Using CSS for a Simpler Life

If you are familiar with traditional HTML you will be aware that it was initially created as a structural language and had not been sufficiently developed for the making of pretty pages with fancy fonts or texts. In all original web pages had a specific use, to be visually appealing was not included in a websites intention until as late as the 1990's. Achieving more visually appealing pages was a mammoth task using traditional, basic HTML.

CSS makes creating visually appealing pages a simplified task. CSS does not require loads of opening and closing tags that basic HTML depends on. This allows the webmaster to easily design page backgrounds, text fonts and many other elements required for visually appealing web pages quickly and easily.

In fact CSS has many advantages that simply website building. CSS centralizes all commands for specific visual effects. Consider for example that the site designer would like all bold read headings across an entire website, CSS allows the builder to insert just one command to continue this effect over the whole page. To achieve this effect using basic HTML the website designer would have to include the specific command for each of the heading inside of the site over and over again. It the site had 50 pages; this task would have to be repeated 50 times.

Certainly creating one command rule saves time and effort. This one rule also limits the possibility of creating errors, make the mistake once, and find it in one place, make it a few times and you have a job on your hands locating every instance. The word "cascading" in it refers to a specific design a webmaster may apply to the entire website, maintaining the common theme for all included pages. If the designer wants a variation of page designs included in other pages of a website they simply create further "style sheets" The two style sheets cascade which will display the required sheet for each page of the website.

An additional advantage of CSS is that it creates much small file sizes over traditional HTML, making pages faster to load and benefiting website owners using limited space.

Some web browsers allow individual users to change the style of CSS pages and set pre-defined colors making it a perfect choice for web surfers that may be visually impaired or suffer from color blindness.

An ideal way to practice working with CSS is use it through your regular blog. Bloggers using Blogger, TypePad or WordPress perhaps will not see the advantages of this, as their sites are already CSS enhanced, but do include some wonderful tutorials and help CSS help guides.