Using CSS or JavaScript to create dynamic animations on a web page

Feeling a little lost here... I've heard that some browsers don't fully support CSS animations. So, when it comes to animation, should I go with CSS or JavaScript?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons of each option.

Answer №1

When it comes to CSS3 based animations, we can categorize them into two main types: KeyFrame-Based and Transition-Based. These animations rely on the browser's implementation for animating elements, while JS-based animations handle the animation themselves. One advantage of CSS animations is their performance, as they utilize the browser's routines and can even work in a "NoScript-Environment."


CSS Transition

A CSS Transition occurs when you change certain CSS properties. For example, hovering over a rectangle can trigger an animation that smoothly transitions its size using the transition property in CSS.

#rectangle{
  width: 40px;
  border: 1px solid black;
  transition: width 1s linear; // The transition property sets how the transition-animation behaves
}

#rectangle:hover{
  width: 80px;
}
<div id="rectangle">test</div>

Learn more about CSS transitions


CSS KeyFrames

Unlike transitions which are used for smooth element changes, KeyFrame-Based CSS animations allow for scripted animations such as character movements. This method requires specifying animations using @keyframes and setting animation settings with the <animation> property and its sub-properties. KeyFrame animations don't trigger automatically when a value changes but give you control over when and how to display and loop through them.

/* example from http://www.w3schools.com/css/css3_animations.asp */
@keyframes example {
    0%   {background-color: red; left:0px; top:0px;}
    25%  {background-color: yellow; left:200px; top:0px;}
    50%  {background-color: blue; left:200px; top:200px;}
    75%  {background-color: green; left:0px; top:200px;}
    100% {background-color: red; left:0px; top:0px;}
}

#rectangle{
    width: 100px;
    height: 100px;
    position: relative;
    background-color: red;
    animation-name: example;
    animation-duration: 4s;
}
<div id="rectangle">test</div>

Read up on CSS keyframes


JS Animations

JS Animations differ from CSS animations as they have their own implementation for displaying animations. While the performance of JS animations may be inferior to CSS animations, one advantage is the ability to create custom animations using scripting. It's recommended to explore libraries or existing resources for efficient JS-based animations, as creating your own may result in slow performance. Several libraries offer various animation techniques:


In conclusion, CSS animations are reliable for most cases, reserving the use of JS animations for scenarios where advanced scripting capabilities are required for specific animations.

Similar questions

If you have not found the answer to your question or you are interested in this topic, then look at other similar questions below or use the search

Typescript implementation for a website featuring a single overarching file alongside separate files for each individual webpage

Although I've never ventured into the realm of Typescript before, I am intrigued by its concept of "stricter JS". My knowledge on the subject is currently very limited as I am just starting to experiment with it. Essentially, I have developed my own ...

Ways to create a dual grid responsive design using Tailwind CSS

I am currently working on creating a responsive two-column layout using Tailwind CSS. The goal is for the first column to occupy 70% of the width, with both columns expanding to full width on mobile devices. However, my attempts so far have not yielded the ...

ShadowBox replacement for IE8

After much experimentation, I am on the verge of achieving an inset box shadow for IE8 without relying on JavaScript. Take a look at the screenshot below: https://i.sstatic.net/2kM3R.png Since Internet Explorer versions 5.5 through 8 only support Micros ...

Tips on creating vertical stacked content utilizing CSS

Has anyone come across this game before? https://i.sstatic.net/hFX9o.png I am trying to stack each card in a column, here is my fiddle jsfiddle. In my scenario, I have cards wrapped in div elements with a maximum height. If a card exceeds this height, i ...

How to output a string in jQuery if it includes a certain character?

I need to extract all strings that include a specific word within them, like this: <div> <div> <span> <h3>In Paris (Mark Bartels) worked for about 50 years.</h3> </span> </div> ...

