Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML

Chapter 8. Getting Started with CSS: Adding a Little Style

I was told there’d be CSS in this book. So far you’ve been concentrating on learning XHTML to create the structure of your Web pages. But as you can see, the browser’s idea of style leaves a lot to be desired. Sure, we could call the fashion police, but we don’t need to. With CSS, you’re going to completely control the presentation of your pages, often without even changing your XHTML. Could it really be so easy? Well, you are going to have to learn a new language; after all, Webville is a bilingual town. After reading this chapter’s guide to learning the language of CSS, you’re going to be able to stand on either side of Main Street and hold a conversation.

You’re not in Kansas anymore

You’ve been a good sport learning about markup and structure and validation and proper syntax and nesting and compliance, but now you get to really start having some fun by styling your pages. But no worries, all those XHTML pushups you’ve been doing aren’t going to waste. In fact, you’re going to see that a solid understanding of XHTML is crucial to learning (and using) CSS. And, learning CSS is just what we’re going to do over the next several chapters.

Just to tease you a bit, on these two pages we’ve sprinkled a few of the designs you’re going to work with in the rest of the book. Quite a difference from the pages you’ve been creating so far, ...