New to webpage designing...need some help.

[anonymouschris]

okay, i just started making my website and have some questions...

background info:
im using html, dreamweaver, and photoshop currently to assist me in developing my website

here are some of the questions:

how big should i make my page? i was reading that the standard size is 800x600. is there any way to make webpage adapt to different resolutions?

i am learning how to use style sheets right now; why does the site look different on dreamweaver as compared to when it is actually opened on a browser. for example...i have 2 images right now (one is the title of my page and the other is just a long line). in dreamweaver it shows my line running through my title, but when i open it the line goes right underneath the picture. i am confused.

more questions will come up later, and advice would be appreciated.

thanks for helping me out.

 

[anonymouschris]

still confused as hell....

right now im am editing the html on the dreaweaver split screen. i am trying to use style sheets to position my images. complete chaos. i need some help! i tried using just notepad and same thing...even worse! my images are all over the place. some display in the correct places while others do not. i don t know whats going on...

 

[Czar]

1. Make the width of objects in % instead of px

2. Welcome to browser hell!

 

[anonymouschris]

up for more advice

 

[Superwormy]

Try using just strait HTML (tables, columns, rows) to place images, it can be messy in CSS.

If you can, get a copy of Macromedia Homesite, and start learning to hand-code HTML.

Get used to seeing that browsers and editors display different things. HTML is a horribly unstandardized language, every browser, every editor you use, WILL display things differently.

If you want things to auto-stretch to the screen, use width="50%" or whatever percent instead of width="200"

 

[Alienwho]

First of all what browser are you using?

Second I stay away from editors like dreamweaver or frontpage because they make there own code up and it's not as clean as it should be, allthough this probably doesn't apply to you. Homesite is where it's at.

 

[Kev]

it's kinda hard to offer you suggestions unless we can actually see what your page looks like.

you should head over to the dreamweaver forum at macromedia.com, those people can be very helpful.

 

[911paramedic]

Yup. CSS and DHTML are not supported as well as they should be right now so you will have people that cant see it the way you layed it out.

Frames are your best bet, and use width="80%" or something like that. When the browser is resized or lower setting it should render much better.

 

[yelleyg]

I have a newbie question of sorts, too.

In my probable HTML/CSS ignorance I've been using layers...I can modify them any way I want, place them anywhere on a page, and no matter the size of the page everything stays where i want it. I've checked my code in Opera and IE and everything looks good for the most part.

So, to get to the point, can someone explain tables vs. frames and why either is a better choice?

Thanks...

(Edited because Mama never taught me to spell.)

 

[anonymouschris]

so whats the best way to code a website so everybody can see it? don't use dhtml and css i assume? thanks for the advice so far guys.

 

[Pixelated]

how big should i make my page? i was reading that the standard size is 800x600. is there any way to make webpage adapt to different resolutions?

Since the majority of users have their resolutions set to 800x600 or higher, then designing your page around these standards are safe. But as you hinted, it is best to have your page be "liquid" to conform to higher resolutions but not necessary. If you wish to have a "liquid" page, then use percentages when you define your table width insead of pixels, as mentioned above.

so whats the best way to code a website so everybody can see it? don't use dhtml and css i assume?

not necessarily. you just have to test out your code in different browsers and different versions of each browser, (IE, Netscape, Opera, etc.)

In my probable HTML/CSS ignorance I've been using layers...I can modify them any way I want, place them anywhere on a page, and no matter the size of the page everything stays where i want it. I've checked my code in Opera and IE and everything looks good for the most part.

So, to get to the point, can someone explain tables vs. frames and why either is a better choice?

A little confused. Did you mean to say tables vs. layers instead of "tables vs. frames"? I only ask because you went into how you use layers.

Second I stay away from editors like dreamweaver or frontpage because they make there own code up and it's not as clean as it should be, allthough this probably doesn't apply to you. Homesite is where it's at.

Well, Homesite is now owned by Macromedia and is integrated in Dreamweaver MX. You're right about FrontPage, but I'm not sure if you've used dreamweaver lately, but no proprietary code there. I think Dreamweaver is one of the best editors around.

 

[jjones]

Originally posted by: wongsoongpak
so whats the best way to code a website so everybody can see it? don't use dhtml and css i assume? thanks for the advice so far guys.

You should have no problem using CSS1, about 99% of the browsers in use now support it.

 

[hoihtah]

as for the most universal method... it'd be just formatted text.


but in all seriousness...
iexplorer and opera don't give you as much problem as netscape... especially v 4.*

unfortunately, there are still many business people using netscape 4.
ie.. my company. (ceo doesn't like MS... so decided to go with netscape as our major browser. but soon realized the downfalls of it... and getting people to change takes time)

as a lil' tip... whenever you have a table size that's coming out all jacked up... use clear 1x1 pixel to stretch fill the cells. they'll save you many headaches.

 

[anonymouschris]

first off, thanks for the help so far. much appreciated.

now on to business...

i am trying to use tables to assist me with the layout of my site. so far i am having no problems setting up the table. but i am have a lot of difficulty placing my images in the right locations. what is the easiest method for me to specify specific places where i want my images to be located?

thanks again!

i am reading through all my books etc, but have yet to find a solution.

i also tried making my website "liquid" but to no avail. setting my width at different percentages does not seem to affect the display of the website at all. it displays the same when i open in my browser.

 

[anonymouschris]

help?

1. best method to layout my images in the right places on my website.
2. i am still having trouble making my site viewable by different resolutions. i tried using % for my width on my tables, but its not working that well. if it works on one, it displays off on the other.