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 courses:
· Windows 95/98/NT: Introduction
· Introduction to Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator
· HTML 4.0: Level 1
· HTML 4.0: Level 2 (optional)
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