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Pro CSS and HTML Design Patterns
By Michael Bowers ( Apress )
Release Date: 2007-04-23
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List Price: $44.99
Price: $29.69
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Product Description

If you are looking for a complete site design solutions book, this is not it—but if you are seeking a book to help you solve many common problems—then this book will serve as a useful tool for you.

— Nate Klaiber

Pro CSS and HTML Design Patterns is a reference book and a cookbook on how to style web pages using CSS and XHTML. It contains 350 ready–to–use patterns (CSS and XHTML code snippets) you can copy and paste into your code. Each pattern can be combined with other patterns to create an unlimited number of solutions.

Each pattern works reliably in all major browsers without the need for browser hacks.

The book shows how to

  • Code CSS and XHTML
  • Turn HTML into XHTML
  • Use CSS Selectors
  • Use six CSS Box Models
  • Create rounded corners, shadows, gradients, sprites, and transparency
  • Replace text with images without affecting accessibility
  • Style text with fonts, highlights, decorations, and shadows
  • Create flexible, fluid layouts
  • Position elements with absolute pixel precision
  • Stack elements in layers
  • Size, stretch, shrinkwrap, indent, align, and offset elements
  • Style tables with borders and alternating striped rows
  • Size table columns automatically
  • Integrate CSS and JavaScript without embedding JavaScript in XHTML
  • Create drop caps, callouts, quotes, and alerts

The book’s layout, with a pattern’s example on the left page and its explanation on the right, makes it easy to find a pattern and study it without having to flip between pages. The book is also readable from cover to cover, with topics building carefully upon previous topics.

A software developer can use this book to learn CSS for the first time. A designer familiar with CSS can use this book to master CSS and XHTML. If you are completely new to coding or completely new to CSS and XHTML, you may want to read an introductory book on CSS and XHTML first.

You can interact with all the examples in the book at www.cssDesignPatterns.com.


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Product Reviews:
  Awesome book, awesome reference 
This is a great book for a number of reasons. Primarily, it's accessible and a quick reference. The book is succinctly written and very well focused.

Each topic is summarized in a small segment. In minutes you can find things if you're totally new to CSS. Likewise, seasoned web developers can find the tricks and techniques that let you exploit your web page development.
  Lots of light bulbs 
Those who understand CSS will find a trove here. One may trudge through other one true holy grail bulletproof designs. They have their place.

Then, leap, at last, into this book. It's been sitting on your bookshelf, perhaps, undeservedly ignored, for a week? You peruse. You find the page for your problem. You read, carefully. A light bulb! "Of course," you may think! Or, "He's telling me, what I SHOULD have known!"

Yes, but, everybody needs SOMEONE to gather these essential prods. Here they are, distilled, a fine essence. Rock solid. No fluff. Problem, stated clearly; solution, stated plainly; sample code, crisp. Just what you need. Terse. Precise.
  Practical book ( gkumar48 )
Hi

I have read about half the book and I find it very interesting and very practical. The book gives you patterns and approaches to solve the problems which designers confront daily. The index is also very helpful at the back, which points me straight to the solution of the problem which I am seeking. When compared to other books, this gives more than what every other book is giving, which I have seen. Generally all CSS books give various properties of the html elements, its possible values etc. While this book, has a different approach. This book discusses the affect of changing these element properties based on the context where the element is placed. It has very good discussion of the box model concept and positioning concepts.

Till now, I have loved this book and has become my reference for all my css needs.
  unhelpful format and poor editing ( drunnels4 )
There is some useful information in this book, but the author's rigid adherence to the format works against the presentation of it. I find that Andy Budd's book (CSS Mastery ...) is a much better book. They seem very different but I think that many developers will read them needing the same information.

Further, as is becoming more and more the case with new apress titles, the copy editing is substandard. It's a pity, as apress had such a good reputation for quality books, and this kind of thing is hurting them.


  Takes CSS to the next level 
I often rely on readers reviews before making a purchase so I thought it appropriate to give feedback on this book.
I am a self-taught programmer who needed to take my CSS knowledge to the next level. This book clearly sets the bar high and helps me get over it almost daily. The models depicted are extremely accurate and on point, and foster a wealth of ideas that extend to some really nice models. Mr. Bowers research and implementation on cross-compatability between browsers is nothing short of excellent (a big learn for me). The style in which the book is written makes it easy to follow and learn from, as well as reference. As a new programmer, I am extremely pleased with this book as it has taken me to the next level of CSS.
I would recommend this book to anyone who, like me, has a general knowledge of CSS and wants to fine tune and hone their skills in CSS.