| Cascading Style Sheets (or CSS for short) have | | | | user is not distracted by the more bulky and |
| slowly but surely become a website design | | | | slower to load image files. Furthermore, because |
| standard over the past few years. It was not | | | | all the code involved with CSS page layout is held |
| that many years ago that people used Frames to | | | | in one external CSS document and is cached, it is |
| position their content across their web pages and | | | | faster than Table layouts that need to be |
| Tables gradually replaced this. Many low-end | | | | interpreted every time a new page is displayed; |
| website developers are still very comfortable with | | | | 4. It is much easier to edit existing pages and to |
| Tables, as it 'does what it says on the tin'. | | | | add new pages, particularly in the area of subtle |
| However, more and more people are now moving | | | | formatting amendments. For example, you can |
| over to CSS, as virtually all the layout options can | | | | change the font or colour scheme across an |
| be achieved using the code. | | | | entire website in literally minutes; |
| One major problem with CSS is that not all Web | | | | 5. CSS delivers enhanced accessibility. In recent |
| browsers produce the same results and it has not | | | | years the number of people using web browsers |
| been helped in the past by the various browsers | | | | on hand-held devices has risen significantly and |
| employing their own way of interpreting certain | | | | CSS plays an important function in delivering |
| CSS conventions. You can think your CSS design | | | | content to PDA's etc through additional CSS |
| looks OK in the current version of your preferred | | | | documents. This just isn't possible with |
| browser and can then be crestfallen when you | | | | Table-driven layouts; |
| view your Web pages in another version that has | | | | 6. CSS is considered to be more Search Engine |
| destroyed the formatting. Therefore, when | | | | friendly because they can spider CSS pages |
| moving over to CSS, it is important that you use | | | | quicker. However, it remains to be seen if this has |
| the capabilities that are consistently supported | | | | any tangible benefits such as an improvement on |
| across the entire range of popular browsers. It is | | | | the your page ranking. |
| interesting that the new version 7 of Microsoft's | | | | On the flipside, there are a few disadvantages to |
| Internet Explorer has fixed a number of earlier | | | | CSS web page design you should consider: |
| anomalies, but many people are now waking up to | | | | 1. As compared with Tables, CSS involves a much |
| the reality that IE7 has in fact caused problems | | | | bigger learning curve; |
| arising from their earlier workarounds! | | | | 2. Because of cross browser support issues, the |
| So why not bother with CSS, if Tables work for | | | | time spent implementing workarounds should not |
| you? The principal advantages are as follows: | | | | be underestimated; |
| 1. Web page code is generally much easier to | | | | 3. New browser versions can catch website |
| follow; | | | | developers napping if you are not careful. You can |
| 2. The amount of code used to achieve the same | | | | find that earlier workarounds have been |
| result is much less. The general view is that by | | | | overcome and the look of your website has |
| switching to a CSS layout, the typical page size | | | | changed overnight. |
| reduction is between 50 - 60 per cent; | | | | Ultimately, your decision on whether or not to |
| 3. Download speeds for CSS pages are generally | | | | move over to see CSS will probably depend on |
| faster than their Table-driven counterparts. This is | | | | your level of technical capability and the time |
| because browsers have to read through the table | | | | you're able to devote to understanding CSS |
| code twice before they are able to display the | | | | layout alternatives. |
| contents. They do this firstly to figure out the | | | | Summary |
| structure and then again to understand the | | | | There has been an inexorable shift away from |
| content. It should also be recognised that a | | | | Table-driven website designs to a Cascading Style |
| Table's contents can only be presented to the | | | | Sheet (CSS) approach. Ultimately, it is a personal |
| screen in one go, whereas CSS content will drop | | | | decision whether to take the leap, as there are |
| in separately, thereby giving a better user | | | | no particular technical imperatives to do so right |
| experience. It is also possible to govern the order | | | | now. But will this all change in the future? |
| in which specific screen elements appear, so the | | | | |