Problems with CSS Formatting

Here's where we run into trouble. For all the hundreds of possible CSS settings there are many that certain browsers do not support, or support them a little differently than others do. Additionally, there are certain unofficial CSS styles that some browsers have invented for themselves without respect to whether or not other browsers have them. Then, there are simply bugs in some browser/platform combinations that do not properly display valid CSS formatting. Check out this chart (you can find this online at www.westciv.com/style_master/academy/browser_support/text.html). It shows the CSS browser compatibility, just for text attributes. Notice the key: Y=supported, P=partial, B=buggy, and N=no.

While CSS is a great way to efficiently code a web page, it's still a tricky business. If you want to get a sense of the power of CSS visit the CSS Zen Garden (www.csszengarden.com). This site demonstrates how the exact same content can be displayed in radically different layouts by simply changing the CSS file. Granted, it takes a lot of effort to establish CSS practices that will display properly in all of your targeted browsers, but once you get things working, design adjustments (whether minor or major) can be accomplished far more easily than if display is hard coded in HTML throughout the website.   next >