I don’t remember how or when I first encountered Bootstrap, but I do remember a late night in 2012 during which I ripped all the Blueprint CSS out ...
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Bootstrap, like Rails and Java, is unfashionable but battle-hardened.
Allow me an anecdote. In the early 00s, I was a software dev in Boston. The housing market was HOT. Software developers were buying run down houses, writing code all day, and then trying to renovate their lemon houses at night, in hopes of flipping them for big $$$$. How did that work out? They spent a year living with leaky ceilings and asbestos dust, then hiring contractors to finish the job as their girlfriends walked out the door.
What’s the point? You can’t do it all. Figure out where you will innovate, and use the boring, obvious choice for everything else.
Viva Rails, viva Bootstrap, viva SQL, viva Toyota Camry. Viva Stuff That Works.
Always, but with the caveat that you shouldn't back yourself in a corner. As "Pragmatic" Dave says, when faced with a choice, use the one that's easier to change later on.
Bootstrap is a no brainer. It's easy to get it up and running, it works, but it's also easy to migrate away from should you need to.
Any monolithic framework isn't. As it encompasses a number of backend + frontend functionalities, Rails isn't easy to migrate away from, particularly with the over reliance on gems that may (or may not) become unsupported as time goes by.
Get it up and running without reinventing the wheel is critical in those first steps towards an MVP, but later on every project will confront the demons it created, usually in terms of security and maintainability.
To your point about Bootstrap being easy to migrate away from -- it certainly is. My team encourages people who feel so motivated to write Bootstrap out if they can provide a better way, with a reference implementation in the code and solid docs in a
styles.mdfile that travels with the repo. At this point, the biggest thing we have replaced is the layout system. We use a purpose-built modification offlexboxfor page layout.Indeed! These choices appear difficult at first but one or two steps in often bring the realization that you don't actually want to do it all. Save that valuable time. Make a habit of force concentration. Viva Stuff That Works! (this might be a sticker)
This is a beautiful comment. Also, 👋 from MA.
Tailwind is good stuff!
This is a great read! As a startup founder, I often grapple with our choices, and Bootstrap has consistently proven to be a reliable framework. Its ease of use and robust community support make it an excellent choice, especially when resources are limited, and we need to get a polished product out quickly.
Amid rapid development, it's also essential to consider the importance of visibility. Partnering with an SEO agency for startups can be a game-changer. They can help ensure that our product looks good and gets found by the right audience. Investing in professional SEO services can drive significant organic traffic, which is crucial for growth in the early stages. Thanks for shedding light on Bootstrap's enduring value; it's reaffirming that we're on the right track!
Bootstrap is a blessing and there are a lot of great themes built around its almost de facto standard syntax.
The only thing that made me start using tailwind instead, is that you can tell that a website is using bootstrap easily, unless you put enough energy and time to customize it.
There are definitely limitations to what it does out of the box, but hunt around, people have addressed just about every conceivable use case on Stack Overflow and elsewhere. Good luck!
Nice one. Good luck getting it off the ground 🚀