Elastic CSS Framework Features

• Declarative syntax
• Unlimited Nesting
• Liquid Layouts
• Fixed Layouts
• Elastic Layouts
• SubPixel Rounding
• Cross-browser
• Contextual Refresh
• Fixed width columns
• Elastic columns
• Any number of columns
• Column span
• Column overloading
• Integrated clear fix
• Unobtrusive with absolute positioning: no hidden or auto on clearfix
• Mixed number of columns: use 2, then 3, then 7 in the same layout
• Full width inputs(use the space of the column)
• Same height columns
• Full height blocks
• Vertical and horizontal center
• Variable column separation
• Inverted stack(new in 2.0)
• final column(new in 2.0)
• Adaptive layout(new in 2.0)
• Layout template(new in 2.0)
• Elastic height(new in 2.0)

Compatibility

Our team has been able to test and confirm support layouts made with elastic in the following browsers:

• Firefox 2 mac, windows, linux
• Firefox 3 mac, windows, linux
• Safari 3 mac and windows
• Safari 4 beta
• Opera 9.6 linux
• Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8

Difficult layouts supported by Elastic CSS

• 3 columns, the center one fixed
• 3 columns, 2 columns fixed(right or left) and the other elastic
• 3 columns first one 50% others use 25%
• Elastic header and footer, fixed width content

What are the differences between Elastic and other frameworks

Elastic CSS Framework defines a declarative language to make layouts, for example: two-columns, fixed-column, column. Other frameworks use more cryptic names like col1of3 or e30

Most frameworks are based on a grid system(Blueprint, 960gs, Tripoli). Elastic CSS Framework is a freestyle framework you can mix and nest any number of columns, you can even mix any number of columns, fixed-columns, and elastic-columns

Elastic CSS Framework provides a set of helper classes, to accomplish hard things by pure CSS like: same-height, full-width, and vertical-center

Elastic CSS Framework is designed so you can mix classes to accomplish complex layouts, recent frameworks are doing this too (OOCSS)

Elastic CSS Framework does not impose any rule on the size of your layout, subpixel rounding problems come to the game, Elastic provides a predictable, and consistent method to deal with this,(OOCSS has a method for subpixel rounding too) But both frameworks have taken different approaches to this problem.

Elastic has integrated clearfix, so there is no need to do clearfix manually when making a layout. Most other frameworks require that the developer handle this, making it more difficult to change, and learn

Elastic clearfix method is not intrusive, it does not require extra markup, and don’t use overlfow:hidden to accomplish it. So you can position relative or absolute like if your where not using clearfix at all.

Some frameworks require that the developer use a class ‘last’, to let the framework know that a block is ended, Elastic handles this situation automatically, making it easier to learn and code.

Many frameworks are designed to make fixed with layouts, others to make liquid layouts, and some recent frameworks are offering mixed solutions. Elastic lets you to handle liquid, fixed, and elastic layouts, and even mix this techniques in the same layout.

Elastic is the first framework to provide a set of snippets to event make development faster in the form of snippets, currently there is a bundle for gedit, textmate and coda.

Elastic is not designed only for page layouts, you can layout widgets, and complex web-based applications too, and use it almost in anything related to html.