Open-source library 98.css brings Windows 98 aesthetic to modern web development

A new open-source project titled 98.css has been released, offering a CSS library designed to create faithful recreations of the Windows 98 user interface. The design system relies on semantic HTML and explicitly avoids JavaScript dependencies, ensuring it remains compatible with any frontend framework, including React and vanilla JavaScript implementations.

Accessibility is a primary goal of the project, with the library requiring labels for input elements and utilising aria-labels for icon buttons. This approach ensures that the retro aesthetic does not compromise usability for assistive technologies, maintaining a standard user experience for all visitors.

The library provides specific styling for a wide range of UI components, including buttons, checkboxes, radio buttons, text boxes, sliders, dropdowns, windows, status bars, tree views, tabs, and tables. Developers retain the ability to override styles, such as adding padding or colour to input labels, while preserving the distinctive raised and sunken borders characteristic of the operating system.

Installation is straightforward, with the project available via npm, unpkg, or directly from GitHub releases. The creator describes the initiative as a welcoming environment for building open-source skills, explicitly inviting contributions and bug reports through GitHub issues.

The project highlights technical details such as the standard button dimensions of 75px by 23px and the use of dotted borders to indicate focus. By separating styling from functionality, 98.css allows developers to integrate the nostalgic look into modern web applications without the overhead of additional scripting.