[WEB4LIB] Re: What's next after HTML?

[Michael Whang]

Hello Kathy,

There are advantages and disadvantages of moving from a design
utilizing lots of <tables> to a design that separates style from
structure (CSS and XHTML markup).

One advantage is that you can control literally hundreds of
documents with only a few files, reducing the time required for you
to dig through lots of markup to make edits. If you create a nested
table design, sifting thru the markup gets to be ridiculous after
awhile. The CSS file can control how the content is viewed on
screen, how it is printed, how it is accessible via aural readers.

Second, reducing file size by removing spacer.gifs and font tags
reduces the overall document size in a traditonal table-based
layout. Spacer gifs aren't large at all (1px), but when you nest
tables in a way that allows you the flexibility you need in your
layout, those nested table cells and rows just add to the documents
overall file size.

There are more advantages to using CSS vs <tables> but I want to
keep this post readable and to be fair I'll include a disadvantage
to using CSS.

Using CSS will take you some development time to see how your CSS
layout behaves in different browsers on different platform. I've
noticed that when browsers are resized or are viewed on small
monitors, columns that hold your content aren't flexible enough,
meaning that content from one column overlaps another.

But this issue can be a major or minor thing for you and your
library. It depends on your site objectives and user goals.
Obviously, you will create a negative user experience for a
percentage of your audience still using older browsers and if you
have 4,000 visitors a month to your library site and 12% of those
visitors are viewing the non-styled content, then that can be
significant.

I think the issues involved here are much deeper than simply
deciding on reformatting existing content to a standard that
reflects our current state of technology and culture on campus and
in industry. I think you have to carefully look at your site logs
and determine how many of your users are currently using older
browsers and on what platforms. This requires that you know your
user's needs as well as the library's site objectives.

Michael


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Michael Whang
Head of Web and Internet Services
University Libraries Web Office
Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI  49008-5353
p: 269-387-5184
e: michael.whang at wmich.edu
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