No, Bootstrap is not something that is used to tie your boots. It is, however, a verb that comes from the saying, “to pull oneself up by his bootstraps.” This refers to a person who is self-sufficient and does not need help from others.  In the world of computing bootstrapping is used to describe a process that automatically loads and executes demands.

 

So what is Bootstrap? Bootstrap is a free and open source CSS framework that is directed at responsive, mobile-first front-end development and contains CSS and JavaScript design templates that can be used for typography, navigation and other interface components. Bootstrap is used to create website and web apps that have a totally modern feel to them and feature various HTML and CSS templates that can be used for UI interface elements such as buttons and forms. Simply put, Bootstrap is a huge collection of handy and reusable pieces of code that are written in HTML, CSS and JavaScript enabling designers to build fully responsive websites in minimal time.

Read: https://www.toptal.com/front-end/what-is-bootstrap-a-short-tutorial-on-the-what-why-and-how to learn more.

 

Bootstrap: Why is it a Web Developers Preference?

# 1 Responsive Grid

This means not more tedious hours or coding your own grid as Bootstrap has its own grid system that is predefined.  This feature enables the user to be able to fill containers with content straight away.

2 # Responsive Images

Bootstrap has its own code so that you can automatically resize images based on the screen size that you are using. It can even alter the shape of your images without going back and forth between the code and the design software.

3 # Bootstrap’s JavaScript

Bootstrap offers many custom design JQuery plugins which gives you more time to play around with interactivity. It offers easy solutions for modal popups, transitions and image carousels.

4 # The Components of Bootstrap

Bootstrap offers various components to add design elements to your webpage such as:

 

• Navigation bars
• Progress bars
• Dropdowns
• Thumbnails

5 # Documentation

Bootstrap’s makes sure that every piece of code is described and explained in great detail on their website. These explanations include code samples that can be used for basic implementation which simplifies the process for beginners.  Simply choose a component, copy and paste the code into your page and then modify it to whatever suits you.

6 # Amazing Customizability

Bootstrap allows you to combat the problem of large images and video files by going to their customize download page. This page allows you to take off the features that you don’t need to use for your applications.

7 # Bootstrap’s Community

Bootstrap has a large community of designers and developers who are able to contribute to and modify the Bootstrap codebase.  This makes it a wonderful tool for people to collaborate with each other, give advice and interact with fellow users. Bootstrap also boasts a dedicated Twitter page and Bootstrap blog as well as thousands of developers who are always on hand to assist with any technical problems you may come across.

8 # External Templates

Bootstrap has many dedicated websites that buy and share custom templates based on the Bootstrap program so as to accelerate the web development process.

PROS	CONS
Time Saving The writing of code can be very time-consuming if you do not document your work.  Bootstrap has wonderful documentation on every component. You basically will not have to write code again!  Knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript is all you need to start developing.  Bootstrap in simple to use thus saving time when trying to navigate through the program.	Websites Tend to Look the Same Bootstrap is a purpose made tool and is not completely aligned to the standard concepts of web development.  The problem with this is that everything that is designed with Bootstrap has a similar look to it.  In come cased you can modify style sheets manually, but this takes up some time and the end result will still show that it is a Bootstrap development.
Consistency Bootstraps framework is extremely consistent, and it has fast become one of the number one framework amongst web developers.  Bootstraps final results always look the same on every platform and every browser.	A Steep Learning Curve Although Bootstrap is relatively easy to learn you still need to dedicate some time into it and learn all the available Bootstrap CSS classes. You will also need to allocate some time to experiment with the program and get used to the grid system.  This being said, the documentation that is offered will help you to adapt to newer versions of the code very easily.
Teamwork Bootstrap offers the advantage of coders being able to code freely without having to worry what the end result is going to look like.  The Bootstrap detailed tutorials are very beginner friendly and enables anyone who is new to your team to learn how to use the framework with ease.  All information that is needed can be found in the documentation.	Heavy End Results Unfortunately the end result can sometimes be a bit heavy, with slower loading times and battery drain problems.  Another con is that files generated by Bootstrap can be big in size and land up slowing things down quite significantly.  You are able to delete items manually, but this of course defeats the purpose of using Bootstrap.
Excellent Grid System Bootstrap has one of the most responsive grid systems available to date.  Website content is divided into 12 response columns so as to make working through the columns an incredibly easy task.  You are even able to hide platform specific content and make some elements only visible on a desktop or on a mobile device. The predefined classes make the grid very user-friendly and easy to learn.
Good Level of Responsiveness Bootstrap is able to create extremely mobile-friendly websites with an amazing level of responsiveness due to its fluid grid.

 

Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTqP7Paheww to see more pros and cons.