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CSS: The Missing Manual [Paperback]

David Sawyer McFarland (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (137 customer reviews)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Almost 500 pages of CSS help, with more than 100 pages of practical tutorials to guide you through the process of implementing and refining CSS to save you many a wasted hour. At GBP25, you'll be hard pressed to find a better guide to designing with CSS." .NET, February 2007

Product Description

Web site design has grown up. Unlike the old days, when designers cobbled together chunky HTML, bandwidth-hogging graphics, and a prayer to make their sites look good, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) now lets your inner designer come out and play. But CSS isn't just a tool to pretty up your site; it's a reliable method for handling all kinds of presentation--from fonts and colors to page layout. "CSS: The Missing Manual" clearly explains this powerful design language and how you can use it to build sparklingly new Web sites or refurbish old sites that are ready for an upgrade.

Like their counterparts in print page-layout programs, style sheets allow designers to apply typographic styles, graphic enhancements, and precise layout instructions to elements on a Web page. Unfortunately, due to CSS's complexity and the many challenges of building pages that work in all Web browsers, most Web authors treat CSS as a kind of window-dressing to spruce up the appearance of their sites. Integrating CSS with a site's underlying HTML is hard work, and often frustratingly complicated. As a result many of the most powerful features of CSS are left untapped. With this book, beginners and Web-building veterans alike can learn how to navigate the ins-and-outs of CSS and take complete control over their Web pages' appearance.

Author David McFarland (the bestselling author of O'Reilly's Dreamweaver: The Missing Manual) combines crystal-clear explanations, real-world examples, a dash of humor, and dozens of step-by-step tutorials to show you ways to design sites with CSS that work consistently across browsers. You'll learn how to:

  • Create HTML that's simpler, uses less code, is search-engine friendly, and works well with CSS
  • Style text by changing fonts, colors, font sizes, and adding borders
  • Turn simple HTML links into complex and attractive navigation bars-complete with CSS-only rollover effects that add interactivity to your Web pages
  • Style images to create effective photo galleries and special effects like CSS-based drop shadows
  • Make HTML forms look great without a lot of messy HTML
  • Overcome the most hair-pulling browser bugs so your Web pages work consistently from browser to browser
  • Create complex layouts using CSS, including multi-column designs that don't require using old techniques like HTML tables Style Web pages for printing

Unlike competing books, this Missing Manual doesn't assume that everyone in the world only surfs the Web with Microsoft's Internet Explorer; our book provides support for all major Web browsers and is one of the first books to thoroughly document the newly expanded CSS support in IE7, currently in beta release.

Want to learn how to turn humdrum Web sites into destinations that will capture viewers and keep them longer? Pick up CSS: The Missing Manual and learn the real magic of this tool.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 496 pages
  • Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (August 24, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0596526873
  • ISBN-13: 978-0596526870
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (137 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #46,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
    #23 in  Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > Languages & Tools > CSS
    #51 in  Books > Computers & Internet > Graphic Design > Desktop Publishing
    #21 in  Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > Languages & Tools > XHTML

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David Sawyer McFarland
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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press enter, wet sod, basic web page, creeping bentgrass, indoor sod, creating styles and style sheets, download the tutorial files, adipiscing alt, base text size, using descendent selectors, minim vcniam, floated sidebar, apartment farming, magna aliquam erat volutpat, minim veniam, add this style, hydroponics planters, minim venlam, internal style sheet, eat volutpat, psum dolor sit amet, using negative margins, commode consequat, floated element, commodo consequat
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CSS: The Missing Manual
87% buy the item featured on this page:
CSS: The Missing Manual by David Sawyer McFarland Paperback 4.6 out of 5 stars (137)
$23.09
Dreamweaver CS5: The Missing Manual
4% buy
Dreamweaver CS5: The Missing Manual by David Sawyer McFarland Paperback 5.0 out of 5 stars (5)
$31.49
CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions, Second Edition
3% buy
CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions, Second Edition by Simon Collison Paperback 4.6 out of 5 stars (133)
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Creating a Web Site: The Missing Manual
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Creating a Web Site: The Missing Manual by Matthew MacDonald Paperback 4.6 out of 5 stars (43)
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Customer Reviews

137 Reviews
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 (108)
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 (17)
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 (5)
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 (4)
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (137 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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109 of 115 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars For the Beginner -- Approved by an Expert, September 12, 2006
By Brett Merkey (Palm Harbor, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: CSS: The Missing Manual (Paperback)
§
Consider this a "getting started the right way with HTML and CSS" book. As such, it does a marvelous job.

I had a chance to get this beginner's book -- even though my bosses have been grossly overpaying me for years if I really were a beginner! Too many beginner books tend to over-simplify, which becomes a barrier to the more complex issues that a serious beginner will meet down the line. That is not the case here.

Step by step (sometimes even telling you what and when to click!) the book will take you through the basics of creating stylesheets for HTML. You will move from text format basics to moderately advanced layout issues and even print media stylesheets.

The text of the book itself is formatted in an interesting way that is easy to read and makes points clear. There are lots of images and diagrams. I liked the way many of the illustrations jutted out into the outer margin. The effect was a vivid enhancement and the book is bound in a way that lets it sit flat, making it easier to read while keying.

