HTML and CSS

The importance of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is that it creates the presentation and style of the document. CSS can only work if the structure of the document is in order. HTML is the basis and structure which CSS works from. “Before you can even think about the appearance of you web page, you need to think about the semantic or structural content of your page so that the HTML is “CSS-ready” (Debolt)

The importance of learning HTML and CSS is so that you don’t become confined to a programme. Design programmes are fine to work with, but they may only be compatible with web pages. By learning HTML and CSS a page can go anywhere, including “PDA, cell phone, or an aural screen reader” (Debolt)

HTML and CSS compliment and work with each other. CSS cannot be displayed on its own it needs the structure of HTML on which to work. HTML can be bland without the styling and design of CSS, as “HTML pages can be considered two-dimensional, because text, images and other elements are arranged on the page without overlapping.” (http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Understanding_CSS_z-index)

HTML is useful because it is the structure the elements always remain the same. Through changing the CSS creates different styles and designs. This is clearly demonstrated by the CSS Zen Garden (www://www.csszengarden.com). There are many links of the same web page however all the pages look completely different yet carry the same content. This is because “the code remains the same, the only thing that has changed is the external .css file.” (csszengarden)

What else that is important to HTML and CSS is the way that you present your document. Pages need not be clustered and confusing, “a carefully structured HTML page is very simple and uncluttered.” (Debolt) What makes well structured pages is that the “HTML elements [have] almost no presentational attributes in the tag.” (Debolt). The presentation and design rules are implemented into the CSS.

What I have understood about HTML and CSS is that HTML is the building block, or skeleton for web pages and such. CSS is the design element that makes the page look unique and is able to add elements that are more appealing to the eye. It is important also to learn HTML and CSS is because it enables you to create content for a variety of media and not just web pages.

Reference:

Debolt, Virginia. 2004 The Early Bird Catches the CSS http://www.wise-women.org/tutorials /cssplanning

http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Understanding_CSS_z-index)

www.csszengarden.com