Also. I forgot to say. Each site you build, you will learn and gain a lot of
knowledge and experience. I have almost finished a site and I wish I had done
something different, which I cant be bothered to do now...but next time I will
learn from those mistakes.

Thank you SO much. This forum is extremely helpful and on the other hand
intimidating. The site I want to build is very basic with maybe 6 pages. I'm
going to use tables and learn slowly. The advice you gave is great - I just
need to slow down, create this one site with tables and learn as I go. I think
if I can manage tables for the layout and CSS for some of the styling I'll
learn slowly without feeling like I'm failing. I consider myself a pretty
smart girl and I thought I would grasp CSS much faster! Thanks again.
Sometimes you just need to hear advice from someone.

Ruby7829 wrote:
> Thank you SO much. This forum is extremely helpful and on the other hand
> intimidating. The site I want to build is very basic with maybe 6 pages. I'm
> going to use tables and learn slowly. The advice you gave is great - I just
> need to slow down, create this one site with tables and learn as I go. I think
> if I can manage tables for the layout and CSS for some of the styling I'll
> learn slowly without feeling like I'm failing. I consider myself a pretty
> smart girl and I thought I would grasp CSS much faster! Thanks again.
> Sometimes you just need to hear advice from someone.

Ruby, I consider myself an average user, and picked up my first CSS book
in 1997 when I started out, but didn't start using CSS for layout until
2003. It takes time to learn, and with each project it gets slightly
easier. I am always dabbling with ideas, seeing what works and how I can
use it for my next project. Keep at it is all I can say, and keep asking
questions, its the only way to learn.

Good luck!

Dooza

This may give you some guidance -

http://apptools.com/examples/pagelayout101.php

Taking a Fireworks comp to a CSS-based layout in Dreamweaver
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/firework...youts_pt1.html
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/firework...youts_pt2.html


--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Adobe Community Expert
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
==================


"Ruby7829" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:g92dgo$n77$1@forums.macromedia.com...
>A few years ago I performed web site maintenance for my company. I decided
> that web design would be a great job for me because I can work from home,
> I
> have a degree in graphic design and I really enjoyed the basics of web
> designing. Well, for some reason I cannot grasp CSS. I have created a
> great
> mock-up in Fireworks and sliced it to import into DW. I've created my
> DIVs and
> now I have a jumbled mess. Things wont sit where I want them to and I know
> you
> can't use CSS to position everything on your page. I keep hearing that I
> should
> stay away from tables as the hardcore designers say only to use CSS. But
> what
> is someone like me to do? I have read the Missing Manual series, I have
> taken
> courses on Lynda.com and I have read almost every tip and pointer in the
> Adobe
> forums. What can I do to make this easier? I've heard that laying out
> your
> page solely in CSS is tough but what else can I do if using tables isn't
> the
> "way to go".
>
> I'm ready to give up and I can't. I have two clients who need really
> basic
> sites and I can't even get them off the ground. If you have suggestions
> on how
> I should lay out my page that will be easiest to learn and still stay
> within
> best practices I would appreciate it. I do not want to give up but I'm
> exhausted.
>
> Cheers.
>

"Ruby7829" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:g92dgo$n77$1@forums.macromedia.com...
>A few years ago I performed web site maintenance for my company. I decided
> that web design would be a great job for me because I can work from home,
> I
> have a degree in graphic design and I really enjoyed the basics of web
> designing. Well, for some reason I cannot grasp CSS. I have created a
> great
> mock-up in Fireworks and sliced it to import into DW. I've created my
> DIVs and
> now I have a jumbled mess. Things wont sit where I want them to and I know
> you
> can't use CSS to position everything on your page. I keep hearing that I
> should
> stay away from tables as the hardcore designers say only to use CSS. But
> what
> is someone like me to do?

In addition to what the others have said, you migh take a look over at
Project Seven's stuff. They do have some CSS tutorials,
http://www.projectseven.com/tutorials/css/index.htm, also look in their
Product section, http://www.projectseven.com/products/index.htm, for their
Learning-Packs and E-Books. As an aside, all of the products I've purchased
from them (menus and widgets) have extensive documentation and have helped
me in understanding CSS.

Hi Ruby,

take a look at these http://css.maxdesign.com.au/floatutorial/ and
specially tutorial 8. They really help me a lot.

