| Because of the continuous innovation in web design | | | | access the content of a site even if they cannot |
| and development techniques and styles, several | | | | render the stylesheet or are not designed with |
| languages or tools have been introduced so as to | | | | graphical capability in mind. For example, a browser |
| make it easier for web designers and developers to | | | | using a refreshable braille display for output could |
| create and maintain a website. Such tool includes the | | | | disregard layout information entirely, and the user |
| use of WYSIWYG tools such as the popular Adobe | | | | would still have access to all page content. |
| Dreamweaver (formerly known as Macromedia | | | | Customization If a page's layout information is all |
| Dreamweaver) and Adobe Flash (formerly known as | | | | stored externally, a user can decide to disable the |
| Macromedia Flash). Other tools include the use of | | | | layout information entirely, leaving the site's bare |
| Microsoft Silverlight (which is said to work the same | | | | content still in a readable form. Site authors may also |
| way as Adobe Flash) and JavaFX. Web developing | | | | offer multiple stylesheets, which can be used to |
| tools such as PHP and Java are now considered as | | | | completely change the appearance of the site |
| some of the growing side-server languages used for | | | | without altering any of its content. According to Web |
| web development. But aside from these languages | | | | design Philippines professionals, most modern web |
| used by web developers, and tools usually utilized by | | | | browsers also allow the user to define their own |
| web designers, the use of Style Sheet languages | | | | stylesheet, which can include rules that override the |
| became in-demand throughout the market. This is | | | | author's layout rules. This allows users, for example, |
| because of its several functions usually isn't possible | | | | to bold every hyperlink on every page they visit. |
| in other web development tools and languages. Style | | | | Consistency Because the semantic file contains only |
| Sheet Languages Web style sheets are a form of | | | | the meanings an author intends to convey, the |
| separation of presentation and content for web | | | | styling of the various elements of the document's |
| design in which the markup (i.e., HTML or XHTML) of | | | | content is very consistent. For example, headings, |
| a webpage contains the page's semantic content and | | | | emphasized text, lists and mathematical expressions |
| structure, but does not define its visual layout (style). | | | | all receive consistently applied style properties from |
| Instead, the style is defined in an external stylesheet | | | | the external stylesheet. Authors need not concern |
| file using a language such as CSS or XSL. This design | | | | themselves with the style properties at the time of |
| approach is identified as a "separation" because it | | | | composition. These presentational details can be |
| largely supersedes the antecedent methodology in | | | | deferred until the moment of presentation. Portability |
| which a page's markup defined both style and | | | | The deferment of presentational details until the time |
| structure. The Good Separation of style and content | | | | of presentation means that a document can be easily |
| has many benefits, but has only become practical in | | | | re-purposed for an entirely different presentation |
| recent years due to improvements in popular web | | | | medium with merely the application of a new |
| browsers' CSS implementations. Advantages usually | | | | stylesheet already prepared for the new medium and |
| associated with the use of style sheet languages are | | | | consistent with elemental or structural vocabulary of |
| as follows: Speed Overall, users experience of a site | | | | the semantic document. A carefully authored |
| utilising style sheets will generally be quicker than sites | | | | document for a web page can easily be printed to a |
| that don’t use the technology. ‘Overall’ | | | | hard-bound volume complete with headers and |
| as the first page will probably load more slowly – | | | | footers, page numbers and a generated table of |
| because the style sheet AND the content will need | | | | contents simply by applying a new stylesheet. |
| to be transferred. According to Web design | | | | Disadvantage of the use of style sheet languages |
| Philippines specialists, subsequent pages will load | | | | Complexity One of the practical problems is the lack |
| faster because no style information will need to be | | | | of proper support for style languages in major |
| downloaded – the CSS file will already be in the | | | | browsers. Typical web page layouts call for some |
| browser's cache. Maintainability Holding all the | | | | tabular presentation of the major parts of the page |
| presentation styles in one file significantly reduces | | | | such as menu navigation columns and header bars, |
| maintenance time and reduces the chance of human | | | | navigation tabs, and so on. However, deficient |
| errors, thereby improving presentation consistency. | | | | support for CSS and XSL in major browsers forces |
| For example, the font color associated with a type | | | | authors to code these tables within their content |
| of text element may be specified — and | | | | rather than applying a tabular style to the content |
| therefore easily modified — throughout an entire | | | | from the accompanying stylesheet. |
| website simply by changing one short string of | | | | Adaptation |
| characters in a single file. The alternate approach, | | | | While the style specifications are quite mature and |
| using styles embedded in each individual page, would | | | | still maturing, the software tools have been slow to |
| require a cumbersome, time consuming, and | | | | adapt. According to a number of Web design |
| error-prone edit of every file. Accessibility Sites that | | | | Philippines specialists that use such languages, most of |
| use CSS with either XHTML or HTML are easier to | | | | the major web development tools still embrace a |
| tweak so that they appear extremely similar in | | | | mixed presentation-content model. So authors and |
| different browsers. Sites using CSS "degrade | | | | designers looking for GUI based tools for their work |
| gracefully" in browsers unable to display graphical | | | | find it difficult to follow the semantic web method. In |
| content, such as Lynx, or those so very old that | | | | addition to GUI tools, shared repositories for |
| they cannot use CSS. Browsers ignore CSS that they | | | | generalized stylesheets would probably aid adoption |
| do not understand, such as CSS 3 statements. This | | | | of these methods.Visit for more info. |
| enables a wide variety of user agents to be able to | | | | |