Posts Tagged ‘css’
Six indispensable CSS tips and tricks I use on every project
After building Web sites for quite a few years, I have settled into a groove. Much of the XHTML and CSS that ends up in every project is recycled because it works so well on so many different levels. Without a doubt the following six tips and tricks are my favorite, and the most indispensable. None of these are of my own invention, but all have saved me weeks of development time.
HOWTO: spruce up your search box with CSS and a background image
Very few designers appreciate the aesthetic of a text input field, and styling form fields cross-browser on any Web site can be a tedious and frustrating experience. The compromise typically involves applying a simple colored border and background to the fields. I think this is the right approach for Web sites and applications that are form field intensive, but the search box plays a special role in the design, and it deserves a little more attention.
Using JavaScript to access an HTML element with multiple class names
Occasionally I discover a nifty solution to a coding obstacle. Although seemingly small, these can be major productivity barriers, especially if you are only a recreational coder. The following is in response to an HTML element that has multiple class names declared.
Pure CSS menus are the elephant in the room
An elephant stepped into our midst on the day Eric Meyer brought us the first pure CSS menus prototype, and a steaming pile of manure was deposited with no Carny in site to shovel up the stinking heap left behind.
The five things every CSS beginner must know
Being a CSS beginner is difficult because you never know where to start the learning process. If you pose the question to any forum, you will get a myriad of answers, some good, but mostly, not so good. The worst is when you’re instructed to read the W3C documentation. That’s like asking a pilot in training to read the mechanic’s manual for the propeller. Only refer to the W3C when you’re looking for the technical recommendation. Eventually, when you have something specific you want to accomplish with CSS, and are unsure how, use Google to find the answer.
What they didn’t tell you about CSS
The frustrating thing about learning new Web technologies is the lack of “why didn’t someone tell me this before I began” need-to-know information. Especially with CSS, you’ll get tiny tips, tricks, hacks and everything in between, but for fear of lynching in the Web community, the last thing you’ll get is the bad with the good. I’ve been using CSS professionally now for a few years, and although I enjoy using it, there are definitely some points of contention worth noting. If you’re new to CSS, read through the list carefully, and remember to do your homework. (FYI - any statement of “this can’t be done” is a reference to purity - i.e. - it can’t be done without a hack.)
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