The author also performs a service by introducing, when appropriate, advanced issues and controversies that will surely interest the type of person motivated to go on in this field. The book includes appendices with a CSS Property Reference; CSS in Dreamweaver; and extended CSS Resources.
§
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51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for newbies and intermediate coders alike..., October 29, 2006
By Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: CSS: The Missing Manual (Paperback)
I've read and reviewed a number of books on Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and I've learned something from them all. But for whatever reason, this one showed up at just the right time and has me inspired and motivated on a new project... CSS: The Missing Manual by David Sawyer McFarland.

Contents:
Part 1 - CSS Basics: Rethinking HTML for CSS; Creating Styles and Style Sheets; Selector Basics - Identifying What to Style; Saving Time with Inheritance; Managing Multiple Styles - The Cascade
Part 2 - Applied CSS: Formatting Text; Margins, Padding, and Borders; Adding Graphics to Web Pages; Sprucing Up Your Site's Navigation; Formatting Tables and Forms
Part 3 - CSS Page Layout: Building Float-Based Layouts; Positioning Elements on a Web Page
Part 4 - Advanced CSS: CSS for the Printed Page; Improving Your CSS Habits
Part 5 - Appendixes: CSS Property Reference; CSS in Dreamweaver 8; CSS Resources; Index

From the newbie perspective, this book works well. The first part of the book lays out the case for using CSS instead of pure HTML to format your pages and gain control of the style. It takes a subject that can be a bit intimidating and makes it very approachable. From there, you get a section on how exactly CSS works. This is much easier to digest than some of the more formal reference manuals I've seen in the past, and there's not as much focus on the minutia of every little variant that can happen. This is the material you'll use 95% of the time. Part 3 is where I started to get excited. I've been doing CSS for a while now, but over time I've built up designs that "work" but that could be done much better with what I've learned of late. I noticed a number of items that I want to try out on a new project I'm about to start, and I have a feeling that I'll be in a much better situation style-wise on this application than any of the other ones I support. Same with part 4 and the chapter on improving your CSS habits. I was/am guilty of a number of these things, and this information will go a long way towards making me a better CSS junkie (and will make anyone following after me much happier in terms of support).

I think what worked so well for me here was the consistent use of a single "site" for examples and illustrations. The CosmoFarmer site gave the information a thread to hang on to throughout the chapters, and progressions were logical. I appreciated the tutorials at the end of the chapter so that you could try out the new skills. But what I *really* liked were the references to other sites where you could get more information, as well as clarification on what browsers don't do things according to specs, and how to work around these bugs.

Armed with this book, a newbie would be able to become competent in CSS. And if you've been doing CSS for awhile, there's a strong chance that McFarland will deliver some nuggets that will take you to the next level. I know that'll be the situation in my case...
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45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on CSS, December 27, 2006
By Andrew Violette "www.andrewviolette.net" (Hoffman Estates, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: CSS: The Missing Manual (Paperback)
The problem with many of the CSS books that I have read is that most of them just reiterate the CSS specification. While this is useful knowledge, it doesn't cover what you need to know to build robust web applications that work consistently across the myriad of browsers on the internet.

This book covers the usual stuff with CSS: styles, precedence rules (the cascade), text and fonts, padding and spacing, the box model, positioning, tables, etc. It also goes into detail about how to apply this knowledge.

Some of the stuff that is included:
- building tabs with the Sliding Doors technique
- Entire chapter related to IE6 and how it diverges from the spec, and work-arounds (aka hacks) that can be used to correct these problems. Other browsers such as Opera and Safari are also covered throughout the book.
- Entire chapter related to floats and using these to create column-based layous. Work-arounds to problems and unexpected behavior are also covered.
- Entire chapter related to forms and how to use CSS for layout

The book is well edited and contains some really good graphics to explain the layout and positioning. Each chapter has a tutorial to help you work through the techniques.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Still have not received book after 32 days.
Book still has not arrived after 32 days!!! My class starts tomorrow and now I will have to order a second book from another book seller!!
Published 15 days ago by jcanty

2.0 out of 5 stars Kindle Version Has Problems
As my title says, I bought the Kindle version.

For some reason the formatting is very lame and distracting. Read more
Published 24 days ago by Eric Weiss

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost perfect technical book
I've read thousands of technical texts in my life and this is by far one of the best I've ever seen. You can tell David was pumped about writing this book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Data Virtue

5.0 out of 5 stars CSS LIVES
I've researched quite a few books on CSS throughmy local Library. I basically flagged (postie notes) my Library volume. Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. A. Brown

5.0 out of 5 stars Something For Both the CSS Beginner and Those With Experience
I discovered the Missing Manual series of books a number of years ago and have now made them a standard purchase whenever I purchase new software. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Rod Wright

5.0 out of 5 stars CSS: The Missing Manual
This is an awesome book It's very step by step and really makes you pick up the concept very fast.

I started with very little, almost no, knowledge of CSS and am now... Read more
Published 3 months ago by C. Clark

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reference
I just purchased this book for our S/W Development group in the company I work for and I am very impressed by the amount of practical information covered in this book. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Alex Aminian

3.0 out of 5 stars Kindle edition is unusable as a reference manual - Book Is great
This is an excellent book. In conjunction with Elizabeth Castro's HTML book this can help you learn web programming. Read more
Published 3 months ago by A. Boyd Jeffery

5.0 out of 5 stars Excelent Presentation of CSS
I have been dabbling with web design for several years, mainly just playing around with web pages for personal use and learning experience. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Dean E. Weimer

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful resource
This manual is very useful, especially if you want to learn the basics and indulge in more deeper issues. Read more
Published 4 months ago by H. Attia

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