Questions on CSS page layouts

[accelerator]

Hi All

A few questions for those that have dropped table-based design and are now using CSS page layouts:

- Once you have learnt CSS page layout design, do you find it quicker to build sites than when you were using tables?

- Is life as a web designer easier once you have switched to CSS page layout designs?

- How often do you encounter really annoying glitches in CSS support that make a design unfeasible?

- Do you find using web design apps like Dreamweaver useful when using CSS page layout designs? Which web design apps make CSS page layout designs easiest?

Any comments appreciated.

Thanks

[Elaine]

I use a mixture of css and tables - the main layout is css but within the divs I do find it easier to use tables to separate the products - probably 'cos I lost concentration after learning the basics though - would love the time to really learn CSS thoroughly - there is so much you can do with it.

and I use Dreamweaver - not the very latest one - and don't make use of the full capability of the CSS function.

so - probably worthwhile to learn it properly.

[Spartacus]

Originally Posted by accelerator - Once you have learnt CSS page layout design, do you find it quicker to build sites than when you were using tables?

Not really

Originally Posted by accelerator - Is life as a web designer easier once you have switched to CSS page layout designs?

Maintenance and makeovers become easier. 'Specially if you use CSS to specify images.

Originally Posted by accelerator - How often do you encounter really annoying glitches in CSS support that make a design unfeasible?

Occasionally, but there is usually an answer out there on t'interweb

Originally Posted by accelerator - Do you find using web design apps like Dreamweaver useful when using CSS page layout designs? Which web design apps make CSS page layout designs easiest?

Never used them

Tip:Keep HTML and CSS small by

1) Specifiy default font definition in a css rile for the body
2) Use the geneology (don't know if this is the right word) to definte the rules rather han giving everything a class, i.e.

form h1
{
color: #fff;
font-weight: bold;
text-align: left;
}

to define

<form>
<h1>Heading 1</h1>
</form>

Persevere with css its the future !

[andy_jacko]

All my new sites are done in CSS(just got too redo the old ones lol).

development time is roughly the same, I have to do a lot more on paper tho' to start with, figuring how the divs will be created.

I find designing with CSS isnt easier but is much more fun than tables.

Glitches in css are excellent, making quite a killing on rentacoder at the moment troubleshooting CSS.

DW is good for quick previewing of work but the best tools are firefox and IE. always have them on the second monitor so I can quickly check any changes made.

My thoughts on CSS are if you have time learn it, even a small ammount will help with your website. But its not the be all and end all. If you cant do it in CSS and your wasting time ,stick it in a table and go back to it later. But css is the way to go.

hth

andy

[Donk]

Using stylesheets and divs is definitely the way forward but until IE/Firefox/Netscape etc and agree to keep to the standards life is not going to be easy for Webdesigners.

The majority of the sites I design now keep to the mordern standards but if someone requires a cheap/quick site I go back to table layout, at least you now it doesn't have to be tested and adjusted for the various browsers.

For product feed data I use a table within the main divs.

I use dreamweaver for the design of HTML /PHP and Topstyle lite for CSS (the free version has a small text link at the bottom of the page) but I always check the site in IE / Firefox to ensure the pages are rendered correctly.

Hopefully the new IE7 will obviate many of the problems.