Dynamic HTML for Nonprogrammers
By Lynda Weinman
I must admit that I've been a Cascading Style Sheets and Dynamic HTML curmudgeon. The problem is these technologies lack sufficient authoring tools and, in the case of DHTML, require programming expertise. Like most designers, I can stand a bit of programming, but too much makes me feel I've strayed from my true calling: to create artwork and communicate through visual design.
So, what's changed my mind? Recently I was made privy to a prerelease version of Dreamweaver, a Mac/PC visual DHTML authoring tool from Macromedia. At the time of this writing, it hadn't been privately or publicly tested, but its impact on me was profound. Dynamic HTML is the latest contender for adding sophisticated behavior to your Web pages, so I'll briefly tour some underlying technologies before I infect you with my enthusiasm for Dreamweaver. I won't spend a great deal of space describing the technical details of these technologies; you'll find detailed discussions elsewhere in this issue. Rather, I'd like to share some of my impressions from a designer's point of view.
Cascading Style Sheets
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) define the way content appears on Web pages. You can define attributes, such as text margins positioned with pixel accuracy, color for specific fonts or sized text, or leading (the space between lines of type). It's also possible to position artwork on top of itself, creating layered effects. Rollovers can be achieved by combining CSS with a scripting language such as JavaScript and displaying one layer on mouse over, and another on mouse down.<>
