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First off ... doctype I have done some reading and come to a couple of assumptions <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> will enable the browser to render the page as it sees fit (quirk mode)
while <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
forces the browser to use a web standard? not its own..
I have notice a couple things .. one thing being once out of quirk mode .. the height property on tables is ignored.
why is this? I am trying to make a fluid layout that resizes with any viewport? .. I could just leave it in quirk mode I suppose but, I would rather learn or focus my learning on a standard that will not depreciate over multiple broswers or in time .. my main point here is .. i dont simply wish to git r dun.. I would rather do it correctly to some standard etc..
Useing a tableless (divs) layout could be an answer however I think that is not yet up to my skill.. or at least to my understanding .. while yes I do know my way around dhtml a bit and have a good grasp of the use of tables but the use of layers (divs) rather boggles my mind as my new layout will be using 3-5 image slices just for the nave bar..
I think about useing a layer and I am un sure how to keep these elements from floating of into space ..and haveing my layout strecth to fill the browser at the same time while keeping everything flush.. is there any work arounds in a table enviorment? also can anyone suggest to me some sites that are hands on learning the use of a table less layout? I think my current layout is complex at least to me? I wish to find a learning anchor on how to accomplish such things..
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[edited by: tedster at 12:29 am (utc) on April 3, 2005]
You're right to assume that you are embarking on a learning adventure - and it will bear wonderful fruit for you, as well as being a bit trying at times.
For some information about Standards vs. Quirks, a good place to start is this thread:
[webmasterworld.com...]
A lot of what you will need is covered by our CSS Forum [webmasterworld.com] and that's the best place I know of to learn. There's a wealth of material already there and a very knowledgeable group of regulars.
And finally, that danged "height" attribute, and what 100% means. Here's the bad news - standards have not yet evolved into strict instructions for how the browser should handle various situations. See [w3.org...] for more.
Sizing content to exactly match the viewport is a major layout challenge, and in my opinion, with little to no payoff. Variations in viewport size are tremendous, ranging from handhelds to monster monitors at very high resolutions -- where browsers often are not running anywhere near full screen.
So exactly filling the viewport is more of a "web as-if-it-was-TV" thing - and you will probably find over time that you have better success with a more flexible, web-like layout. First off, that will suit more of your visitors, and second, you will keep more of your hair during the design and development process. Just remember, scrolling is not evil ;)
However, if mark-up that exactly fills the viewport is what you have your heart set on, my best wishes for your adventure. You probably will want to use dhtml, so you can read the client.availHeight property in the DOM and use that pixel value in your height definitions.
And again, we also have a Javascript Forum [webmasterworld.com] which added to the CSS forum gives you resources for both sides of dhtml.
And if someone can contradict me and knows of a solid, cross-browser and standards compliant approach to exactly filling the viewport with just html and stylehseets, please, feel free to share to wealth.
