CSS: was {Re: Re: Re REBOL FAQ updated}
[1/1] from: jason::cunliffe::verizon::net at: 15-Sep-2002 7:28
> I think your approach is dead right. Aim at cross-everything compatibility.
> CSS is an extremely useful tool on that quest. I think the more you learn
> about it, the more impressed you will be at its backward compatibility.
Yes. It allows a good separation of form and content.
It's sheer joy to drive everything from an external .css file.
Abstract all your content with readable named tags.
Reduce/eliminate <table><td><tr> madness [Eric Meyer's book on CSS is good for
this]
For server-side [Rebol] page generation, css tags are incredibly liberating.
There are many tools, but Dreamweaver is great for setting up and exploring CSS.
Great CSS books:
http://www.meyerweb.com/eric/books/css-tdg/
Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide
By Eric A. Meyer
Published by O'Reilly & Associates
ISBN 1-56592-622-6
456 pages
Eric Meyer on CSS: Mastering the Language of Web Design
by Eric Meyer
Published by: New Riders JUN 28, 2002
ISBN: 073571245X
Pages: 352
http://www.ericmeyeroncss.com/ [main site, includes errata and more]
http://www.newriders.com/books/product.asp?st=DAAB54B2-2B91-43B3-9BAD-F3D3B6B08A
BC&session_id={0DD1AFD4-BF19-4CF6-8DDA-16FCDE4B8A93}&product_id={74FF3558-AFA1-4
728-A5CA-31B63A5F1425}
[see sample chapter]
The O'Reilly book delivers just what you'd expect, and that's good:-)
The New Riders book is structured as page makeover tutorials, progressively
introducing more advanced themes. Usually that approach does not work well for
long or for many people in technical books, but here the quality of writing,
illustration and insights are masterful. His writing scales smoothly from
beginner to advanced. It puts the 'tutor' back in tutorial. Before and after
examples are illustrated with screen shots.
Eric Meyer's emphasis is not just on understanding/teaching CSS, but helping one
to get rid of all the HTML junk AND improve design, readability, and
presentation. Learning where and how to apply the abstraction..
CSS has been a long time coming, and sadly was a victim of early browser wars,
just at the moment that it deserved cross-platform support. But the world has
mercifully come around to the sanity of its design and use.
'Movable Type' uses CSS well.
http://www.movabletype.org/default_styles.shtml
I have been slowly working my way through Vanilla towards the same level of
design control
./Jason