The popularity of Twitter Bootstrap has helped it cross over from the realm of user-managed social networking to a place where developers sink their teeth into heavy duty code and make the world spin as a result. The Bootstrap framework is the latest innovation to hit the design and development arena, making the creation of websites and apps easier, faster and better in general. If you’re not using Twitter Bootstrap yet, it’s time you took a look. Bootstrap is like a candy store for developers full of a multitude of tools.

1. Speed of Development

Undoubtedly one of the biggest advantages of using Bootstrap is the speed of development. If you’re looking to push out a new website or application quickly, you should definitely consider using Bootstrap.

Rather than coding from scratch, Bootstrap enables you to utilize readymade blocks of code to help you get started. Combine that with cross-browser compatibility and CSS-Less functionality, many hours of coding can be saved. To achieve the fastest route possible, you can also purchase ready-made Bootstrap themes and modify them to suit your needs.

2. Save Time

With Bootstrap, the first thing you do is cash in on a lot of time. The Bootstrap libraries offer readymade pieces of code that can pump life into a website. A web developer doesn’t have to spend time laboriously working out and writing code, but simply find the right piece and fit it into the structure they’re working on. In addition to this, a lot of the styling and design aspects are already taken care of, since the CSS is built with LESS.

3. Customizable

A great aspect of Bootstrap is that you can make it your own. You can sit down and rummage through the whole framework and keep what you need and ditch what you don’t. The whole point of Bootstrap is that it lets you factor in your own needs and tailor your development project accordingly. This is the main reason many developers feel some tools are completely useless on the Bootstrap while others revere the same.

 4. Responsiveness

Bootstrap is responsive. If you shift from a laptop to an iPad and from an iPad to a Mac you won’t have to fret over your work. Bootstrap adapts to the change in platforms with super speed and efficiency.

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5. Factor in the Design

The Grid Speaks

Creating page layouts requires a decent grid. Using the platform’s grid isn’t mandatory, but it does make your job a whole lot easier. On default mode the platform provides a 16 column grid which is 940px wide. A single column holds 40px with an additional 20px acting as the gutter. Rows and spans can be manipulated as needed. Styling is completed in auto mode and a developer can get the job done just by dropping content into the HTML they’re working with. Additionally, if you need to work through columns and nesting, then you’ve got the right grid to get the job done.

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JavaScript

Bootstrap comes equipped with JavaScript libraries that go above and beyond basic structural and styling. JavaScript often becomes an integral part of a web design and developers have to pull in all elements together to see the final form flourish. With Bootstrap, a developer can easily manipulate modal windows alerts, tooltips, Scrollspy, Popover, Button, Typehead, etc. The best part, however, is that Bootstrap enables you to skip writing the script altogether.

6. Consistency

One of the main reasons this toolset was developed was because Twitter Bootstrap was seeing big inconsistencies between developers working on their projects. This caused some issues both on the development front and the end-user front. Since it works with a central set of development code, Bootstrap’s results are uniform across platforms. You’ll see the same thing on Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox.

7. Base styling for most HTML elements

A website has many different elements such as headings, lists, tables, buttons, forms, etc. All these fundamental HTML elements have been styled and enhanced with extensible classes.

The HTML elements for which styles are provided are:

  • Typography
  • Code
  • Tables
  • Forms
  • Buttons
  • Images
  • Icons

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8. Extensive list of components

Whether you need drop down menus, pagination or alert boxes, Bootstrap has got your covered. Styling of every single element follows a consistent theme and if you know LESS, then customizing it takes just few minutes.

Some of the components pre styled are:

  • Dropdowns
  • Button Groups
  • Navigation Bar
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Labels & Badges
  • Alerts
  • Progress Bar
  • And many others.

9. Bundled JavaScript plugins

The components such as drop down menu are made interactive with the numerous JavaScript plugins bundled in the bootstrap package.

If you project requires sliders, tabs, accordions, then you no longer have to try and test numerous different plugins across the web. Adding these functionalities is just a matter of adding few lines of code and you are all set. With the customization option you can also choose only certain plugins to keep the file size to a minimum.

10. Easy To Use

If you’re working on a site which is already live, but still trying to iron out the creases then Bootstrap can help. For instance, if you use table styling, all you need to do is take the styles you need and copy them to the CSS file you’re working with. Bootstrap will immediately kick in with its own style and all you need to do from there is link up the file you are working with or hotlink to Twitter (more or less). Integration is simple, fast and easy to accomplish and once you’re done you can play with your design to your heart’s content.