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

[Nancy Sosna Bohm]

on 11/20/02 7:20 AM, Michael Whang at michael.whang at wmich.edu wrote:
> ...Using CSS will take you some development time to see how your CSS
> layout behaves in different browsers on different platform....
> ...
> But this issue can be a major or minor thing for you and your
> library. It depends on your site objectives and user goals....

I have given up using all but the most simple CSS on our site (link colors
and body font-family are okay), because the school policy is to support
Netscape 4.x on Macs, but the bulk of the student body and faculty are using
IE on PC's.

--Nancy





on 11/20/02 7:20 AM, Michael Whang at michael.whang at wmich.edu wrote:

> 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
> 
> 
> ========================
> 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
> =========================
>