Intermediate CSS and XHTML - Pass Christian University

Intermediate CSS and XHTML Today's Web sites require streamlined code that adapts to a variety of screen resolutions, Web browsers, and user needs. CSS and XHTML are the keys to creating that, and they're the foundation upon which all modern Web sites are built. This means Web developers need a deep understanding of CSS and XHTML.

In this course, you'll take your CSS and XHTML skills to the next level and learn how to create professional-quality Web sites. You'll find out the methods the pros use to quickly build effective sites that are easy to maintain and modify. You'll discover the secrets to ensuring you keep total creative control over every aspect of a site. You'll master specific techniques for creating flexible, table-less page layouts that adapt to all Web browsers, screen resolutions, and user needs. And you'll learn how to build accessibility and search engine optimization into those page layouts.

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Syllabus:

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week One

Wednesday - Lesson 01

In this lesson, we'll review some of the basics, and take a fresh new look at how CSS and XHTML combine to define every page as a document tree. You'll gain insight into how cascading and inheritance work. Understanding these concepts will help you get more mileage out every line of code you write.

Friday - Lesson 02

In this lesson, you'll explore the document tree in more detail, and discover new ways to create powerful, flexible CSS style rules. You'll discover the universal selector, descendant selectors, shorthand properties, and more. You'll use these new techniques throughout the course to create more powerful style sheets and better Web pages.

Week Two

Wednesday - Lesson 03

Nothing jazzes up a Web site like a good page layout. In this lesson, you'll discover techniques for designing and creating flexible table-less page layouts. You'll learn to plan and implement a page layout with minimal effort using modern CSS and XHTML techniques.

Friday - Lesson 04

Today, we'll go over everything you need to know about CSS floats. You'll learn the techniques the pros use to create complex page layouts using relatively simple code based on floats and wrappers. The vast majority of Web sites you view every day use these very same techniques.

Week Three

Wednesday - Lesson 05

In the ever-changing world of Web design, maintaining creative control over every aspect of your Web site isn't always easy. In this lesson, you'll discover how to use semantic markup to minimize coding, maximize productivity, and maintain a consistent look and feel across different brands of Web browsers.

Friday - Lesson 06

It's all about images. Today, you'll learn new ways to use pictures in modern elastic page layouts. You'll discover new techniques that allow pictures to grow and shrink, without distortion, to adjust to the user's preferred text size and screen magnification.

Week Four

Wednesday - Lesson 07

In this lesson, you'll learn techniques for creating highly accessible, fully elastic navigation bars. You'll learn ways to use background images to spice up your navigation bars. And you'll discover techniques the pros use to indicate the current page in their navigation bars.

Friday - Lesson 08

If your site is too large for a single navigation menu, drop-down menus may be your answer. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to use alternative technologies like Flash or JavaScript to create drop-down menus. As you'll learn in this lesson, you can do it all with CSS and XHTML alone!

Week Five

Wednesday - Lesson 09

In this lesson, you'll discover more ways to gain total control over the size and position of every element in your page. You'll learn how to deal with tricky situations in narrow sidebar columns. You'll master the techniques for controlling the vertical positioning of elements using modern CSS techniques.

Friday - Lesson 10

What can you do if your text doesn't fit in the allotted space? In today's lesson, you'll discover new techniques for managing overflows and scroll bars. You'll learn how to use captioned images in pages using modern CSS and div tags. And you'll uncover the techniques the pros use to maximize search engine optimization in pages with complex layouts.

Week Six

Wednesday - Lesson 11

These days, much of Web design is about accessibility. In this lesson, you'll learn how to make your pages more accessible to people with sensory and motor disabilities. And you'll find out about a new and easy technique for making printer-friendly versions of your pages using a few simple CSS style rules.

Friday - Lesson 12

Step beyond the boundaries of CSS and XHTML, and learn about server-side tools. In our final lesson, you'll learn how to use content across multiple pages in your site via SSI (Server Side Includes).

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Alan Simpson.

With over 100 published books to his name, award-winning author Alan Simpson is widely regarded as a PC and Internet guru. His books have been published throughout the world in over a dozen languages. As a seasoned veteran of the computer industry, Alan's books and online courses cover virtually all aspects of the computer industry, including Web development, operating systems, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, programming, networking, and security.

Requirements:

You'll need a simple text editor like Notepad in Windows or other Web development tool, as well as basic computer skills, and some familiarity with HTML and CSS. Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).

Note: Successful completion of "Introduction to CSS and XHTML" course, or prior experience with HTML and Web publishing is recommended.

Student Reviews:

"Excellent instructor! Went above and beyond in answering students' questions and providing to solutions to problems, even if they were beyond the scope of the course."

"This was a fantastic course. I've taken several from this instructor and he has always been very helpful...almost going above and beyond. Thank goodness he did because I learned so much."

"Alan is about the best teacher I've ever had. He's an expert in CSS and XHTML, so he can speak from experience about the best way to do things. He also writes clearly, at a level of difficulty that we students can understand. He's very patient when we ask a question or make a mistake. And he really "goes the extra mile" for his students. If you ask a question, he responds very fast, with an answer to your question and a complete code example where appropriate. Also, he'll look at CSS and XHTML that you've written outside of class, and tell you what you did right, and where you might improve. I recommend Alan highly as a teacher."

"Mr. Simpson is a wonderful teacher, capable of conveying somewhat complex concepts in a manner in which we could understand. He promptly answered all of our questions via the extremely bustling discussion area. I learned a tremendous amount, and highly recommend this course!"

"Thank you for presenting this course in a straight-forward, non-threatening way. I especially appreciate the fact that your tone is light-hearted and you fully explain the material in terms that are easy to understand. Your use of examples and sample material is excellent."

"This course and instructor are tops. The support and assistance go above and beyond anything required or even expected. The discussion areas explore the topic in depth and even branch into new territory when needed. I am sorry to have it end."

"I've taken many courses but none with such clear, easy-to-follow writing and instructions. Thank you Alan for sharing your knowledge in a way that is interesting, fun, and well constructed for anyone to learn from."

"A very good course in the actual application of CSS/XHTML - a "must" for the aspiring web developer. I would recommend Alan's course to anyone!"

"Alan is by far one of the best teachers I have had the pleasure of being taught by. He isn't afraid to answer off topic questions that still tie to the subject. He is always going above and beyond to help his students."

"This was an excellent course. The instructor did a fabulous job of explaining the material, answering our questions, promoting discussion, and encouraging us to further expand our knowledge. I would like to extend a huge thank you to Alan Simpson for a job well-done."