Pro CSS3 Layout Techniques

Pro CSS3 Layout Techniques demonstrates the newest and most cutting-edge layout tools found within CSS3, allowing you to quickly create advanced design patterns for websites and apps.

This book teaches you how to make the most of CSS3’s existing specification, including those parts of the specification already widely implemented, as well as the upcoming specification extensions that are still being developed by the W3C. After reading Pro CSS3 Layout Techniques you’ll be able to confidently develop sophisticated, vertical-aware layouts that aren't possible with CSS2.

CSS1 allowed designers to separate content from presentation for the first time and CSS2 cemented support for advanced typographical control and integrated vendor-specific extensions, but neither specification provided more than rudimentary layout control. CSS3’s latest additions allow designers to craft fully responsive, sophisticated layouts without the need for complex scripts or smoke and mirror workarounds.

CSS3 is still in active development, with browser vendors racing against each other to implement the latest recommendations from the W3C. Pro CSS3 Layout Techniques will help you cut through the waffle and get straight to the heart of what works now, while showing you how to be ready for the future of CSS!

What you’ll learn

What challenges web designers face when attempting to translate a static mock-up into a fully functioning website

How to use the new layout modules in CSS3, including multi-column layouts, the flexible box layout module, CSS grid layouts and CSS regions

Which techniques are safe to use today, and which are likely to be safe in the near future

Which are the best CSS libraries to use, and how to speed up your design workflow by using them

How to support older, non CSS3-compliant web browsers with polyfills

What the future holds for CSS layout, including proposed modules such as the Adobe-sponsored CSS exclusions module

Who this book is for

Pro CSS3 Layout Techniques is aimed at the web designer who yearns for the power and flexibility of print-layout tools, while keenly supporting the Responsive Web Design (RWD) approach to developing content that works across all devices. The book deals with a fundamental element of website design, but covers material many web professionals will be unaware of, making it an ideal purchase for all but the most technically sophisticated of web designers and developers. The book uses a tutorial-led approach to demonstrate real-world examples of new techniques, while providing an accessible reference guide for subsequent referral.

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About the Author

Sam Hampton-Smith has worked with the web since the mid 1990s, and was an early adopter and proponent for CSS, the semantic web and separation of style and substance. He writes regularly for web and graphic design magazines, has contributed to numerous books, and previously was a visiting lecturer in multimedia design at the University of the Highlands and Islands. Sam loves making music, photography, being a little geeky, and exploring the world. He lives in Scotland with his four children.