Ruby7829 skrev:
> Thank you SO much. This forum is extremely helpful and on the other hand
> intimidating. The site I want to build is very basic with maybe 6 pages. I'm
> going to use tables and learn slowly. The advice you gave is great - I just
> need to slow down, create this one site with tables and learn as I go. I think
> if I can manage tables for the layout and CSS for some of the styling I'll
> learn slowly without feeling like I'm failing. I consider myself a pretty
> smart girl and I thought I would grasp CSS much faster! Thanks again.
> Sometimes you just need to hear advice from someone.
>
>

--
Kim
---------------------------
http://www.geekministry.com

On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:30:34 +0000 (UTC), "Ruby7829"
<webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote:

>Thank you! This is what I wanted to hear. I was so worried that I needed to
>use CSS that it was fogging my ability to concentrate. The posts from people
>have really helped me relax and take it one step at a time. I cannot learn CSS
>overnight. Thanks again!

Ruby, the other option you have is to hire someone to turn one or both
of your visual designs into HTML + CSS layouts, either as a single
page or a DW template.

You would get good, solid code that is specific to YOUR design(s),
that you can use to build the site(s) AND use as a learning tool going
forward. Because it's YOUR design as the basis, you can see how to
turn what you created into code - rather than looking at other
designs/sites and trying to adapt what you see to your needs.

Depending on the complexity of your visual designs, this probably
wouldn't cost all that much, and could very well be the most
cost-effective solution for you.

Win
--
Win Day
Wild Rose Websites www.wildrosewebsites.com
winday@wildrosewebsites.com

"Win Day" <winday@wildrosewebsites.com> wrote in message
news:2ouab49jtinjeccsmupvt8bl6igmi5hls0@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:30:34 +0000 (UTC), "Ruby7829"
> <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote:
>
>>Thank you! This is what I wanted to hear. I was so worried that I needed
>>to
>>use CSS that it was fogging my ability to concentrate. The posts from
>>people
>>have really helped me relax and take it one step at a time. I cannot
>>learn CSS
>>overnight. Thanks again!
>
> Ruby, the other option you have is to hire someone to turn one or both
> of your visual designs into HTML + CSS layouts, either as a single
> page or a DW template.
>
> You would get good, solid code that is specific to YOUR design(s),
> that you can use to build the site(s) AND use as a learning tool going
> forward. ...

Good idea, Win!

--
Patty Ayers | www.WebDevBiz.com
Free Articles on the Business of Web Development
Web Design Contract, Estimate Request Form, Estimate Worksheet
--

Ruby, I know exactly how you feel. I too find CSS painful and I still don't see
the point of it all. Just as soon as we learn CSS they will probably throw out
CSS and tell us to design websites some other way.

I think that the whole CSS thing will eventually be discarded in favor of a
more user friendly approach. CSS is so unintuitive to creative types and
graphic designers like you and me. It really gets in the way of the creative
process.

I designed 6 beautiful websites in another web software and I get compliments
on the sites all the time. Now with DW I can't even figure out the first steps
of CSS. DW is so unintuitive and I cringe every time I use DW. Web design used
to be fun but now using DW takes all of the fun out of it.

I don't know if DW 4 is any better, but I hope so.

Comp. 792 wrote:
> Ruby, I know exactly how you feel. I too find CSS painful and I still don't see
> the point of it all. Just as soon as we learn CSS they will probably throw out
> CSS and tell us to design websites some other way.
>
> I think that the whole CSS thing will eventually be discarded in favor of a
> more user friendly approach. CSS is so unintuitive to creative types and
> graphic designers like you and me. It really gets in the way of the creative
> process.
>
> I designed 6 beautiful websites in another web software and I get compliments
> on the sites all the time. Now with DW I can't even figure out the first steps
> of CSS. DW is so unintuitive and I cringe every time I use DW. Web design used
> to be fun but now using DW takes all of the fun out of it.
>
> I don't know if DW 4 is any better, but I hope so.

Sorry to break the news to you, but has been around over 10 years, and
will be here for another 10 years, no doubt about that.

If you look back at the history of web design it has its foundation is
coding, as its a language, not a piece of paper or a fixed size, its not
graphic designing, its a whole different medium.

Learn the medium from the ground up without expectations of what you
think the software should be doing, and you will soon learn see the
beauty and power that web design holds.

I personally think the graphic designers should work with web developers
to create websites, there is just too much going on for the average
person to learn over night. Stick with what you know best, and if thats
being a graphic designer then great.

As a web developer I wouldn't even both trying my hand at graphic
design, way too much to learn, I just don't have the time.

Dooza