i.e. _opinion_) that Bootstrap has, with the column naming system of these _other_ GRID SYSTEMS:
- https://semantic-ui.com/collections/grid.html
- Click on the `<>` on the page to see the actual code with `classes`
- http://materializecss.com/grid.html
- http://getskeleton.com/#grid
- What are the similarities and what are the differences?
- What is a Grid System _convention_ vs. _rule_? Can you give an example?
- What would happen to my columns if I remove Bootstrap from my page?
- Is the class, `col-xs-6` for example, really that special?
- Visit the following link: [Grid System Explained](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wqu-d_b3K-0)
- What is the advantage of using popular tools like Bootstrap?

:::success
**Did you know?** As a student, you have access to the full Lynda.com / LinkedInLearning library. These are fantastic resources if you want to actually see the details of specific feature implementation.

Thing with these tutorials is that they tend to explain _how to do_ specific things, but don't quite address the issue of deeper understanding to explicitly address how concepts relate and tie together. That said, used in _conjunction_ with activities like the Tinkers, can be a very powerful combo.

To access Lynda.com:
- Log IN with your student account
- https://www.linkedin.com/learning
- See the Bootstrap Essentials VIDEO Tutorial
- https://www.linkedin.com/learning/bootstrap-5-essential-training
:::

- How does the combination of different ways of observing, manipulating, thinking, and applying code help learners to develop a comprehensive mental model of understanding?

## COMPONENTS

- Browse through the different [COMPONENTS](http://getbootstrap.com/components/) of the Bootstrap Framework and observe **_the pattern_** of how the documentation is presented. Experiment with BUTTONS for a good example: https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.2/components/button-group/
- When learning to use new components in a framework, what do you think is the best practice on how to learn about the feature?

*Understand every arguments in “function”, change the parameters of the new feature, compare with similar components, and observe the changes of the webpage.*

- In my table, I have "Extremely Deadly" as a label of sorts, that is bright red which is defined by the `.bg-danger` class. OVERRIDE this rule in your custom CSS pane to make `.bg-danger` a `pink` color using the following value: `pink !important`
- Try removing the `!important` and what happens? Why?
- What affect might this have on other parts of my page?
- Pick a few different components you find interesting. Try to implement them into your Tinker fork on Codepen.
- Share with your group what you found about the experience of learning to use new features and what your takeaway was.

## JAVASCRIPT

:::info
Some components, mostly those that will react to user interaction are driven by Javascript. We aren't quite there yet. You are free to play with these features, but for the group conversation try to focus on the non-programmatic features.
:::

## NOTES

I'm hoping that this week's tinker will help you implement your design ideas for the project due at the end of the week. The purpose is to 1) provide you with a set of concepts that build on your prior experiences to deepen your understanding and 2) provide you with a practical set of tools that will reduce the development time of your project dramatically.

I recommend that during your discussion, you also address your design ideas for this week's project which I have outlined in the Project Specifications. You can use that as a guide to talk about the important learning design concepts you are considering.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. :smile_cat: