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A Book Apart #24
The New CSS Layout
CSS Grid Layout will transform the way the you design and develop for the web—and Rachel Andrew will change the way you grok the spec. Learn to use Grid Layout within a system that includes existing methods to perform the tasks they were designed for—and take advantage of this pivotal moment in the evolution of layout.
131 pages, ebook
Published October 10, 2017
18 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Andrew
53 books13 followersRachel Andrew is a British web developer, author and speaker. She is an Invited Expert to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) CSS Working Group, Google Developer Expert, and a former member of the Web Standards Project. She is the editor-in-chief of Smashing Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 25, 2021
I started learning CSS in 2000 (more than 20 years ago!), with the eventual help of CSS Zen Garden some time later. A lot of things have changed since then.
In that period, there have been a few times when I have been "re-learning" it to get up to date on how to do things in a "modern" way. There was an IE hack era, and era which float and overflow: hidden reigned supreme, an era which we got compatibility with more interesting selectors like > and +, and so on.
I haven't gone through such a period in the last 5-6 years, and a lot of progress has happened since then. Not only flexbox and grid layouts promise to remove a lot of pain, but also they are now widely supported and a good choice for almost every project. Not having had to CSS up a complicated design for a while, I've become a bit rusty. That's where this book comes in.
It is a detailed and easy to follow introduction to both flexbox and grid, which one can honestly learn by reading things "on the internet", but one rarely cares to bother. If you're like me, and you're looking to understand the newer options for making layout in CSS, this is a well-packaged tutorial that's easy to read and understand. It's also short. Finally, it contains a bunch of other useful things that have made their way into browser support.
Fundamentally, CSS is not much more complicated than it used to be 10 years ago, yet somehow, it still has some annoying limitations. There has been a lot of progress, and this book is a great way to get up to date with some parts of it.
In that period, there have been a few times when I have been "re-learning" it to get up to date on how to do things in a "modern" way. There was an IE hack era, and era which float and overflow: hidden reigned supreme, an era which we got compatibility with more interesting selectors like > and +, and so on.
I haven't gone through such a period in the last 5-6 years, and a lot of progress has happened since then. Not only flexbox and grid layouts promise to remove a lot of pain, but also they are now widely supported and a good choice for almost every project. Not having had to CSS up a complicated design for a while, I've become a bit rusty. That's where this book comes in.
It is a detailed and easy to follow introduction to both flexbox and grid, which one can honestly learn by reading things "on the internet", but one rarely cares to bother. If you're like me, and you're looking to understand the newer options for making layout in CSS, this is a well-packaged tutorial that's easy to read and understand. It's also short. Finally, it contains a bunch of other useful things that have made their way into browser support.
Fundamentally, CSS is not much more complicated than it used to be 10 years ago, yet somehow, it still has some annoying limitations. There has been a lot of progress, and this book is a great way to get up to date with some parts of it.
April 15, 2021
I have a confession to make: for the past 10 years at least, I've been scared of CSS. The meme of Peter Griffin bringing the Venetian blinds to a tangled mess perfectly summarised my past experience with layout for the web. This book changes everything.
In its conciseness and pragmatism, it brings a refreshing wind of hope in the field, and makes me want to go back to pure frontend work and try to make friends with CSS again.
Dramatisation aside, I'd recommend reading this book as a very enjoyable way to brush up your CSS knowledge, finally understand how floating layouts work and jumpstart into the future. Not a complete reference, but it gives enough information to get your hands dirty and get started.
In its conciseness and pragmatism, it brings a refreshing wind of hope in the field, and makes me want to go back to pure frontend work and try to make friends with CSS again.
Dramatisation aside, I'd recommend reading this book as a very enjoyable way to brush up your CSS knowledge, finally understand how floating layouts work and jumpstart into the future. Not a complete reference, but it gives enough information to get your hands dirty and get started.
July 27, 2020
This book is a brief and compelling case for learning modern CSS layout. It contains concise examples and provides context while wasting no time.
This is a good reference book for web developers who have used hacks for achieving layout because of the way the author shows how to achieve like or better layouts with modern layout tools. It is also a good book for those who are new to web development, since it points one to the new tools and showcases the potential they have.
The author has an air of credibility because of her many years of experience with CSS coupled with her substantial involvement in the CSS specification community. Side note: I was really pleased to discover that she created https://gridbyexample.com/
This book takes some time to explain past CSS "hacks" made to achieve desired layouts, and she opens the door on some of what's possible with the new layout options available, including flexbox and CSS Grid. All the while, she provides valid use cases for how to use the older rules like floats in the modern CSS world which, as she points out, is a matter of using these style rules as they were originally intended to be used. As someone who has used said hacks in the past, seeing these styles return to their original use is weirdly a relief.
Tucked away in chapter 7, "Embrace the Future" 🤘, Rachel addresses a very important topic: when your client wants a website to "look the same" in all browsers. She provides compelling arguments and strategies you can use to help guide your client to a more future-facing stance and to have the bigger picture in mind.
The author gives ample time to discuss accessibility issues in web development and provides advice in this area.
Lastly, she shows ways that we can get involved in the future of CSS.
Yeah, this is a good book. It's a short read, but I daresay a copy should remain on my tech book shelf for future reference.
