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Today’s Technical Challenge June 9, 2008 12:10 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : CSS, HTML, Programming, Technology , add a comment

I like the semantic web. That means that when I create a website I use markup as its intended. We used to have to use tables to make elegant layouts. Browsers have matured and become more compliant to the HTML specification. Now tables can be used for tabular data; however, designers still have tools which cut and slice designs up into tables rather than using CSS. Tables have their place in HTML. Specifically, tables use be used for presenting tabular data but not for arranging graphics or chopped up pieces of images in the browser window.

Menus and navigation are lists semantically speaking. Of course, no one wants to see a menu with a bunch of dots beside it nor should ever menu be presented as a vertical list with indentions for submenus. Using CSS we can remove the bullets, turn the list horizontal, and make the submenus appear as submenus when the mouse rolls over the navigation. This works great in a browser and because of the semantic nature will present well in a pda, phone or other mobile device. However, the WYSIWYG editor in an email client wreaks havoc on the page. "Huh?" is the correct response because really web pages, particularly dynamic web pages, should not be sent by email. Instead a link to the web page should be sent. BUT Internet Explorer is kind enough to provide under its FILE menu (PAGE menu in IE7) an option to "Send Page by Email" which in theory will deliver an HTML email that is an exact representation of the web page.

In reality, in a specific case which has not been narrowed down yet, the CSS menu is rendered with conditional comments.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>o<!–[endif]–>

Obvious steps have been to make sure that IE is upgraded to IE7 and that the email client is updated. And to confirm that the email is being sent as HTML and not plain text. Aside from returning to a tabled design, what other options should be explored?

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Web Design as a Pie Chart May 2, 2008 6:30 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : CSS, Daily Life, HTML, Humor, Philosophy, Programming, Technology , add a comment

It’s not my picture but it is my life. Original from Photobucket.

Click for larger view.

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CSS3 is coming! August 18, 2006 10:22 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : CSS, Programming, Technology , 1 comment so far

CSS3 is coming! CSS3 is coming! Cascading Style Sheets allow design to be separated from programming. Before quality support of CSS within web browsers, designers and programmers had to rely on tricks to make the site appear correctly. One technique even included creating separate documents for each of the major browser, detecting the browser version, and presenting the correct document. What a pain!

With CSS, a programmer can create an HTML document sematically. In short a programmer can write code that says, "put a paragraph here" without worrying about what a paragraph’s appearance should be. That is, the programmer need not concern themselves with size of the font, indentions, emphasizing the first word, and so forth. The designer can manage that all through the style sheet.

Is it me or wasn’t vertical alignment of text promised in CSS3? I don’t see that in the list!

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Debugging CSS June 30, 2006 9:59 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : CSS, Programming, Technology , add a comment

For folks working with CSS and Firefox, there is an outstanding tool called Aardvark. There is also a javascript bookmarklet that does something similar and can be used in any browser that supports javascript. Simply go to this page and drag the Bookmark this link for MODIv2 link to your bookmarks toolbar. When you want to use it, click the shortcut. (of course, you can skip going to the page and simply drag that link).

I still highly recommend Aardvark.

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5 Steps to CSS Heaven June 28, 2006 9:19 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : CSS, Programming, Technology , add a comment

I find CSS to be much fun. I like reading other people’s options of CSS techniques. PingMag lists 5 steps that I like.

  1. http://www.pingmag.jp/2006/05/18/5-steps-to-css-heaven/
  2. Separate the positioning properties from the typographic properties
  3. Isolate single properties that you are likely to reuse a lot
  4. Try out an online CSS compressor
  5. Learn to exploit the cascading nature of CSS

I don’t necessarily agree completely or adhere to these steps but they are certainly worth reviewing. [Source]

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Levels of HTML Knowledge May 31, 2006 7:32 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : CSS, HTML, Programming, Technology , add a comment

This serious rating of HTML coders complements my earlier joke post regarding the evolution of programmers by explaining 7 levels of HTML understanding from HTML Level 0 to HTML Level 6. I’d put myself at HTML Level 4 moving into 5.

It isn’t necessary for everybody to reach HTML Level 6. I consider myself a Level 5 person, and I’m quite happy reading the specs instead of writing them so I don’t really feel like I need to reach Level 6. People whose task is to keep a website’s content up-to-date can even get by at Level 1, provided that their CMS is good enough. It all depends on your needs.

Levels of HTML Knowledge was inspired by Levels of CSS knowledge. I am Level 5.

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