FreeCodeCamp Design a Set of Colored Boxes Guide

Are you diving into freeCodeCamp and looking for a practical, hands-on project to boost your CSS skills? Designing a set of colored boxes is an excellent way to get started, and it’s exactly what we’ll walk through in this comprehensive guide. Drawing from an instructor’s perspective, this article not only covers the step-by-step process to complete the freeCodeCamp challenge but also shares valuable tips on CSS fundamentals, color theory, and troubleshooting techniques.

This tutorial is based on a detailed walkthrough originally created by PreCodeCamp, a trusted source for coding instruction. Whether you’re a beginner or brushing up on your CSS, this guide will help you build a solid foundation while exploring different ways to apply colors using hexadecimal, RGB, named colors, and HSL values.

Getting Started with freeCodeCamp’s Colored Boxes Challenge

Before you jump into styling, it’s crucial to understand the project’s requirements and how to approach them systematically. The challenge involves creating a simple webpage with colored squares arranged in a grid, each square having specific styling rules. This project is a perfect exercise to practice CSS selectors, class management, and color application.

Why Approach This Challenge Like an Instructor?

One of the unique aspects of this tutorial is the instructor’s mindset applied throughout the process. Instead of just coding blindly, you learn how to:

Search documentation effectively as a student
Understand user stories as functional requirements
Test and debug your code iteratively

This approach ensures you not only finish the project but also grasp the underlying concepts deeply.

Step 1: Linking Your CSS Correctly

The very first user story in the freeCodeCamp challenge requires setting a background color for the entire page. This might seem trivial, but it highlights a common stumbling block: linking your CSS stylesheet properly to your HTML.

Many beginners wonder why their styles aren’t applying. The answer is often that the stylesheet isn’t linked. To fix this, include the following line in your HTML’s <head> section:

<link rel=”stylesheet” href=”styles.css”>

Without this, your CSS won’t be applied, and your background color or any other style changes won’t show up. Once linked, you can target the body element and set a background color using the hex code specified in the challenge, for example:

body {
background-color: #778899;
}

This sets a slate gray background, helping you visually confirm your CSS is working.

Step 2: Structuring the HTML with Divs and Classes

The next few user stories focus on creating the HTML structure that will hold your colored boxes. Here’s how to proceed:

Create a div with the class color-grid to act as a container for the boxes.
Inside this container, add five div elements, each representing a box.
Assign each box two classes: a common class called color-box and a unique class indicating its order, like color-1, color-2, and so forth.

This dual-class approach is powerful because it allows you to style all boxes uniformly with the color-box class while individually customizing the colors using the numbered classes.

Example HTML Structure

<div class=”color-grid”> <div class=”color-box color-1"></div> <div class=”color-box color-2"></div> <div class=”color-box color-3"></div> <div class=”color-box color-4"></div> <div class=”color-box color-5"></div> </div>

Step 3: Styling the Boxes with CSS

Once your HTML structure is set, it’s time to add CSS to style the boxes. The key points here include:

Setting a uniform width and height for each box (e.g., 100px by 100px)
Adding rounded corners using border-radius
Applying an outline or shadow to visually separate the boxes
Arranging the boxes in a neat grid using CSS Flexbox

Styling the Common Box Class

Target the .color-box class in your CSS with the following properties:

.color-box {
width: 100px;
height: 100px;
border-radius: 10px;
outline: 1px solid black;
box-shadow: 0 5px 10px slategray;
}

This will give your boxes consistent sizing, rounded edges, and a subtle shadow effect to enhance the visual appeal.

Arranging the Boxes in a Grid

To lay out the boxes side by side and allow them to wrap responsively, use Flexbox on the container:

.color-grid {
display: flex;
gap: 20px;
flex-wrap: wrap;
}

Flexbox offers a clean and efficient way to manage layouts without complicated floats or positioning.

Step 4: Applying Colors Using Different CSS Color Formats

One of the most educational parts of this challenge is experimenting with various CSS color formats. This not only fulfills the user stories but also helps you understand how colors work in web design.

