Styling Web Pages with CSS: Visual QuickProject Guide

✍ Scribed by Tom Negrino, Dori Smith

• Publisher: Peachpit Press
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 145
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

UPDATE: I originally gave this book 3 stars, but I am downgrading my review to a luke warm 3 stars. The reason is that in Chapter 8, there are several errors and omissions that basically doesn't let the user actually create the page that is shown. For instance, they leave out an integral selector "navbar ul" from the book. Without it, the page navbar looks like it is broken. Going to the source files (see below) showed me what I was missing, but for all the people that aren't aware that the source files exist, they might be lost. It appears that the book wasn't carefully proof read prior to publication. Actually it doesn't appear that the authors didn't have someone go thru the book as if they were learning CSS for the first time. If they did, this would have stood out as something that needed some fixing.

Another nit pick, in the same chapter, the reader is presented with the "old CSS" #navbar, but it actually should have been #sidebar.

I share many of the same thoughts as the other reviewers. I found it very frustrating that the source wasn't included as a download. If you go to the Peach Pit site, you can download the images, but not source files, wtf?

So I wound up googling Alpaca Repo and there is actually a site devoted to the fictional site in the book. Delving deeper, I see that the site is registered to none other than Dori Smith, the author.

For all who buy the book, you can visit the site at [...]. Replace DOT with an actual "."

UPDATE : Looks like Amazon stripped the URL from my review. If you have the book, go to page 15 and the URL is found in the screenshot of the web browser.

You would think the authors and or the publisher would read these comments and give an update.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Carlos F.
Holly Springs, NC

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 6
introduction......Page 8
what you’ll create......Page 9
how web pages work......Page 10
how this book works......Page 11
useful tools......Page 12
the next step......Page 13
1. introducing css......Page 14
choose your tools......Page 15
create a stylesheet......Page 16
write css rules......Page 17
create a class......Page 19
define an id......Page 20
comment your css......Page 21
using internal styles......Page 22
use external stylesheets......Page 23
understand the cascade......Page 25
extra bits......Page 26
2. layout and positioning......Page 28
block vs inline tags......Page 29
the box model......Page 30
positioning boxes......Page 32
understand float......Page 34
choose your sizing......Page 35
create the xhtml......Page 36
style the divs......Page 41
create faux columns......Page 45
extra bits......Page 47
3. styling text......Page 50
understand css fonts......Page 51
style text......Page 54
style headings......Page 56
extra bits......Page 57
4. work with images......Page 60
prepare images......Page 61
float images......Page 63
place images......Page 65
add background images......Page 68
extra bits......Page 70
5. make menus......Page 72
style the sidebar......Page 73
create the buttons......Page 75
add rollover effects......Page 77
extra bits......Page 80
6. style specific elements......Page 84
style a table......Page 85
add fancy headings......Page 92
use special selectors......Page 93
extra bits......Page 94
7. work better with browsers......Page 96
adapt for IE......Page 97
use browser extensions......Page 103
add print stylesheets......Page 106
extra bits......Page 109
8. add to your site......Page 112
create horizontal menu......Page 113
bring back left column......Page 117
add top ad banner......Page 119
add third column......Page 121
add fly-out menus......Page 124
add horizontal fly-outs......Page 128
create standard menus......Page 130
extra bits......Page 131
9. troubleshoot and learn more......Page 132
validate your css......Page 133
get debugging tools......Page 134
debug css......Page 135
learn more about css......Page 137
extra bits......Page 138
C......Page 139
F......Page 140
K......Page 141
P......Page 142
T......Page 143
Z......Page 144