Web Development with Cascading Style Sheets

Course specifications

Course number: 077 930

Software version number:

Course length: 1 to 2 days

Hardware/software required to run this course

To run this course, you will need:

• At least 16 MB RAM (32 MB strongly recommended).

• 80 MB free hard-disk space if you don't already have a browser.

• A 486 or faster processor (Pentium or faster recommended).

• An 800 x 600 or higher resolution monitor set to a minimum of 256 colors. If your monitor doesn't support 256 colors, graphics and text will not display properly. For best image quality, we recommend setting monitors to High Color (16-bit).

• A working connection to the Internet (recommended).

• Windows 95 or Windows 98 installed according to the software documentation.

• For Macintosh users, Internet Explorer 4.5 or later and Netscape Navigator 4.5 or later.

• For Windows users, Internet Explorer 4.01 (Service Pack 1), or version 5.0 or later, and Netscape Navigator 4.5 or later.

Course description

Overview: This course is designed for students who want to learn how to use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to develop and design Web sites. Students will learn how to use all the features of the CSS-1 specification, and a few features of CSS-2. Students will explore browser workarounds and sound development principles along the way. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to identify style sheets of various types, customize styles, apply positioning properties, control background appearance, and create styles that break down gracefully

Prerequisites: This course is designed for the student who is a savvy computer user, is comfortable using the Internet, and is experienced with HTML. We do not provide basic computer, Internet, or HTML concepts in this book. A student who isn't familiar with basic computer terminology, or who hasn't used the Internet or HTML will probably want to first take the following Ziff-Davis Education courses:

· Windows 95/98/NT: Introduction

· Introduction to Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator

· HTML 4.0: Level 1

· HTML 4.0: Level 2 (optional)

Delivery method: Instructor-led, group-paced, classroom-delivery learning model with structured hands-on activities.

Performance-based objectives

• Lesson objectives help students become comfortable with the course, and also provide a means to evaluate learning. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify style sheets of various types, understand the advantages and risks of designing with style sheets, and apply correct style sheet syntax.

• Apply CLASS and ID selectors to customize styles, use the DIV and SPAN elements to construct styles, and create an external style sheet and linking documents to it.

• Understand the rules of the cascade, and create cascading styles.

• Style text with typographical properties, including aligning and indenting text, controlling the spacing of lines and characters modifying other text characteristics; declare specific and generic fonts size fonts with various methods; and create variations of font styles.

• Apply text and background colors with a variety of methods and other background techniques, like controlling background tiling and position.

• Control the margins, borders, and padding of page elements, and create floating elements and list styles.

• Apply position properties to control page layout by absolute and relative coordinates, and control the width, overflow, and layering of page elements.

• Create styles that break down gracefully, such as dynamic hyperlinks and cursor styles, and apply filters and contextual styles.

Course content

Lesson 1: Introduction to Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)

• Designing with Style Sheets

• Style Sheet Syntax

• Creating Simple Rules

Lesson 2: Creating Rules

• Applying Class and ID Selectors

• The DIV and SPAN Elements

• Linked (External) Style Sheets

Lesson 3: Conflicting Rules: The Cascade

• Rules in Conflict; Cascading Order

Lesson 4: Text and Font Properties

• Typographical Properties

• Font Properties

Lesson 5: Applying Colors and Backgrounds

• Applying Colors

• Background Techniques

Lesson 6: Box Properties

• Formatting with the Box Model

• Borders

• Floating Elements

• Styling Lists

Lesson 7: CSS Positioning

• Positioning Elements Absolutely and Relatively

• Layering Elements with the z-index Property

Lesson 8: Design and Usage Techniques

• Dynamic Link Colors

• Cursor Styles

• Styling Form Elements

• Dynamically Linked Style Sheets

• Contextual Selectors