Hexadecimal Colors

Hex codes are six-digit codes starting with a hash (#) that represent red, green, and blue values in hexadecimal. For example, #00FF00 is bright green.

Example for the first box:

.color-1 {
background-color: #32CD32; /* LimeGreen */
}

Hex codes are a staple in web design, and mastering them is essential.

RGB Colors

RGB stands for Red, Green, Blue and uses decimal values from 0 to 255 to define colors. For example, rgb(255, 255, 0) is bright yellow.

Example for the second box:

.color-2 {
background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0); /* Yellow */
}

Using RGB values allows for precise control and is especially useful for dynamic color adjustments.

Named Colors

CSS supports predefined color names such as rebeccapurple, salmon, or navy. An interesting fact is that "rebeccapurple" is named in honor of a CSS pioneer’s daughter, offering a human story behind this unique color name.

Example for the third box:

.color-3 {
background-color: rebeccapurple;
}

HSL Colors

HSL stands for Hue, Saturation, and Lightness. This model is intuitive for adjusting colors based on their shade and intensity.

Example for the fourth box:

.color-4 {
background-color: hsl(210, 100%, 70%); /* Light Blue */
}

Hue ranges from 0 to 360 degrees on the color wheel, saturation and lightness range from 0% to 100%. This makes HSL great for tweaking colors interactively.

Any Other Background Color

For the fifth box, you can use any background color you like. It can be a named color, a hex code, RGB, or HSL value.

Example using a named color:

.color-5 {
background-color: salmon;
}

Testing Your Work and Debugging Tips

Once you’ve applied all the styles and structured your HTML, it’s essential to run tests to ensure your code meets the challenge requirements. FreeCodeCamp provides a testing feature that checks user stories automatically. If something doesn’t pass, don’t panic. Here are some tips to troubleshoot common issues:

Check your class names: They must exactly match the required names, including case sensitivity.
Verify your CSS selectors: Use periods for classes (.color-box) and no period for elements (body).
Ensure your stylesheet is linked: This is the most common oversight.
Confirm your colors are in the correct format: Hex codes start with a hash (#), RGB uses rgb() syntax, HSL uses hsl(), and named colors are simply written as words.

Using outlines or borders temporarily can help visualize elements during styling. For example, adding outline: 1px solid red; to a class helps you see where your elements are, especially when they have no content.

Enhancing Your Design Beyond the Challenge

While freeCodeCamp’s user stories provide a solid foundation, adding your own flair can make your project stand out. Here are some ideas to enhance your colored boxes:

Add subtle shadows for depth using box-shadow.
Experiment with different border radii for unique shapes.
Use CSS transitions to add hover effects that change colors or scale.
Make the grid responsive by tweaking Flexbox properties.

These enhancements not only improve the look but also deepen your CSS knowledge.

Why This freeCodeCamp Challenge Matters

Designing a set of colored boxes may seem simple, but it teaches fundamental CSS skills crucial for any web developer. You learn:

How to structure HTML with semantic and meaningful class names
How to link CSS properly and apply styles
Different ways to specify colors and when to use each
How to use Flexbox for layout management
The importance of testing and debugging your code

Mastering these basics sets the stage for more advanced CSS projects and responsive web design.

Final Thoughts

Completing freeCodeCamp’s colored boxes challenge is a rewarding experience that combines coding, creativity, and problem-solving. Approaching it as an instructor or a student eager to learn maximizes your understanding and retention of CSS concepts.

Remember, the key to success is not rushing through but taking the time to explore documentation, experiment with color values, and test your code thoroughly. The challenge also encourages you to think critically about how to organize your HTML and CSS efficiently.

If you want to strengthen your CSS skills and get comfortable with different color systems, try this project yourself. It’s a great gateway into the world of styling and a stepping stone to more complex designs.

Happy coding, and may your colored boxes shine bright on your freeCodeCamp journey!

FreeCodeCamp Design a Set of Colored Boxes Guide