Processing two Array Objects can be achieved without resorting to the EVAL function

I have two objects that I need to process. obj1 contains an array of objects with formulas. obj2 holds the values needed for the calculations. I am looking for a way to process and calculate both objects in order to obtain a result where the keys present ...

Unable to display Bootstrap 4.3.1 button for Facebook

I'm attempting to incorporate Bootstrap 4.3.1 into my Asp.net Core MVC project, but it appears to be not working. Any suggestions? <!doctype html> <html lang="en"> <head> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https ...

Verify whether an item exists within a nested array in ReactJS

Here is the dataset that I have: Data: data: { id:1 groups:[ {id:1 , name: john, permissions : [{id:1 , codename="can_edit"},{id:2,codename="can_write"},{id:3,codename="can_delete"}]} , ...

Implementing a Dropdown Menu Within a React Form

I am currently working on setting up a reservation system for rooms. I want to include 2-4 different room types and incorporate a dropdown menu instead of manual input. I am using the guidance provided here. I attempted to use <Form.Select...>, but i ...

Transform Python UTC timestamp into local time using JavaScript

Attempting to convert a UTC timestamp generated in Python to the local time of connecting clients, but encountering issues with the conversion accuracy. Python import time, datetime utc_time = datetime.datetime.utcnow() utc_time = int(time.mktime(utc_ti ...

I keep encountering an error in the console log, any tips on resolving it?

Whenever I use replit, the console log keeps indicating that a script is missing every time I attempt to run it. Despite having run = "npm start" in the replit file, running it prompts an error saying that the script "start" is not found. You c ...

What is the best way to place an anchor so that it is perfectly aligned between a static header and footer?

I am looking to create a website where the content is placed below a fixed header and footer. Navigation is to be done through anchors, with only the active anchor being displayed while the rest remains hidden by the header and footer (similar to a window) ...

Tips for extracting Img src tags through web scraping

Currently, I am in the process of conducting web scraping using Cheerio. Below is the code snippet that I have been working on: let request = require("request"); let fs = require("fs"); let cheerio = require("cheerio"); const ...

Guide to Copy Array to Another Array in Mongo Shell

I am trying to work with an array in MongoDB and I have a specific question about it. Exploring in MongoDB Shell var array1 = [1, 2, 3, 4]; var array2 = []; array2 = array1.copy(); I've come across the issue that there is no Clone() function avail ...

Using the readline function in JavaScript, a sequence of user inputs can be collected. These inputs can be linked to

Within my array var questions=[], I have stored multiple questions. Currently, I am using forEach to iterate through the array and prompt the user for input on each question, displaying the responses in the terminal. However, I am facing an issue where onl ...

Enhancing React components with customized features through the use of mixins in material-ui

I'm currently working on customizing a textfield component in Material-ui using React. Based on the details provided on this page: To personalize the colors of different parts of the text-field, you can utilize various mixins. It's recommende ...

How can I achieve a smooth opacity transition without using jQuery?

Although I understand that JQuery offers functions for this purpose, I am interested in finding a solution using only pure javascript. Is there a way to change the CSS opacity setting over time? Perhaps utilizing a unix time stamp with millisecond precisi ...

Tips for preventing duplicate properties in Material UI when using React JS

Incorporating components from Material-UI, I have designed a form where the state of inputs is controlled by the parent component. However, I encountered an error stating "No duplicate props allowed" due to having multiple onChange parameters. Is there a w ...

Sort div elements based on checkbox filters

I have a set of checkboxes that I want to use for filtering purposes. <div class="filter"> <div class="checkbox"> <label><input type="checkbox" rel="canada"/>Canada</label> </div> <div class="chec ...

Is there a way in MVC3 / .net4 to convert a JSON formatted JavaScript array into a C# string array?

I am facing a challenge with my MVC3/.Net service where it is receiving arguments in the form of a JSONified Javascript array. I want to convert them into a C# array of strings. Is there a built-in solution available for this task, or do I need to create ...