Program Default Layer Writing Question

Question

People...
An internet friend of mine in another forum helped me solve a
parent (container) layer centering problem. I had created a large
"Layer 1"...nested Layers 2, 3 & 4 within Layer 1...&
wanted Layer 1 to slide to the center of any browser window, with
2,3 & 4 not changing absolute position relative to Layer 1. The
solution was:
<div id="Layer1" style="position:relative; width:285px;
height:311px; margin: 0 auto;">
<div id="Layer2" style="position:absolute; width:47px;
height:115px; z-index:1; left: 226px; top: 120px;"><img
src="layer2.jpg" width="58" height="133"></div>
<div id="Layer3" style="position:absolute; width:131px;
height:115px; z-index:2; left: 3px; top: 3px;"><img
src="layer3.jpg" width="158" height="189"></div>
<div id="Layer4" style="position:absolute; width:176px;
height:71px; z-index:3; left: 94px; top: 130px;">;"><img
src="layer4.jpg" width="158" height="189"></div>
</div>
where the container (Layer 1) was assigned relative
positioning & centered by auto margins...& the nested
layers (2,3 & 4) remained absolute; & inline
...but...
...he also tells me that inline styles are not a good idea.
Everybody tells me that inline styles are not a good idea.
But no one tells me why.
So...3 questions:
1) Why are inline styles not a good idea...& is that
relative (pardon the pun) to the way I am now centering my layer
layout?
2) Is there a way to configure Dreamweaver to write layer
code (i.e., user draws in the layer...Dreamweaver writes the code)
other than inline?
3) On all of my existing page layouts that consist of
multiple layers (each one housing an image or text)...that I now
want centered...how do I nest those layers in a large container
layer? (the above centering solution was from a test page I created
from scratch...& the subsequent layers were nested as I went. I
now need to go back to existing pages & center the layout.)
Thanks very much,
mark4man
Dreamweaver MX (6.0)

Answer 1

mark4man wrote:
>
People...
>
> An internet friend of mine in another forum helped me
solve a parent
> (container) layer centering problem. I had created a
large "Layer 1"...nested
> Layers 2, 3 & 4 within Layer 1...& wanted Layer
1 to slide to the center of any
> browser window, with 2,3 & 4 not changing absolute
position relative to Layer
> 1. The solution was:
>
> <div id="Layer1" style="position:relative;
width:285px; height:311px; margin:
> 0 auto;">
> <div id="Layer2" style="position:absolute;
width:47px; height:115px;
> z-index:1; left: 226px; top: 120px;"><img
src="layer2.jpg" width="58"
> height="133"></div>
> <div id="Layer3" style="position:absolute;
width:131px; height:115px;
> z-index:2; left: 3px; top: 3px;"><img
src="layer3.jpg" width="158"
> height="189"></div>
> <div id="Layer4" style="position:absolute;
width:176px; height:71px;
> z-index:3; left: 94px; top: 130px;">;"><img
src="layer4.jpg" width="158"
> height="189"></div>
> </div>
>
> where the container (Layer 1) was assigned relative
positioning & centered by
> auto margins...& the nested layers (2,3 & 4)
remained absolute; & inline
>
> ...but...
>
> ...he also tells me that inline styles are not a good
idea.
>
> Everybody tells me that inline styles are not a good
idea.
>
> But no one tells me why.
>
> So...3 questions:
>
> 1) Why are inline styles not a good idea...& is that
relative (pardon the pun)
> to the way I am now centering my layer layout?
Because the main advantage of using css is precisley to
remove the styles from the html markup, and
place it instead in an external style sheet. This allows you
to:
1.centralise the code that defines your layout in one place,
and thus have only one file to deal
with to update/change all your pages layouts.
2.Think of layout in a more precticall way by dividing layout
styles into coherent styles
definitions that you can then combine in various ways to
style various heml elements.
3.Keep your html markup clean and simple
>
> 2) Is there a way to configure Dreamweaver to write
layer code (i.e., user
> draws in the layer...Dreamweaver writes the code) other
than inline?
maybe in DM8, but I don't think so, definitely not in MX6.
Side note: using Layers for layout is not a good practice
anyways, for many reasons, see below
>
> 3) On all of my existing page layouts that consist of
multiple layers (each
> one housing an image or text)
what will happen if the user increases the text size in their
browser preferences? Try it: the text
will overflow the layers, and your page will look horrible,
with text overlapping images or other
text. Because you are using Layers. This would not happen if
you were using relative divs or tables
with no fixed height.
>...that I now want centered...how do I nest those
> layers in a large container layer? (the above centering
solution was from a
> test page I created from scratch...& the subsequent
layers were nested as I
> went. I now need to go back to existing pages &
center the layout.)
>
In short, consider NOT using Layers at all.
Use tables (easier) or realtively positioned divs (harder but
often more practical in the long run).
> Thanks very much,
>
>
mark4man
> Dreamweaver MX (6.0)
>
>
seb ( [email protected])
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