Reviews for Pro CSS & HTML Design Patterns

1. Does what it says on the tin... for the most part.

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, April 12th, 2010

   HTML and CSS are not modular languages, unlike Javascript. This book serves up ideas/effects/display methods in tiny chunks, showing both the HTML and the CSS needed the produce them. This is great for learning how CSS properties (such as width, display, font-family...) behave differently according to the type of HTML element you are working with (inline, block, float...). However, when designing and building websites there is an overall theme you try to achieve which will usually involve dozens of these "patterns" laid out in this book.
   
   If you're just starting out with web programming, you will find yourself trying to memorise every pattern as you read them. If you do purchase this title focus more on the CSS rules described in the syntax explanations, rather than attempting to remember all the code!
   
   Also, a main feature of this teaching style is that all the code has been tested to work across all browsers saving you from that horrible trial and error process. This would mean you are learning cross-browser compatible code from the start, and avoiding developing bad habbits. Unfortunately I did find at least one example (creating tab-style navigation bars) that does not work across all browsers and is very buggy.
   
   This book is truely unique, and shows what you can achieve with just HTML and CSS. Some effects, I thought could only be done with image editing software like photoshop! I also think this title was harder to digest than I expected and it will take you a while to get through.

2. excelent

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, May 12th, 2009

   After your learn the basics of CSS, this is the book that will show you how it REALLY works, and more importantly what REALLY works. A must buy.

3. The best CSS book bar none.

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, April 12th, 2008

   My CSS roadmap has consisted of the following three books:
   
   
   1. Beginning CSS Web Development: From Novice to Professional
   2. CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions
   3. Pro CSS & HTML Design Patterns
   
   I have also ploughed through the O'reilly books (useful but dry) and a few others, but the above three stood out in my mind as the most useful.
   
   Beginning CSS stands out because it is really useful right from the word go. Its examples are well documented and it is easy to read. By the time I had finished it I was already designing my first website in a standards-based fashion. I had done sites before that, but they were a complete mess (both front and back end!) in comparison to my output after reading this book.
   
   CSS makes web design so much easier. It gives your site a consistent look and feel and makes for a rapid development cycle. IF YOU USE IT PROPERLY!!!
   
   This book shows you how to do just that. It is only an introduction, but it will put you on a very firm foundation for the other books you will need to consume.
   
   CSS Mastery takes over from where Beginning CSS left off. There is a bit of an overlap, but its nice to get an intermediate book and not feel out of your depth in the first chapter!
   
   Using the book, you will cover a lot of the more advanced techniques out there. You can find most of them dotted about the web already, on sites like alistapart.com (and indeed, the O'Reilly CSS toolkit). However, the authors cover them in a way that actually sounds like they enjoy what they are doing, and that makes it much easier to digest.
   
   I wasn't 100% confident with CSS though once I finished the book. Well, I was in theory, but once I tried putting that into practice all the browser incompatibility issues appeared to reat their ugly head...
   
   Or so I thought, until I read Pro CSS & HTML Design Patterns.
   
   This book assumes you know CSS basics. Thats the first thing I need to say. Don't buy this if you are a complete beginner. It takes your knowledge, and shows you how to apply it properly. The reason some of my designs inspired by the first two books I mentioned didn't work was not down to browser incompatibility issues, it was because there are in fact 6 box models, not one, and they behave differently.
   
   Looking back on the previous two books, this is mentioned in passing, but it took Pro CSS to explain it clearly and concisely, and to show me how to do it correctly.
   
   The book really is laid out well. There are screenshots showing exactly what each effect does, together with the html and css used to generate the effect.
   
   I haven't finished this book yet, but already I feel like a pro now. Its like I have the complete picture whereas the other two books didn't tell the whole story. I needed the first two books to get me in a position to fully appreciate this book. However, now that I have this one, I think its the only one I need now.

4. A clean Pattern Based process to problem solving with CSS

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, January 12th, 2008

   Where is nothing new about CSS. There are loads of books that cover CSS startinbg from a syntax viewpoint. This works from a design patter viewpoint to solve problems.
   It decomposes what you find of typical websites (eg tabbed content) then clean maintainable CSS to acheive the design goals. It very clearly shows you what and why there are different variations and so where they would be used.
   
   It is time for clearing your shelves of the other CSS books you may have and replacing them with just the one - I have a job to do, whats the quickest way to get to the end game without rework!
   This books is suitable for those getting into DHTML/AJAX.
   Not the best book for artists perhaps.
   Perfect for a design agency where ontime/onbudget issues matter. The design patterns are about repeatablity, maintainablity and best practice - what works consistently.
   
   Deals well with CSS inheritance (base/master style then modifiers), good for maintianing a brand well across a site of many sections(eg articles/forums/products/blogs/profiles/search refinements) then switching them for vision/print/mobile device accessiblity.
   Now all it needs if it to have a good section on VS200x Themes&Skins, eg we start with a theme(plan) and acheive it CSS. This book assumes you are marking up HTML versa "Guess you have to throw away books sometimes :(

5. A straightforward guide to using CSS to solve problems.

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, November 12st, 2007

   As a developer working on web based projects, I have often found myself spending far too much time trying to achieve a good looking site using CSS only to find that a combination of styles causes the page to suddenly stop working. This book should be by every developer's machine as it provides simple recipes for achieving many of the day today tasks needed to create great looking css based sites. The book has a straight forward problem - solution approach which is engaging as both a cover to cover read and a day to day reference.