Crash course in web design!

duvet77 · 20 Jul 2011 at 16:33

Any chance anyone can bring me update with the preferred method of laying out web pages?

Got a small website to make, about 5 pages but just need a bit of direction. Last time I did a website it was all set out with tables but I believe that isn't the done thing anymore. Is it all div tags these days?

duvet77 · 20 Jul 2011 at 16:44

Found a guide so ignore my first post.

The1nonly1 · 20 Jul 2011 at 17:06

got a link to it? would help me. Thanks

duvet77 · 20 Jul 2011 at 22:45

http://www.beginnersguidetohtml.com/guides/css/layout/div-tags

Not totally got my head round it yet. It's ages since I did HTML and I never used div tags.

Xelene · 20 Jul 2011 at 22:52

divs and spans with id / class tags, layout in CSS.

duvet77 · 1 Aug 2011 at 15:24

whats the best way of doing robust/accessible drop down menus, javascript of CSS only?

NickSlash · 2 Aug 2011 at 02:12

CSS, the markup will be the same pretty much which ever you choose but purely using JS for the fold/unfold could be bad if JS is disabled. Use CSS, and if JS is enabled you could swap the simple fold/unfold that CSS would give for an animated version.

Muel · 2 Aug 2011 at 07:10

I wouldn't call is "div based layout", because you can use most tags to create the effect you want.

Take a menu, you build it using a ul and li tags, then apply some CSS and it can be a dropdown, or a navbar, or pretty much nav tool you like.

CSS only menus are the best method IMO. I've been working on one for a good while now (not just like all the others out there, this one is essentially infinite level), message in trust if you want to test it for me.

agent_paul · 2 Aug 2011 at 09:19

duvet77 said:
http://www.beginnersguidetohtml.com/guides/css/layout/div-tags

Not totally got my head round it yet. It's ages since I did HTML and I never used div tags.

If your taking a look at html again, may I suggest looking at html5. There are a quite a few new tags out there that make a lot of "semantic" sense. I'm saying this because once you get used to developing one way (the old html way), it might be difficult picking up the new way of developing.

duvet77 · 2 Aug 2011 at 11:18

I figured CSS only might be the way to go so I've used this:

http://csswizardry.com/2011/02/creating-a-pure-css-dropdown-menu/

Not too bothered that it doesn't do an aminated dropdown like javascript would as the site isn't for me and I'm not getting paid.

8t10 · 2 Aug 2011 at 12:12

HTML for layout. CSS for styling. Tables for tabular data.

If you choose HTML5 think about your audience, only FF3.6<, Chrome, Opera 10<, Safari 2< and IE9 display HTML5 well/at all, without using JavaScript to make it work.

Also check it in all the browsers. IE has a tendency to make good looking websites look like stool.

In my opinion, the CSS only drop downs are better. In the Javascript versions, people concentrate on the effects of them which interferes with users trying to use them.

Muel · 2 Aug 2011 at 12:18

duvet77 said:
I figured CSS only might be the way to go so I've used this:

http://csswizardry.com/2011/02/creating-a-pure-css-dropdown-menu/

Not too bothered that it doesn't do an aminated dropdown like javascript would as the site isn't for me and I'm not getting paid.

Harry (owner of that site) is a close friend of mine, and I based my multi-level version on that one you've used. If you feel the need for more levels, just give me a shout.

duvet77 · 2 Aug 2011 at 17:32

Muel said:
Harry (owner of that site) is a close friend of mine, and I based my multi-level version on that one you've used. If you feel the need for more levels, just give me a shout.

Cool thanks.
The site I'm doing is very simple so I only need one level but I'll bear it in mind for any furutre projects.

I'm in Sheff too BTW... not that I'm suggesting a date or anything but I just thought I'd say!