CSS: Separating Design and Content
Assumptions You know HTML You do not know CSS You care about aesthetics and function You have 50 minutes to kill
What We’ll Do What is CSS? View some code and talk basics Why use CSS? Advantages to Workflow Cost Savings Implementations Resources
What are Cascading Style Sheets? Created by Hakon Wium Lie of MIT in 1994 Has become the W3C standard for controlling visual presentation of web pages Separates design elements from structural logic You get control and maintain the integrity of your data
Let’s See Some Code Sample Style sheet Rule Structure
Selectors Element Selectors  – (refer to HTML tags)‏ H1 {color: purple;} H1, H2, P {color: purple;} Contextual  – (refer to HTML, but in context)‏ LI B {color: purple;}
Selectors Class Selectors <H1 CLASS=“warning”>Danger!</H1> <P CLASS=“warning”>Be careful…</P> …… . In your HTML code  - H1.warning {color: red;} OR to an entire class… .warning {color:red;}
Applying CSS to HTML Style rules can be applied in 3 ways: Inline Styles : <H1 STYLE=“color: blue; font-size: 20pt;”>A large purple Heading</H1> For individual elements using the STYLE attribute Embedded style sheets : <HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Stylin’!</TITLE> <STYLE TYPE=“text/css”> H1 {color: purple;} P {font-size: 10pt; color: gray;} </STYLE> </HEAD> … </HTML> External style sheets : <HEAD> <LINK REL=stylesheet” TYPE=“text/css”  HREF=“styles/ mystyles.css ”> </HEAD> This is true “separation” of style and content. Keeping all your styles in an external document is simpler
Why CSS? Advantages to Workflow Cost Savings You WILL Be Cooler
Advantages of CSS Workflow Faster downloads Streamlined site maintenance Global control of design attributes Precise control (Advanced)‏ Positioning Fluid layouts
Advantages of CSS - Cost Savings Cost Savings Reduced Bandwidth Costs One style sheet called and cached Higher Search Engine Rankings Cleaner code is easier for search engines to index Greater density of indexable content
Advantages of CSS - Cost Savings Faster download = better usability Web usability redesign can increase the sales/conversion rate by 100%  (source:  Jakob  Nielson )   CSS requires less code Tables require spacer images Entire table has to render before content CSS can control the order that elements download (content before images)‏
Advantages of CSS - Cost Savings Increased Reach CSS website is compatible w/ many different devices In 2008 an est. 58 Million PDA’s will be sold (Source: eTForecast.com)‏ 1/3 of the world’s population will own a wireless device by 2010
Implementations Apply to HTML pages Apply to dynamic data Format or style XML Use for layout  (this is cool)‏ See  http://www.csszengarden.com
CSS isn’t perfect (yet)‏ CSS support in browsers is still uneven Make sure your CSS properties are supported
Resources http://www.csszengarden.com This is CSS at its finest http://www.w3.org/Style/CSS/ The Official CSS Site http://css.maxdesign.com.au/ Australian firm, very professional http://webmonkey.wired.com/webmonkey/reference/stylesheet_guide Where I learned CSS and Web Design
Come and see me at 3:30pm! “ Making Your Web Site More Appealing”

Css

  • 1.
  • 2.
    Assumptions You knowHTML You do not know CSS You care about aesthetics and function You have 50 minutes to kill
  • 3.
    What We’ll DoWhat is CSS? View some code and talk basics Why use CSS? Advantages to Workflow Cost Savings Implementations Resources
  • 4.
    What are CascadingStyle Sheets? Created by Hakon Wium Lie of MIT in 1994 Has become the W3C standard for controlling visual presentation of web pages Separates design elements from structural logic You get control and maintain the integrity of your data
  • 5.
    Let’s See SomeCode Sample Style sheet Rule Structure
  • 6.
    Selectors Element Selectors – (refer to HTML tags)‏ H1 {color: purple;} H1, H2, P {color: purple;} Contextual – (refer to HTML, but in context)‏ LI B {color: purple;}
  • 7.
    Selectors Class Selectors<H1 CLASS=“warning”>Danger!</H1> <P CLASS=“warning”>Be careful…</P> …… . In your HTML code - H1.warning {color: red;} OR to an entire class… .warning {color:red;}
  • 8.
    Applying CSS toHTML Style rules can be applied in 3 ways: Inline Styles : <H1 STYLE=“color: blue; font-size: 20pt;”>A large purple Heading</H1> For individual elements using the STYLE attribute Embedded style sheets : <HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Stylin’!</TITLE> <STYLE TYPE=“text/css”> H1 {color: purple;} P {font-size: 10pt; color: gray;} </STYLE> </HEAD> … </HTML> External style sheets : <HEAD> <LINK REL=stylesheet” TYPE=“text/css” HREF=“styles/ mystyles.css ”> </HEAD> This is true “separation” of style and content. Keeping all your styles in an external document is simpler
  • 9.
    Why CSS? Advantagesto Workflow Cost Savings You WILL Be Cooler
  • 10.
    Advantages of CSSWorkflow Faster downloads Streamlined site maintenance Global control of design attributes Precise control (Advanced)‏ Positioning Fluid layouts
  • 11.
    Advantages of CSS- Cost Savings Cost Savings Reduced Bandwidth Costs One style sheet called and cached Higher Search Engine Rankings Cleaner code is easier for search engines to index Greater density of indexable content
  • 12.
    Advantages of CSS- Cost Savings Faster download = better usability Web usability redesign can increase the sales/conversion rate by 100% (source: Jakob Nielson ) CSS requires less code Tables require spacer images Entire table has to render before content CSS can control the order that elements download (content before images)‏
  • 13.
    Advantages of CSS- Cost Savings Increased Reach CSS website is compatible w/ many different devices In 2008 an est. 58 Million PDA’s will be sold (Source: eTForecast.com)‏ 1/3 of the world’s population will own a wireless device by 2010
  • 14.
    Implementations Apply toHTML pages Apply to dynamic data Format or style XML Use for layout (this is cool)‏ See http://www.csszengarden.com
  • 15.
    CSS isn’t perfect(yet)‏ CSS support in browsers is still uneven Make sure your CSS properties are supported
  • 16.
    Resources http://www.csszengarden.com Thisis CSS at its finest http://www.w3.org/Style/CSS/ The Official CSS Site http://css.maxdesign.com.au/ Australian firm, very professional http://webmonkey.wired.com/webmonkey/reference/stylesheet_guide Where I learned CSS and Web Design
  • 17.
    Come and seeme at 3:30pm! “ Making Your Web Site More Appealing”