Browser Rendering
Intermediate·25 min read·Lesson 1 of 4·○Not Started
Understanding how browsers convert HTML, CSS, and JavaScript into pixels is essential for performance optimization.
The Critical Rendering Path
The browser goes through a sequence of steps: parsing HTML to build the DOM tree, parsing CSS to build the CSSOM tree, combining them into the render tree, computing layout, and finally painting pixels to the screen.
Key Concepts
- Reflow: recalculating layout when dimensions change
- Repaint: redrawing pixels when visual changes don't affect layout
- Compositing: combining layers for efficient rendering