Re: Optimise screen size with CSS
- From: "Alan J. Flavell" <flavell@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 21:05:42 +0100
On Wed, 26 Oct 2005, Les Juby wrote:
> I understand that there are several ways to effectively control the
> browser delivery of HTML to make the most effective use of the
> different screen resolutions today. (And in the foreseeable future...)
That's an impressive piece of verbiage, but I'm afraid it doesn't
really stand up to scrutiny.
"Effective control", in a web context, is in the hands of the reader;
we as authors can do no more than to make presentation proposals.
Which, we hope, the main body of users will be able to use, but, when
push comes to shove, a user who finds the presentation proposals to be
inappropriate for their browsing situation (technology, screen size,
eyesight, any other relevant disabilities...) can override them, while
still getting the *content* which one is offering.
Current best practice is to mark-up the content in HTML to denote its
logical structure, without specific regard to its presentation; then
to offer stylesheet(s) in CSS which propose some suitable
presentation(s).
> I have a client with a text based site (displays a lot of labour
> law) which is being read in a range of resolutions and he wants a
> rewrite as a long term solution to browser resolution compatibility.
What's wrong with it at the present time? Is it preventing the
readers from choosing a suitable text size for comfortable reading? Is
it causing them problems with choosing a suitable window size in which
to read it?
> My thinking goes........
No, really - what *is* wrong with it at the present time? To give a
realistic answer, we do need to know more about that, before
discussing the actual medicine. But in the absence of any samples...
> 1. What is the effective scope of size.?
None at all, really. If it's text, then it's just as valuable on a
speaking browser, or a 24 x 80 text window, as it is on a graphic
display.
> 2. How to display.?
>
> The 800 x 600 resolution should occupy a full screen.
Should it? That's the reader's decision. What it *should* do is
accommodate best to whatever display situation the reader is offering
it. That doesn't mean that you have to actively research the reader's
situation - it means you would be advised to use designs which are
flexible enough to accommodate themselves.
> 1024x768 can use the same fonting and image sizes, but should
> dynamically resize to occupy the bigger screen
I hope you're not seriously proposing to design a separate stylesheet
for each and every browser resolution? 1.0em is the default text size
which the more-discerning reader has chosen, and to which the
less-discerning reader has consented: it represents a text size which
they can demonstrably read - or else they would have already taken
some action about it.
> 1280x768 can stay at the same external dimension as 1024x768 but the
> fonting needs to be increased to give bigger retinal images as the
> onscreen fonts shrink in pixel size.
You haven't mentioned screen size yet. I use my little laptop at
1024x768 (it's designed for that), but I've seen people with 19-inch
CRT displays used at the same pixel settings (i.e very different
per-inch resolution). Both of them respond well to 1.0em text size,
which they certainly won't do if you aim to specify a fixed text size,
which is what I fear from your way of discussing the topic.
> Is there a CSS solution that fits most sites which would deal with
> this issue.
Have you read any discussion on this group *before* posting that
question? Seriously.
If you presented me with the kind of stylesheet that I fear you are
describing, then I'm pretty sure I'd turn CSS off in the browser.
That's how much "control" you would get by trying to over-specify.
What I'd have to recommend is a more flexible attitude to the whole
task. This old article has been around so long that it's grown
whiskers, but it's still apt:
http://www.westciv.com/style_master/house/good_oil/not_paper/
Good luck.
.
- References:
- Optimise screen size with CSS
- From: Les Juby
- Optimise screen size with CSS
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