to conclude!

akohl — Wed, 03 Oct 2001 22:15:40 +0000

I think I will go with what seems to be a consensus here that its good to practice and fiddle around a lot. I'm still considering getting Core css. But not yet. Maybe by the time I'm ready, another book that deals explicitly with design strategies as well as the technical side of css will come out. If it does, please let me know.

Thanks for your help

Busy — Wed, 26 Sep 2001 22:39:28 +0000

My .02 cents worth.

Forget the book, use the web, like everything in life everyone has their own way of doing things, own beliefs, own methods, shortcuts, bad habits ...... so why pay for only one of these when you can use the free WWW and get multi views.
Dont always assume the big site names know best, give the unknown, or little guys a chance as sometimes they know best (or at least better).

NO matter which way you learn anything, its the same ole "practice makes perfect" and if asking for advice in learning a programming language I'm sure youd get the same advice - practice, practice, practice ...

** Now back to your regular broadcasting ... **

Suzanne — Wed, 26 Sep 2001 19:36:09 +0000

Quote: Originally posted by akohl
I'm also not such a design person. So I'm looking for somenting that will give me some guidance on color choice, layout styles, ect...

Is this something covered by any of the books? Or do I just have to piddle around and experiment untill I get what I want.

Well, er, I'd vote for the piddling around, but lynda.com has a number of books and options on colour theory that will help. Most technical books on subjects like CSS and XML won't touch the design side. Unfortunately, you'll have to marry the design and the underpinnings yourself, but that's the nature of the job.

Suzanne

Re: css and xml

Suzanne — Wed, 26 Sep 2001 19:27:06 +0000

Quote: Originally posted by akohl
What about the issue of learning css as a primer to xml?

This is a bit odd. Really, if anything CSS and XML work together, and one isn't a primer for the other. Conceivably, you could say that CSS is a primer for XSLT, but that would be really stretching.

The concept of separating the markup from the presentation, however, is something that will aid you in learning XML.

I hope that clarifies that a little? HTML and XHTML would be better primers for XML, but in reality, XML requires NO primer, but an open mind.

Suzanne

Strange Reviewer Perspective

Suzanne — Wed, 26 Sep 2001 19:22:28 +0000

Weirdly, I have never even looked at it that way.

There are, after all, very few options for style sheets:

1. inline -- totally embedded into the HTML using the style attribute (for single instances that need changing, like in temporary documents)
2. local -- in the tag of a given page (when the styles only apply to a particular page, or to cascade for slight alterations or clarifications to the global CSS)
3. global -- linked or imported from an external document. (overall rules that apply to the site as a whole, or sections of the site as a whole) (for instance, print v. web v. voice stylesheets)

For the purposes of explanation and demonstration, it doesn't make sense to have a global style sheet. For the purposes of building a site that is modifiable from the stylesheets, it does.

I would assume (though we all know where that will get me) that the examples in the book are intended to show you how the individual declarations work, not an ideal application of stylesheets IN GENERAL for large scale sites.

Why anyone would want more than that explanation (above of the three types), I don't know. There isn't that much to say.

:/ Suzanne

akohl — Wed, 26 Sep 2001 09:28:54 +0000

I Just looked at some reviews of the book Suzanne recommended. One comment from one of the reviewers bothered me.

"What I do have a problem with is the fact that the whole book, every example for every property, was completely embedded into the HTML itself. Their was a slight reference to externally described CSS but no examples to follow. The idea of the sheets is to set a number of parameters for most or all of your pages to follow. Embedding them into the HTML every time defeats the purpose. "

Is this comment true?

For me. linked style sheets is the whole point of css.
I'm interested in learning techniques and advice for making one style sheet for an entire site that can be varied on indivudual pages with embedded css.

I'm also not such a design person. So I'm looking for somenting that will give me some guidance on color choice, layout styles, ect...

Is this something covered by any of the books? Or do I just have to piddle around and experiment untill I get what I want.

Andy

css and xml

akohl — Wed, 26 Sep 2001 08:43:58 +0000

Thank you Suzanne for the book recommendation.

What about the issue of learning css as a primer to xml?

Does this mean anything to you?

Andy

Core CSS

Suzanne — Tue, 25 Sep 2001 20:51:00 +0000

By Keith Schengili-Roberts

EXCELLENT reference, very thorough, nice charts, CD, explanations, et cetera.

Suzanne