Resources for Designing with CSS
Back when I first ditched tables and started using stylesheets and positioned <div> tags to map out page elements, I kept two browser windows open at all times while i was coding. One was a CSS syntax cheatsheet, and the other was Taylor’s Webmonkey tutorial on CSS positioning.
At the time, I would have served thirteen days hard labor for a searchable database of CSS templates. Such databases are easy to find these days, but few have reached the depth and sheer awesomeness of Template:css. Not only does the site provide excellent templates that you can search for based on the number and type of page elements you need, but the code is extremely well-commented.
The next time you’re stuck in a page layout rut, grab one of these templates and tweak it to your liking. Or, if you’ve already designed a page on paper and you need a little guidance, you can open up one of these templates and examine the code. Reading code (and viewing the resultant source) makes an excellent learning tool. There are also some excellent sample templates at Intensivstationthat you can peruse.
Additionally, Max Design has collected a library of CSS template tutorials, complete with sample code for each lesson.
We’ve always said that the easiest way to learn fluid three-collumn layouts is by studying the pros!
