2: Xhtml and CSS

Introduction:

Here is the cornerstone of all web design, the cornerstone. If there is one thing that you must understand it is XHTML and CSS. I want you to take your time with this module, making sure that you fully understand both of these subjects. First, we are going to start off with an introduction to the Web, then we’ll proceed to learn about XHTML and CSS. By the end of this module you will be able to create a web page and manipulate the page design using CSS.

I am starting these lessons from the absolute beginning; even if you know how the web was created, even if you have a familiarity with CSS, I would like you to move through these lessons from the beginning. Knowledge and understanding impart a confidence that clients will pick up on. It will also benefit you in the future when you have a that Ah Ha moment. You know that time when you come up with an idea that is going to change the landscape of the internet and change the world.

How the web works:

This is our first official lesson, “A Web Primer.” I’d like you to follow the link to W3Schools and read from  “Web Primer” to “Web CSS“; please do not read beyond “Web CSS“. The material on Java Script, XML, Scripting, and SQL is something you can leave behind at this time. One more thing, when you are taking the lesson you will see links to more detailed lessons; Instead of using those links please use the “Next Chapter” and “Previous” buttons.

After you have read through to “Web CSS” come back here and continue on.

Lesson ZERO : “A Web Primer“

A Relationship: XHTML and CSS:

XHTML and CSS can be thought of as two friends with two different, yet complimentary skill sets. XHTML frames the structure while CSS lays it out (formats). XHTML is the clay, CSS is the sculptor. XHTML is the paint, CSS is the painter. I’m sure you can think of a couple hundred analogies similar to these. I don’t want to sell XHTML short; it is an art form in and of its self; to take the Painter analogy a bit further we can think of the art of XHTML as the painter’s art of choosing colors, brushes, and painting surface, while CSS is the painter who chooses how to compose the picture, how to place the colors, how to brush the canvas. All of these attributes come together to create the painter’s style.

XHTML (HTML):

A quick note on why I have put parenthesis around HTML. HTML and XHTML are pretty much the same thing. The main difference being that XHTML is ‘more’ correct than HTML. HTML came first, XHTML amended it, therefore XHTML is what is now used. So the way this works is that you will first learn HTML then you take a short lesson in XHTML.

Lesson ONE : XHTML let the adventure begin: GO.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets):

CSS makes web design fun. It gives us the ability to make changes to our site without having to make changes to every single page. CSS allows us to simplify the design process by separating the visual from the structure. In our example above you saw how a simple  XHTML document could be drastically changed by adding a few lines of CSS.

Every site you build will have cascading style sheets (CSS) and XHTML. In this lesson you will be given the foundation that will drive your web development skills. Of all these lessons you should put most of your time and effort into becoming a CSS master, because the better you are at CSS the easier your life will be.

After you have finished your W3Schools lessons on CSS, I highly suggest that you take to reading about and playing with CSS as an extracurricular activity. I will have some additional resources for you that you can come back to after you have finished with the lessons. For now take your time and explore Lesson 2.

Lesson TWO : CSS the next step: Go.

Conclusion:

Well, that was it, these lessons comprise much of the technical aspects of web design. This is a slight oversimplification to be sure, but you will definitely use these two technologies in everything you do. The better you understand XHTML and CSS the easier everything else will be.