Bootstrap 4: An Overview
Created at Twitter in 2010, Bootstrap has since blossomed into one of the largest open-source frameworks available to development teams. An exquisite front-end framework with a team of core and contrib developers at hand, Bootstrap is the go to for building a responsive website.
On its fourth birthday, Bootstrap announced the beginning of the release of Bootstrap 4, starting with Bootstrap 4 Alpha. So what’s new?
New Features in Bootstrap 4
- Rewritten Javascript plugins
- Moved from Less to Sass as the main preprocessor
- Improved grid system with an additional tier for mobile devices
- Option for Flexbox (flexible layout/boxes)
- Cards to replace panels & wells
What does this mean for
IE8
IE8 users, say goodbye to support from Bootstrap 4! This allows you to use CSS to its full potential, and using rems and ems aids in responsive typography and component sizing1. If you’re still using IE8, just keep using Bootstrap 3 and you should be fine.
Bootstrap 3
If you’re planning to keep Bootstrap 3, no worries. Critical bug fixes & documentation improvements will continue after the final v4 release, as will hosting for v3 docs.
Less Connoisseurs
If you’re looking to customize, you’ll need to learn your Sass. Many customization options that were previously stored in the style sheets are now handled by Sass, including rounded-corner angles, gradients, transitions, shadows, etc2.
Icons
While Bootstrap 3 came armed with Glyphicons, there’s no replacement yet on Boostrap 4. Icon lovers have two options – stick to Bootstrap 3 and Glyphicons or manually integrate Ionicons with Bootstrap 42.
Release Plan
Bootstrap 4 Alpha is currently available (http://v4-alpha.getbootstrap.com/), and plans include several alpha releases. This will be followed by 2 beta releases, two release candidates, and a final release. You can access the full source code for version 4 on GitHub3.
1. http://blog.getbootstrap.com/2015/08/19/bootstrap-4-alpha/
2. http://www.infoworld.com/article/2974593/web-development/5-big-changes-bootstrap-4.html
3. https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/tree/v4-dev
