Modern CSS Techniques

CSS has evolved significantly over the years, with new features making it more powerful and easier to use.

CSS Grid and Flexbox have revolutionized layout design. Grid is perfect for two-dimensional layouts, while Flexbox excels at one-dimensional layouts. Together, they eliminate the need for many of the hacks that were common in the past.

CSS Variables (Custom Properties) allow you to define reusable values that can be changed at runtime. This makes it easier to maintain consistency across your styles and to create themes.

The calc() function lets you perform calculations to determine CSS property values. This is particularly useful for responsive designs where you might need to mix units.

CSS Shapes and Masks let you create non-rectangular layouts and apply masking effects to elements.

Media queries have been enhanced with features like prefers-color-scheme, which allows you to detect if the user has requested a light or dark color theme.

CSS Grid Template Areas provide a visual way to define your layout grid, making it more intuitive to understand and maintain.

With the adoption of these modern CSS techniques, many tasks that used to require JavaScript can now be handled directly in CSS, resulting in better performance and maintainability.