Week 5: Advanced CSS Techniques

With the résumé assignment behind us, we’re ready to cover some advanced CSS techniques that will be essential to completing the CSS Zen Garden assignment. For a few weeks, I’ve been warning you that things are about to get more complex, and those prophecies will be fulfilled in Week 5. If you found yourself struggling to complete the in-class CSS workshop exercise on Thursday, you’ll need to spend some quality time with the textbook and your computer over the next two weeks. For many of you, it won’t be enough just to do the readings; you’ll need to download the source code and follow the step-by-step exercises in the book.

On Tuesday, we’ll review some CSS properties we’ve already covered (margin, border, padding, etc.) and spend more time discussing the “box model.” Please read Hour 14 and Hour 15 in the Sams book before you come to class. In addition, you should spend some time this weekend looking at various CSS Zen Garden designs. When you find one that you really like, you should download all of its components (HTML file, CSS file, and image files) and re-create the site so it functions properly on a flash drive. (The assignment sheet has more details about this step of the assignment.) Bring your “off-line” Zen Garden design to class on a flash drive on Tuesday. [Update: I created a short video that explains how to complete this task.]

On Thursday, we’ll see how simple HTML lists can be styled to function as navigation menus. Please read Hour 16 and Hour 17 in the Sams book before you come to class. In addition, you should also decide on a theme or motif for your CSS Zen Garden project by Thursday. Please email me before you come to class with a short proposal (a few sentences is fine) describing your plans for the Zen Garden assignment.

If you want to talk about ideas for your Zen Garden site, feel free to stop by during my office hours or send me an email earlier in the week.

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