Hi Jake, you got excellent advice already. I will just add my 5c worth. Learning HTML and then CSS is absolutely vital if you want to design. These components will serve you well no matter what language or application you use later on when you design/maintain your websites. W3Schools sets the standards for HTML, CSS and a variety of other design/scripting languages but to start off from scratch we recommend this tutorial site. The tutorials are very well presented for a beginner or someone with a little knowledge. It will take you from designing your 1st website, which Browsers and Editors to use thru to HTML, then CSS and then other subjects in a chronological manner. http://www.tizag.com/beginnerT/
Recommend reading through the W3C schools tutorials, however the best way to learn is to dive in and actually start making sites. Start making basic HTML & CSS sites before then trying to add databases, javascript etc.
Of course you need to specify it in pixels, as percents is a pretty relative value (you can use percents to make a stretch layout, like 100% value - for full-width etc). As you've added div- layers to your structure, I'd recommend you yo do that: Remove all centered div- layers, set align="center" for body tag and include all your tables (header, footer, content) into one div- layer and set fixed with for it (ex. style="width: 900px;"). So you code will look like <body style="text-align: center;"> <div style="width: 900px;"> <table>[header table]</table> <table>[table with content]</table> <table>[footer table]</table> </div> </body> Code (markup): BTW, I also recommend you to specify your attributes with style tag like style="width: 900px;"[/CODE instead of [CODE]width="900" Code (markup): As you will be studying CSS soon, you will need to move all your style parameters to standalone CSS file and what is much more easier when using style="" attribute.
Ok, ignore EVERYTHING that has been said so far. W3Schools has been mentioned MULTIPLE times, but this really was the icing on the cake W3Schools is a decade out of date filled with examples of code that should NEVER be deployed, and has NOTHING TO DO with 'setting the standards' as they have NOTHING to do with the W3C, though that seems to be a common misconception... so that right there is out and out bullshit. I can't believe anyone here actually still recommends that crap to nubes - but then I bet the same people also recommend "dynamic drive" so... Gah, I look at some of the code posted so far (yes Artimmi, I'm looking at you) and want to vomit. What is this, ******* 1997? Yeah, lets start the nube out with presenational markup, right. Start in notepad or ANY of the available replacements... I like Crimson editor, some people like notepad++, some people like edit+, pick one. THEN, do yourself a HUGE favor and go pick up Build Your Own Web Site The Right Way Using HTML & CSS by Ian Lloyd. This book skips over a whole bunch of outdated rubbish you don't need to know and frankly I don't think should even be taught anymore. Once you understand that book all you will need is a decent HTML and CSS reference... I still use the old WDG one. http://htmlhelp.com/reference/html40/ Sitepoint provides a MUCH better CSS and HTML reference than any of the crap at W3Schools. http://reference.sitepoint.com/css Which I feel wierd promoting since I'm not on the best of terms with their staff, but a good resource is a good resource. ESPECIALLY with so much outdated outmoded GARBAGE teaching people bad habits that have no ****ing business even being taught anymore. Land sakes people - semantic markup? Separation of presentation from content? These ringing a bell? Watch this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wZAE_3L3HM What he says about going into a book store and browsing the shelves mirrors my own experiences - it's serious whiskey tango foxtrot territory.