This is a good reference book for web developers who have used hacks for achieving layout because of the way the author shows how to achieve like or better layouts with modern layout tools. It is also a good book for those who are new to web development, since it points one to the new tools and showcases the potential they have.
The author has an air of credibility because of her many years of experience with CSS coupled with her substantial involvement in the CSS specification community. Side note: I was really pleased to discover that she created https://gridbyexample.com/
This book takes some time to explain past CSS "hacks" made to achieve desired layouts, and she opens the door on some of what's possible with the new layout options available, including flexbox and CSS Grid. All the while, she provides valid use cases for how to use the older rules like floats in the modern CSS world which, as she points out, is a matter of using these style rules as they were originally intended to be used. As someone who has used said hacks in the past, seeing these styles return to their original use is weirdly a relief.
Tucked away in chapter 7, "Embrace the Future" 🤘, Rachel addresses a very important topic: when your client wants a website to "look the same" in all browsers. She provides compelling arguments and strategies you can use to help guide your client to a more future-facing stance and to have the bigger picture in mind.
The author gives ample time to discuss accessibility issues in web development and provides advice in this area.
Lastly, she shows ways that we can get involved in the future of CSS.
Yeah, this is a good book. It's a short read, but I daresay a copy should remain on my tech book shelf for future reference.
April 27, 2018
Es justo el libro que necesitaba leer. Yo esperaba encontrar sólo una explicación del uso de las nuevas funciones Grid en CSS, pero me encontré con un compendio de métodos de alineación: table, float, flex y grid. No a profundidad, pero sí lo suficiente para entender que ninguna reemplaza a métodos anteriores, si no que cada una tiene un lugar especial en nuestro flujo de trabajo. Una guía única en su tipo para entender sus fortalezas y debilidades, y sobre todo, entender las implicaciones de su aplicación al día de hoy por temas de soporte y accesibilidad. (Spoiler, es un panorama muy positivo)
Totalmente recomendado. La autora, además, tiene un talento muy envidiable para ordenar ideas y explicar conceptos que normalmente son difíciles de transmitir a un público no técnico.
Totalmente recomendado. La autora, además, tiene un talento muy envidiable para ordenar ideas y explicar conceptos que normalmente son difíciles de transmitir a un público no técnico.
February 25, 2018
The book was a perfect companion to my learning phase of the CSS Grid specification. I liked how the author describes the history of the techniques we were using to create layouts on the web. There is a nice transition to the main part of the book where it covers everything you need to know to start playing around and creating web layouts with CSS Grid. I loved the last chapter which is dedicated to the future of the spec and how we can solidify our understanding on CSS Grid and CSS in general by reading and contributing to the specs, helping at the same time the browser engineers on their work of making the web a better place.
December 3, 2017
This book, though short, goes through the history and reasons behind our current css. My css background is more of knowing the rules and not knowing why it’s done that way, and this book is quick to bring me up to speed as to the reasons behind the conventions, as well as the new css features available. Short and concise, love it.
November 1, 2017
If you’ve ever wanted to build a complex layouts or create designs that just make sense, then this is the book for you. It takes it right back to basics and even dives a lot deeper for those looking to learn more.
September 6, 2022
Gosh - remember the days when you needed to layout a website with tables? Floats? Well, no more! CSS Flexbox and Grid are here! Rachael does an amaxing job at showing what CSS flexbox and Grid are, how they fix common design problems, and even how to support backeards-compatability!
October 21, 2017
I’ve not been following along with the changes in CSS. This book was a chance for me to catch up. It was a joy to read. I followed along with the examples, and found myself going “ooh!” at some of the simple outcomes which I know previously were a PITA to achieve. I also appreciated the explanations and rules in play for tendering behaviour.
December 4, 2017
Concise explanations of the CSS layout options available today. Recommended for developers new to CSS, or who learned it years ago and want a quick catch-up on the brand new properties.
December 26, 2017
Great book with a hearty helping of technical info that I'll be referring back to as I learn these new CSS layout systems!
April 10, 2018
Great concise overview of the newly supported implementation of CSS grid, it's uses, limitations, features and it's place within the CSS toolbox (how & when to use it). Excellent resource.
Want to read
June 9, 20212021/05/25
April 6, 2022
Book got me excited for CSS and creating layout for the modern web
January 22, 2024
CSS is like the thing you can just deep dive and learn new things every time, this one gives a brief history of where we have been and some of the "new" techniques - pretty much a good read.
November 19, 2017
Sometimes I like the traditional way of learning from a book. I've been out of touch with the latest CSS, but this was a perfect catchup. It was great to see the comparison between Flexbox and CSS Grid. Thinking about the differences on a dimension level put things into perspective. A lot of the examples sparked ideas for current projects and solutions to problems we've been having for years.
I love the last few chapters. How to start using it and how to explain to clients why all browsers do not need to look the same. Then take your geekiness to the next level and dive into the specification discussions that are happening right now!
If you are trying to brush up your CSS skills, this will light an inspiring fire in you.
I love the last few chapters. How to start using it and how to explain to clients why all browsers do not need to look the same. Then take your geekiness to the next level and dive into the specification discussions that are happening right now!
If you are trying to brush up your CSS skills, this will light an inspiring fire in you.
July 29, 2020
Get a better understanding of CSS layouts from positioning and floats to flexbox and grids. Many examples and resources add to the value of this book.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews