CSS like msn.com, can be done with it?

Hi guys, i have a question:

What is the best method to use to make a site like: http://www.msn.com/

I want to build something like it, i want to have those squares with sessions like: Also on MSN, Video Highlights, Entertaiment...

Do they use CSS??

Thank you guys!!

 

That's more of HTML/tables/etc. than CSS, from my experience. For example, I can do something just like that with basic HTML.

 

MSN is completely CSS driven, with a good attempt at semantically proper markup. They've done a decent job - the design itself is a bit lacking and the markup, while better, isn't great. But they've come a long way, and I'm sure they've seen some big improvements monetarily since the redesign in February.

I can only see one place on the home page where tables would be called for. That would be with the stock box, which contains tabular data and should be using a table to display its information. Otherwise, you wrap everything in block-level containers, and you style at will!

 

Wow. That is one of the last sites I would have expected to move toward modern layout techniques. Talk about a pleasant surprise. Only one table in the whole thing, and (gasp) it holds tabular data (the stock numbers).

For yayo, here's a list of CSS resources. I'm sure there's enough reading there to keep you busy for quite a while.
http://www.dezwozhere.com/links.html

 

great! i am going to research on it! thank you guys!

 

until css can solve tabular data, it think it is still somehow restricted. Worst scenario is that the final css design looks different across different browsers.

i am hoping that maybe future technologies such as xsl can do something about that...

I designed sites in css but it is always restricted to simple layout..doing complicated layout is just not worth the effort.
Designing in table is rock solid - old technology but works. Well its just me. CSS and tables are always in debate and the current situation is that css is winning...

 

That's the thing though. CSS isn't supposed to replace tables. There's this notion that tables are supposed to just disappear because CSS exists, and that simply isn't the case. CSS allows you to use tables for what they were originally created, specifically to handle tabular data. If you're trying to format tabular data into a tabled format using CSS and not tables, you are using the technology incorrectly. CSS is not meant to "solve" tables.

CSS is "winning" because browsers are supporting it better and better with every release, making the argument against relying on tables for layout work less viable. With the right set of workarounds, not even Internet Explorer poses that much of a threat to CSS layouts.

It takes practice, no doubt. But extremely complex layouts can be created more efficiently, and be made more accessible to a much larger audience when you learn the techniques necessary to drop tables from layout design and relegate them strictly to tabular data.

 

I'm always amazed when I see or hear statements like this, especially from designers I work with.

It's just not true. In-fact, when used (and understood) properly, CSS layouts offer more options and flexibility than table-based. Just once I'd like to see a table-based design that allowed for one block element to overlap another--intentionally--without requiring that visitors have js enabled.

CSS has more rules, not restrictions, because it offers more options. Which means it does come with a steeper learning curve. But, of all the reasons for designing/operating valid sites mine is very basic and I'll share it for this discussion, it equates into more money.

A valid site that is well designed seems to (in my experience and not presented as factual) get more quality and quantity of indexing by SE's. This means more SE traffic.

It also allows for browsers/visitors with special needs to utilize your site. Sure, this is a small percentage of web surfers but does anyone really want to close the door to a single potential customer?

Have you ever viewed a table-based or invalid site in a text-only environment? Those are visitors (potential sales) that are lost fast.

As more and more visitors use mobile and text-based devices which require valid or specially formatted markup to properly display sites it seems to me a simple business decision (investment) to learn or require your designer to use valid coding.

Just my opinion though, which may not display properly in all browsers,
Scott