CSS: The Missing Manual, 2nd Edition

Chapter 1. Rethinking HTML for CSS

To get the most out of CSS, your HTML code needs to provide a solid, well-built foundation. This chapter shows you how to write better, more CSS-friendly HTML. The good news is that when you use CSS throughout your site, HTML actually becomes easier to write. You no longer need to worry about trying to turn HTML into the design maven it was never intended to be. Instead, CSS offers most of the graphic design touches you’ll likely ever want, and HTML pages written to work with CSS are easier to create since they require less code and less typing. They’ll also download faster—a welcome bonus your site’s visitors will appreciate (see Figure 1-1).

HTML: Past and Present

As discussed in the Introduction, HTML (or XHTML) provides the foundation for every page you encounter on the World Wide Web. When you add CSS into the mix, the way you use HTML changes. Say goodbye to repurposing awkward HTML tags merely to achieve certain visual effects. Some HTML tags and attributes—like the <font> tag—you can forget completely.

Note

Throughout this chapter, everything you read about HTML applies equally to XHTML. There are almost as many variants of HTML and XHTML as there are colors in the rainbow, though, and in the end you must pick a type and make sure your web page identifies which one you’re using. Otherwise, your visitors’ browsers may gunk up your painstakingly crafted page. You’ll learn how to tell CSS which flavor of HTML/ XHTML you’re using later in this ...