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.]
Alto Pass chicago limos ..You're almost set. The content of your website, e-book, or... Read More
If you are designing a web site for which the... Read More
A well designed web site is great to have, but... Read More
So you want to build a website here I will... Read More
The title tags of your web pages are more important... Read More
Many people hire professional web site designers for as much... Read More
Know what you wantMake sure you know why you... Read More
Want to know what the worst thing to say on... Read More
Page ranking by search engines such as Google are not... Read More
Not all links are created equal.While all of your links... Read More
It seems more and more webmasters are using CSS for... Read More
CSS or Cascading Style Sheets has opened up tremendous possibilities... Read More
As the Internet blooms at an alarming rate, so as... Read More
The time it takes to load your site can make... Read More
Your website is your tool for showing the online community... Read More
For those not familiar with CSS Hacks, they are ways... Read More
The first immutable law of effective navigation: It's gotta be... Read More
Unarguably, the most important part of your website is content.... Read More
Web Design is a very subjective process. Your idea of... Read More
Websites, there's literally billions of them out there in cyber-space.... Read More
Have you ever thought about the real stories behind all... Read More
~A man [woman] is a success if he [she] gets... Read More
Let's face it. Building a web site that browses consistently... Read More
Are you looking for somebody to build you a website,... Read More
Creating your web site can be a tricky process. Choosing... Read More
Alto Pass cool limo ..Home-based businesses need a strong web presence to combat the... Read More
Many websites make the mistake of being all flash and... Read More
The icons in an application are the soul of the... Read More
There are plenty of Drupal Modules that you can install... Read More
It has been said that the best online sales copy... Read More
Are you thinking that it is about time your small... Read More
Here's a really simple way... any novice can create a... Read More
Why is the quality of your text layout and design... Read More
I once created a notepad-like editor. It is possible with... Read More
One of the biggest problems with Web sites is that... Read More
Ever wonder how HTML color codes are put together? For... Read More
In this era of ultra-sophisticated internet marketing and web design,... Read More
Website Design Usability Tips1. Getting to know about audience membersYou... Read More
In retailing there is a saying that sales are made... Read More
Want to know what the worst thing to say on... Read More
So how do you know when your graphic designer costs... Read More
The way you design your web site affects your visitors'... Read More
Not too long ago while looking for businesses that do... Read More
Any kid, and their grandmother too, can make a webpage.... Read More
There are lots of websites out there that do little... Read More
Whether you are planning on having a website built for... Read More
Nope. You certainly don't need a website.But you don't need... Read More
Regardless whether you manage a small business, charitable organization, or... Read More
There are more than billions of Web Sites, running Online... Read More
Some wise human once said "Learn from the mistakes of... Read More
Web Design |