| When I started exploring the design possibilities of | | | | about the potential of CSS. Whether you want to |
| the internet back in 1996, NetObjects Fusion was (at | | | | know how to justify text, create a pure CSS drop |
| that point) a revolutionary WYSIWYG editor that | | | | down menu or implement a liquid, two-column layout, |
| allowed you to place pretty much any components | | | | this book is an excellent start or continuation for |
| anywhere you wanted on the page. Unfortunately | | | | anyone interested in CSS. |
| for Website Pros, Inc. Macromedia had also seen the | | | | The second and probably more relevant book that I |
| potential in WYSIWYG editors and developed what is | | | | chose (again by Sitepoint) is the 2nd Edition HTML |
| arguably the most popular web design tool ever | | | | Utopia: Designing Without Tables using CSS. This |
| Dreamweaver. | | | | book again goes over the basics of CSS, but in a |
| Dreamweaver has managed to keep up with the | | | | more concise and brief manor. The main bulk of the |
| requirements of the modern day web developer by | | | | book concentrates on more examples of positioning |
| constantly updating and improving aspects of its | | | | and layout. In short these are two books that I |
| design, layout and functionality. With the latest | | | | know I'm eventually going to read from cover to |
| release of Dreamweaver, Macromedia have again | | | | cover two books that will always be to hand and |
| improved on various features but have also come to | | | | provide the answer to my question when something |
| realise the potential and the need to support (in more | | | | goes wrong or I don't fully understand exactly what |
| detail) the new designer's technique cascade style | | | | I'm doing (something that happens on a regular basis). |
| sheets (CSS). | | | | So what have I learnt in the last few months from |
| Having always designed using table based layouts, I | | | | reading these books, reading relational website |
| recently (less than 3 months ago in fact) decided it | | | | articles and listening to peoples points of view on |
| was time to look in more detail at CSS, to learn what | | | | webmaster forums? Quite simply I was quite |
| it could do to improve the quality of my work, | | | | stubborn in the beginning. I had tried about a year |
| specifically in terms of positioning and layout of | | | | ago to use CSS for layouts but hadn't got very far |
| website elements. At that point I already had a basic | | | | (although at that stage I had no books to use for |
| understand of CSS and how to use CSS to influence | | | | reference). This time around I had the knowledge (or |
| text styling, link styles, table colours and borders etc. | | | | more accurately the books of knowledge) but was |
| The challenge was (more clearly) to see if designing | | | | already expecting my own personal failure (based on |
| layouts using CSS instead of tables was (to me) | | | | my previous experiences). Luckily though I stuck with |
| easier and more beneficial could I be persuaded to | | | | it and now know a lot more (although obviously not |
| change despite my dedication to tables? | | | | everything, by a long shot) about the potential of |
| My choice of two books (which I'm still reading | | | | CSS. |
| incidentally), are both written and published by | | | | Obviously (just by looking at my site) you can see |
| Sitepoint. The first (The CSS Anthology 101 Essential | | | | that I have indeed changed from table based layouts |
| Tips, Tricks & Hacks) is an excellent practical guide, | | | | to CSS layouts but what truly changed my mind and |
| not only for beginners but also for people (like me) | | | | would I ever go back to tables? Is this site simply a |
| wanting to learn a bit more (or in fact a lot more) | | | | one off? |