I taught myself HTML back in the mid-nineties and was proud of the fact that I was able to accomplish the design of fairly complex web pages with nothing more than a starter HTML book, an HTML reference book, and the knowledge I had stored in my head. But back in those days, we web designers had what looking back was a fairly limited amount of tools with which to work, and the quality (or lack thereof) of sites on the web was lackluster at best.
Fast-forward to today: The hand-coder has more powerful and intuitive software packages available that will still allow us "to get our hands dirty", which brings us to the purpose of this article. With the standardization of the much anticipated Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) in the late-nineties, the web design community has become familiar with a much more powerful and precise method of web page layout.
"But how is an old-time web coder supposed to learn CSS the easy way?!" Well, I say you should learn it the way I, and countless others, have:
1. Download the Firefox browser
2. Install the Web Developer extension
3. Open one of your "old" HTML files
4. View the source, click the "Cleanup the page" button
5. Check the "replace FONT.....tags by CSS" box, then Refresh
Now you have a very neat and tidy piece of code, with all the CSS dirty work done for you! At this point you can copy & paste the resulting code and use it in your project and start figuring out what it's doing. I was amazed at how easily I was able to pick it up and start making changes on my own. When I wanted more information on a certain style it was a just a Google search away to many excellent CSS resources on the web. I find it much easier to learn CSS if I get to apply the modifications to the existing code that I've been working on, and I think you will too.
I hope you find this article helpful and if you follow these steps you should be able to add CSS to your web site design toolbox in no time!
Written by Erich Bihlman, of Bihlman Consulting - PC and Internet Tutoring and Website Design in Prescott, Arizona. http://www.bihlman.com For additional helpful articles visit http://www.bihlman.com
[You may reprint this article provided it is not changed in any way, and my author information stays intact including the links.]
recurring cleaning service Wilmette ..Are you using the best colors for your web site?... Read More
1. Assemble a web site development plan that is integrated... Read More
Some wise human once said "Learn from the mistakes of... Read More
You're almost set. The content of your website, e-book, or... Read More
Dear web site visitor.I can't tell you how glad I... Read More
You've likely heard of the movie, Jerry Maguire, with its... Read More
You have only 10 seconds to impress your potential buyer.... Read More
1. Use .gifs rather than .jpgs. GIFs are smaller in... Read More
With so many different configurations internet users have their computers... Read More
An "include" file is a piece of code that can... Read More
They may look cutting edge, but if you want a... Read More
Your web site is the key to your success on... Read More
For most people graphic design does not come easy. Unfortunately... Read More
When you begin the design of your Web site, one... Read More
Want to know what the worst thing to say on... Read More
They say the eyes are the window to the soul.... Read More
The concept of web designing based on the nature and... Read More
Whether a business has just got off the ground or... Read More
Drop Capitals are frequently used in many newspapers, books and... Read More
Sooner or later every small or medium business owner realizes... Read More
As my occupation is that of a proofreader, one of... Read More
Does your website make you any money? Does it SAVE... Read More
You just created a new web site but want to... Read More
Do you know why the majority of people use the... Read More
When you start building your online business and search for... Read More
reliable maid service Morton Grove ..Here is a quick list of components that make a... Read More
What's happening to good web site design? Somehow we creative... Read More
If there's one thing that most web site developers can... Read More
Do you have a website? If so, you need an... Read More
When JV Media Design was formed, the year was 1995... Read More
First you need original content. Content is the heart beat... Read More
Squeeze pages are a very hot topic in the internet... Read More
Web Site Awards are given from other sites to reward... Read More
Web site design has certainly, in the past decade, evolved... Read More
"Oh, my eyes, my eyes! What an eye sore. Quick,... Read More
In today's age of fast food and high-speed Internet, a... Read More
Over the years, the internet has grown into a marvelous... Read More
7. Create high quality content - make clear points with... Read More
So you need a website. You are not sure if... Read More
Know what you wantMake sure you know why you... Read More
A Double Ad Tracker is an Ad-Tracker that points to... Read More
Many times I've seen a web site undergo a revision... Read More
See, works every time. Seriously now, for some reason people... Read More
I get the occasional web design lead from my website.... Read More
All websites have a homepage. It is the most important... Read More
One of the challenges of moving a web site up... Read More
Any design on a web application involves the effective input... Read More
How many times have you clicked on a website only... Read More
If there's one thing that I've learnt so far, it's... Read More
Creating your own website is great fun! But how is... Read More
Web Design |