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Are you still designing web sites like it's 1999? If so, you're in for a surprise. Since the last edition of this book appeared five years ago, there has been a major climate change with regard to web standards. Designers are no longer using (X)HTML as a design tool, but as a means of defining the meaning and structure of content. Cascading Style Sheets are no longer just something interesting to tinker with, but rather a reliable method for handling all matters of presentation, from fonts and colors to the layout of the entire page. In fact, following the standards is now a mandate of professional web design.
Our popular reference, Web Design in a Nutshell, is one of the first books to capture this new web landscape with an edition that's been completely rewritten and expanded to reflect the state of the art. In addition to being an authoritative reference for (X)HTML and Cascading Style Sheets, this book also provides an overview of the unique requirements of designing for the Web and gets to the nitty-gritty of JavaScript and DOM Scripting, web graphics optimization, and multimedia production. It is an indispensable tool for web designers and developers of all levels.
The third edition covers these contemporary web design topics:
Organized so that readers can find answers quickly, Web Design in a Nutshell, Third Edition helps experienced designers come up to speed quickly on standards-based web design, and serves as a quick reference for those already familiar with the new standards and technology.
There are many books for web designers, but none that address such a wide variety of topics. Find out why nearly half a million buyers have made this the most popular web design book available.
In 1998, Jennifer Niederst wrote the first edition of this very successful book after she found herself spending way too much time chasing down the solutions to HTML problems. From hexadecimal color specs to mouseover scripts, the answers are all out there, but finding the exact one you need can soak up a whole day. "I wrote Web Design in a Nutshell because it was the book I needed--one place to find quick answers to my questions."
With all that's changed in the meantime, an overhaul is welcome. This is the rare book for designers that is almost completely nonvisual. It doesn't show what's hip in navigational bars or what the coolest colors are. Rather, it gives readers the kind of know-how that can make a difference between someone who just whips up pretty pages with WYSIWYG applications like Dreamweaver and someone who can make those pages cross-platform, cross-browser, fast loading, and accessible to all.
The clear organization makes it easy to locate any specific topic. There are six sections. "The Web Environment" discusses the realities of browser compatibility, display-resolution problems, a useful bit of Unix, and tips for print designers looking to move into Web design. "Authoring" shows how to write accurate and up-to-date HTML, cascading style sheets, and Server Side Includes (like putting the current date and time on your homepage).
"Graphics" brings together all you need to know to make effective use of images (GIFs, JPEGS, PNGs, and animated GIFs). "Multimedia and Interactivity" helps with adding audio, video, or Flash to your site (including some succinct tips on optimization and publish settings). And "Advanced Technologies" covers JavaScript, DHTML, XML, XHTML, and WAP and WML. And there are six useful look-up tables in the appendix, which include HTML 4.0 tags, deprecated tags, attributes, and CSS support across browsers. Web Design in a Nutshell could easily have been titled The Web Designer's Companion--it's mighty handy to have around. --Angelynn Grant
Web Design in a NutshellReviewed by Tari Fullerton, 2009-10-05
This is a great desk reference book! While it is a challenging book to read, I know it will come in super handy when I need to find the answer to a specific technical question!
Late ShippingReviewed by C. Brann, 2009-10-04
I had ordered this book within my state (Michigan) so that I might get it faster. It was not mailed until a week after I had placed my order. Very disappointed as I needed this book for a college class.
one of the best books aroundReviewed by Epsilon Delta, 2009-05-29
the author knows the subject well, and she writes well. i found
myself reading the book for hours, and learning new things in a
nice and organized way. if just all books are like that...
it is good for beginner and intermediate level. if you are at an
advanced level or guru level, you may find that you know about it
already. but since this book talks about so many aspect of web
technologies, unless you advanced in most areas, you probably still
find it useful or good to have as a reference.
Good TextbookReviewed by Az, 2009-02-28
Reached me in time (Amazon Prime) in excellent condition. This book is perfect for all those who are beginners in Web Designing. Five stars. No Fault!
Useful and a pleasure to read.Reviewed by G. C. Alvaro, 2009-02-19
I've read this book like 6 times now. The writing style is plain
and straightforward, and that is a pleasure to read. I have had
never left this book be far from my computer since I am always
reading it through. I has a lot, and I mean a lot of links for you
to read beyond the book on a lot of topics that should not be fully
covered on this particular book.
The design is easy to follow. Brilliantly written and organized.
The reading train wont get you lost, and by that I mean you can
easily read from chapter 1 to the end without skipping or reading
this or that chapter before proceeding.
It has all the basics; all the goods. From servers 101, character
encoding, design pros and cons (not bluntly put that way), and most
importantly (up to this edition, that is) browser
cross-compatibility. The main target in this book is XHTML/CSS,
however. The appendixes have a list of all XHTML elements known to
date. CSS was not left aside. Which by it self, its a huge reason
to consider this book.
If you have been using html/css/js before, you already know it's a
bit of a torment and an exhausting task to make a fully
all-browsers compatible site. This will do indeed tell you why your
site will look different on a Gecko or a Trident layout engine. I
wasn't even aware that a layout engine was a very separate part of
the browser at all. Info like that makes this book a must-have, not
to mention it will make you a well rounded web developer.
CSS, Flash, DOM Scripting, ECMA-262, web graphics, HTTP headers and
such are subjects you at least should be a bit familiar with.
Weather you decide to go further in any technology in specific,
this will give you a friendly jump start. I was always reluctant to
learn/try DOM scripting. Not anymore.
One big thing if you are planning to get this book as of 2009, is
that this 3rd edition was first published on '06. It's time for an
update. Specially with CSS 3.0 and words on 'web 3.0' around the
corner.
If you get this book, be sure to get the HTML & XHTML Pocket
Reference (also by Jennifer Niederst). Both will become invaluable
tools you should keep right next to your work place.
