Print Article for : Using Cascading Style Sheets

Your Online Guide » IT Hardwares » Choose Desktop

[U183]Using Cascading Style Sheets

by Robert Thomson, Rob

CSS3: Changing the face of modern day web designing
In the modern era of regular web development, CSS or Cascading Style Sheets are style sheet languages used for describing presentations of documents that are written in different markup languages. The simplest applications of these style sheets are seen in style websites, which are written in XHTML or HTML. This language is also applied for almost all XML documents including XUL and SVG.

CSS3 is the latest style sheet format, which is in a continuous developing stage. It is perfect for the evolving specifications of XHTML and has been continuously under modularization for the same. You find numerous areas where CSS3 has made its mark. It is amongst the most powerful and comfortable tool for any user. Let us discuss some important advantages of CSS3 that has led to its popularity.

Usage of style sheet
Before the inception of CSS3 or as a matter of fact any other versions of CSS, web designers were utilizing HTML markup for denoting border size, font colors and background styles. However with CSS concept, these features moved into an area of separate style sheets making users have an easy and comfortable time in HTML markup.

CSS3 allows changes and modifications to be made in individual modules. Again, testing of these modules is also carried out with it. This allows integration of the overall system and simplifies the maintenance procedure.

Isolation & Differentiation
CSS3 concept helps users in separating presentations from structures. Prior to this concept, web designers used HTML markup for depicting a heading to different formats in a page. The HTML structure was tough for managing, as markups required repetition for every heading while applying them. This made the presentation and maintenance more complex.

However with CSS3 concept, presentations got separated from the structure. In this case, style sheets defined presentational characteristics whereas the document structures were defined in separate heading. Separation of structure and presentation concept can help users for maintaining their web page in an easier, comfortable and efficient manner. Henceforth, it helps in developing the systems on each module basis. Thus, it provides a more flexible system.

Helps in achieving Multi-Column Layouts
Multi-Column Layouts are important features that are available only with CSS3 concept. It allows users in flowing content of different elements into different multiple columns. It provides users with a feature of auto-scrolling. Your texts are wrapped in such a manner that they become more user-friendly and simultaneously simpler for reading. All these text features are carried out without making shorter lines or words. Again, everything can be embedded in one page only. Henceforth, it makes an economical and comfortable stay for you on the web world.

Handling Flexibility
CSS3 concept also provides users with handling flexibility in web designing, as CSS3 styled information can be kept as separate documents. Again if the user desires, they can attach the information within HTML documents. These multiple formatted style sheets are easily imported anywhere too. Henceforth, it can be easily seen that CSS3 concept has changed the face of web designing with its introduction into the web world.

CSS is also beneficial for Google because of the following

* Lesser file size
* Management of page configuration
* Google gets the certain content even if it is hidden

A web page that uses CSS carries a small quantity of codes. Google and other search engines prefer web pages with small file sizes. Another benefit of CSS is that you can create data that are in line with HTML standards without sacrificing the quality of the page.

Web designers can also use CSS to create attractive pages and still be in line with certain design ethics. Many designers are still hesitant to create web pages according to standards and guidelines because they feel that sticking to such may result to just plain web pages. Google on the other hand gives credit to web pages that are well composed.

There are some browsers that do not accept CSS standards and some may read it differently. To address this make CSS suited for cross-browsing and be sure that in the absence of CSS the HTML page is still up to standard.

Another function of CSS is to manage how fundamentals of a web page are being use; example would be the size of the headings that will be used for HTML page.

CSS also caters to the most popular browsers in web such as Internet Explore, Firefox, Safari, and Opera.

Managing your web site with CSS have the following advantage:

CSS tends to make your web pages faster

Time is of the essence in browsing a web page, CSS and HTML codes can cut the time by matching the standards of ‘XHTML Transitional' or ‘XHTML Strict'. It is the action of downloading the page and actual posting of the page on screen.

Unlike using the tables for layout, which tends to consume more time in showing the page, CSS and right DocType can display the pages fast.

In reality, using CSS on web sites can decrease the time needed to show such images by a quarter of a second. It may be that small amount of time, but it is relevantly important to users and patrons of the site.
CSS allows faster updates

Need to add something on your site or promote new products? CSS enables the web designers to update the site in few minutes or so. Having CSS can make updating easier and faster. Such suppleness offered by CSS enables web designers to incorporate changes one day and on the next can revert it to its original state all in one file change.
CSS is a Search Engine Optimization friendly

CSS decreases HTML from the web pages and majority of it is managed by CSS therefore a search engine can locate easily the textual content of the page.

Proper XHTML such as heading tags, bold or strong tags gives the search engines key words that are valuable on the page. As such, searching for match words on the pages increases and are given utmost importance.

CSS supports Disability Discrimination Act

CSS is not only convenient for web designers, but also for people with disability that uses the web site. Using CSS enables persons with disability to navigate through the pages in their own preferences –i.e. making fonts larger or smaller- giving the user satisfactory experience's also adheres with the UK Disability Discrimination Act for accessing web sites.

CSS enables different device browsing

Demands of Web access through mobile phones or PDAs is slowly increasing year after year. CSS allows these devices to properly display the pages content effectively and easily. And as for web designers, incorporating them in theses devices is no sweat via the CSS.

Web Design Bangalore is one of the leading companies in the field of web design and development based in Bangalore, India. Visit www.WebDesign-Bangalore.com for web design and development, search engine optimization and internet marketing services.

Article Source : Pg. 93

About Author

Both Robert Thomson & Sanjaykumar are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Robert Thomson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Personal Desktop, Finances and Pets. Roman is the owner of . You can find more information at