If you want to start your career in web development then learning Bootstrap is the way to go. Bootstrap is basically a framework used for front-end development of web apps. Its front-end component library is widely used to create interactive and responsive web apps and websites that we are used to today.

If you don’t already know, you must be wondering what responsive websites are? In simple terms, the responsiveness of a website means that when the size of the screen on which the website is being seen changes, the layout of the website responds to that and change. This makes the websites look good no matter what screen size it is being viewed on.

How does Bootstrap work?

There are two ways you can use Bootstrap. You can either import the Bootstrap into your code or you can download a sample Bootstrap project and build your website on that.

Bootstrap uses a 12-column model for website display, which is called a Bootstrap grid. On this grid, you can define different breakpoints to layout different components like headings, paragraphs, and buttons to make your website look visually appealing. When the screen size scales down, the components on the grid change layout to fit the smaller screen. This means that viewing the same website looks great on a normal size screen of your laptop and a smaller screen of your smartphone.

Bootstrap has become one of the most popular front-end development frameworks today. If you are a beginner who wants to start learning Bootstrap then you are on the right blog. Because here are the top 10 tips to learn and master Bootstrap!

10 Ways you can master your Bootstrap skills:

1. Do Your Research on Bootstrap Documentation First

It is always a great step to carry out preliminary research on the thing that you want to use. You should learn about Bootstrap and how it works before you jumpstart to using it. Understand the ways it can be imported in your written code or how you can build a sample Bootstrap project.

All the information regarding Bootstrap documentation is available on their website. For most things, Bootstrap has prewritten code available which you need to research before you begin writing your own version.

2. Have Prior Knowledge of JavaScript, CSS and HTML

JavaScript, CSS, and HTML are front-end languages that are used by Bootstrap. To use the Bootstrap framework it is essential for you to be fluent in these languages and know what development software, such as IDE, to use with them.

It is not difficult to learn and JavaScript, CSS and HTML and there are a number of online resources available for you. There are also guides available to choose the best IDEs for these languages. For example, here is a list of Top 20 Best IDE For Web Development In 2019. With a little bit of help, you can improve your skills in front-end languages and using Bootstrap will become a piece of cake for you!

3. Install the Latest Version of Bootstrap to Use

With the web development game improving constantly, the framework and tools have also evolved. Bootstrap has also come out with multiple versions, the latest one being Bootstrap version 4.3 with significant updates. These include a 5-tier grid system, 16px Global Font Size, set of new utility classes and more features for creating a responsive design. So make sure you install the most recent version of Bootstrap to make use of the latest added and updated features.

4. Use Online Resources to Learn Bootstrap

Internet is your best friend if you want to learn Bootstrap on your own. There are a number of online courses, tutorials, guides, blogs and examples for you to learn from. There are two types of online courses, ones that are free and the paid ones. They are either comprehensive long-hour courses covering all the concepts and features of Bootstrap or they can be shorter and quick tutorials for specific features and components.

Another great online resource for learning Bootstrap is the community of Bootstrap users. Connect and interact with people who already use the Bootstrap framework and learn from their experiences. You can find them at Bootstrap blogs or online web development communities on social media.

Starting with an online course will help answer all your questions regarding Bootstrap and can help you become a pro in using the framework in no time. So, look for helpful resources and courses and get started.

5. Practice Makes You Perfect!

Another great tip to master your Bootstrap skills is to practice using it as much as you can. Put the framework to test by experimenting building an actual website and learn along the way. Using your knowledge of CSS, HTML and JavaScript, try building a website from nothing by putting a layout together. While doing this, you will make mistakes along the way but you will also learn a great deal from them. Once you improve your skills in creating a basic layout of a website with Bootstrap, you can go ahead and customize it to make it look fancy and advanced.

6. Refer to Reference Guides

For every front-end language that Bootstrap uses, there are reference guides available regarding syntax, concepts, and all the other relevant information. The language guides for HTML, JavaScript and CSS can be found online easily. A great example of this is the Modzilla Development guides. They provide an index of quick information about properties, syntax, elements and their description.
Reference Guides will be a great help for you when you come across problems with your code such as difficult syntax etc.

7. Plugins Are Key to a Good Website Design

Including plugins on your website is a great front-end development technique. Bootstrap offers multiple plugins written in JavaScript that you can use in your website design easily without writing a single line of code.

There are online plugin libraries that you can find on the internet, some of them are official Bootstrap plugin libraries, while some are unofficial ones. Either way, using plugins for form, menu and navigation, tables, buttons and notifications can make your website look outstanding. So, do your research on different plugins and experiment with them.

8. Focus Your Approach on Components

When designing a web application using Bootstrap, it is ideal to have an approach focused on components instead of pages. So what does this mean? It simply means, instead of being focused on creating CSS and HTML for every page, you should think more about each component on the page. Such a mindset will help you develop reusable components, that can be used across multiple pages, making your coding process simpler and more efficient.

This approach can be particularly helpful in the development of a large website, where using components across all the pages can be time-efficient and above all, it can bring consistency in the overall website design.

9. Focus on Mobile-Friendliness

It is a common practice in front-end development of web applications to focus your design on mobiles. In fact, it is the key to developing responsive websites. This approach is called “Mobile First approach”.

Since mobile design has more restrictions, it is always ideal, to begin with designing your website keeping in mind the mobile. You can then expand its features for normal size desktop version or tablet version which have lesser restrictions. So, to make using Bootstrap easy for yourself, build websites for mobile devices first and then expand the design.

10. Extend Bootstrap and Customize

The last most important tip for using Bootstrap is to understand that using only Bootstrap can not be enough. Although, it offers a wide range of solutions only using them will make your website or application look similar to all the other websites. So, if you want to make your website stand out from the rest, then customize it.

You can use Bootstrap to build a base for your web application, and add more classes on top of it as per your requirements. You can also create a customized Bootstrap version for your site to make it look unique. Bootstrap’s website offers all the information about customisation and what options it supports. So do check it out and don’t be afraid to customize.

So, there you have it! These are the best tips for anyone who wants to use Bootstrap. I hope they will help you become a pro and master your Bootstrap skills.

Learn Bootstrap Fast With These 10 Helpful Tips