More on putting things to the :right

If you're going to position to the right, do it from the left...

[mipapage]

This is a take off of sorts from another thread, where some of us discussed the same issue, however there we were discussing Absolute Positioning and right: 0px;. Here I'm moaning about Floating Right.

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For arguments sake, a three column layout, no header or footer. #left, #center, #right. I position the right hand column by using 'right: 0px;' for example, the left using 'left:0px', and do somethig with the center column, whatever floats your boat (no pun intended...).

Now, if someone comes along with one of these gigantic monitors at like 1200x1600 res or greater, and they view my page with a 'maximized' browser window, will the right column and left column not begin to occupy different time zones, and the center column, depending on how you do it, appear like a tootsie roll being pulled at by two kids at halloween?

I take it that I will have the same concerns using float:right for the right hand column, which could be avoided if IE6 supported the max-width attribute (and wrapping things in a max-width div), but seeing as it doesn't, and it is king...

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Background: The reason that this came up is that I was making a layout with a left column floated left, then a central column also floated left. This of course invokes the three pixel text jog (msg 12) [webmasterworld.com] in IE. Floating it right dispells the problem, but invokes the aforementioned concerns. I'm going at it differently now, but what a pain in the a**

[edited by: Nick_W at 3:17 pm (utc) on May 19, 2003]
[edit reason] removed broken link [/edit]

[grahamstewart]

If you're going to position to the right, do it from the left...

I completely disagree.

While it is true that, if someone has a very large resolution display (say 1600x1200) and they view your site with their window maximised, it will look a little stretched.

So what? This is a pretty theoretical problem since (a) the majority of users dont have this resolution available to them and (b) those that do never actually surf with their windows maximised.

Plus, the only way to avoid this issue (in lieu of better support for

max-width

) is to design to throw out the advantages of a fluid site and design to a fixed width.

(note: there have been numerous threads arguing about fluid design vs. fixed and I really don't want to start another one here - some people like fluid designs, I am one of them, others prefer fixed designs)

Ask yourself this, you are very worried about how your sites looks when its stretched? But do you care what it looks like in a very small window (say 320x200)?

[mipapage]

I completely disagree.

Whohooo! Someone disagrees!

You make a reeaallly good point that hits me like a slap in the face (and makes me feel real silly for not realizing it). I do make fluid sites. So it's gonna stretch out there no matter what I do.

Wow it feels good to have that "Go right" freedom.

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But do you care what it looks like in a very small window (say 320x200)?

In fact I do, and I check it and have it checked for me (talking pda's etc. here).

Thanks grahamstewart!

[mipapage]

So what? This is a pretty theoretical problem since (a) the majority of users dont have this resolution available to them and (b) those that do never actually surf with their windows maximised.

Theoretical now, but what happens down the line when it's not so theoretical? Sorta thinking forward compatibility. I guess point b comes into play, or a good max-width hack (of which there does exist some javascript that works on IE Win, but not IE Mac)

[papabaer]

Real world user... I have 21" and a 17" monitors and use a resolution of 1600x1200 on both. I seldom surf full screen since I typically have several browser windows active. Even when I have only one, I still have the browser pane sized at a width of 1024.

I would guess, that in most cases where hi-res settings are used, and or large screen displays, the additional screen realestate is used for additional windows and programs.

[mipapage]

I would guess, that in most cases where hi-res settings are used, and or large screen displays, the additional screen realestate is used for additional windows and programs.

I figured as much, it's just a fear I have of someone maximizing the window and my site turning into a set of open teeth or something ;-) Kinda like gettin caught with your pants down...

[Hester]

mipapage - nice use of large first letters!