Let's talk about Love!

Well this is an important subject to all coders, web designers, webmasters and portal developers, that being the love of web standards.

Some folks say that you don't need them because Google does not care for them, others live and die by web standards and accessibility for the disabled.

Some say that using web standard compliant code that is validated will improve your sites functions and even your search engine rankings, others say it will not.

What do you guys and gals think about designing to the W3C standards, can we hear from all of you that know something about this so the rest of us can learn.

http://www.w3.org/

I have a friend that sets up sites in a way that separates the design from the "code that makes the site work" and merges them to create his pages, he says that they are two separate things. Can anyone comment on what he means by this?

Could web standards make or break us down the road?

 

I saw the title and was all ready to talk about the wonders of love......

A little disapointed now...

 

Well you can always start a competing thread on the real thing Mella, I am sure it would be a hit with the guy and GALS

 

I might just do that AC.

I have just finished watching this amazing film called 'The Notebook' and am in somewhat of a Lovey dovey mood.....

 

That was a great movie...

 

The usual scenario would have three primary layers:

Application Logic (e.g. PHP) -> Document Structure (e.g. HTML) -> Document Layout (e.g. CSS)

The idea is to keep the layers separate so that each layer has absolute control over one element of the whole. In the example, if you wished to change the design you only have to edit the CSS (document layout layer).

 

This is very important and cutting edge web programming, thank you Nullbit

It is a hell of a lot different than doing sites on Dreamweaver where all your coding is done for you by the software

 

The reason you need to separate the business logic from the presentation logic is that a web designer can design a website without having to worry where the data is coming from and the application programmer can produce the data without having to worry what color of the font s/he has to choose. For example, the blue text shows how the presentation logic is interfaced with the business logic - the web designer doesn't need to know anything about SQL that run_query uses and the application programmer doesn't even have to know if the result set is displayed in a table or using preformatted text.

<?php $rs = run_query($_GET["q"]) ?>
<table class="products">
<?php while(!end(rs)) { ?>
<tr><td><?= get_col("product_name") ?></td></tr>
<?php } ?>
</table>

On top of that, separating document structure (HTML) from style (CSS) allows you to control your page appearance from one location - the stylesheet.

J.D.

 

sorry not enough explosions. No Prince of Space either.

 

I guess this is what separates the men from the boys in web programming, thanks for the input JD, I guess I will need to hire and partner with programmers the rest of my life because I will never understand how to code in this manner

 

JD is in the very top 0.00001 of internet users...

ie: those that understand it !!!

the rest of us wallow in the 'point and shoot' category

 

Don't forget Nullbit and Shawn GEM

 

That's a load of **** my dear anthony...

As soon as you've plowed your way through a couple of easy to read css tutorials - in the proces of setting up just one mediocre website - you'll have a better understanding of the timesaving involved in seperating content from looks, plus you'll get a much better idea... blah, blah blah.

C'mon ac, I know you understand it allready. What's with the pretending?

Anyways, JD is very good at explaining it i think. Rep for that.

Edit: Have to wait a few rounds before giving you any more rep JD sry.

 

Miko, we want your input too on this subject, not just these other guys, please tell us what you know and address some of the questions in the opening post

 

I never cared for it really, I ran my site through there and it spits out some errors and I just don't bother to look into it, my site looks fine to the naked eye

 

having a design completely independant of code is quite difficult. I think that is the road that we should go down, but it will be several years before a truly simple solution is supported accross all browsers.

HTML is simple by nature, that's why the web took off the way it did. (believe me it was a heck of a lot better than gopher, FidoNet, etc.)

Like the early days of HTML, it's real easy to code a simple page with CSS, but now people are used to seeing designs that are more intricate (sp?), and people are loathe to put up pages with simple designs for fear that their target audience will think they are not professional.

 

i think simple designs work. I just keep seem to come up with one like that; I'm asthetically challenged.

But some simple sites really have it going on. You gotta know your pyshcology of color.

 

Please all members that understand web page development/programming, we need your input on this thread!!!!

 

99% of the errors that w3 showed on sites I checked were useless. It was just that w3 didn't know that code.

 

Can you give an example?