7 Reasons Why Using CSS is a Must

[delusion]

I found this pretty good article outlining why CSS is better then HTML tables and the like.

Reason #1 Present Data Logically
When you use CSS in the layout of your website you can present your data in a logical way and CSS can then manage how the information appears. This is significantly easier than other methods and is one reason why CSS is a must.

Reason #2 More Options
With CSS you have more options for changing the location of information on your screen. This is important for a variety of reasons, especially if you anticipate the need to change columns or links at some time.

Reason #3 Complements HTML
Another reason CSS is a must is because it complements HTML. HTML and CSS alone both have weaknesses, but when used together your website design will be significantly stronger.

Reason #4 Editing
You can edit your website design if you need to for whatever reason without that much hassle if you are using CSS. All you do is go in and edit the definition. This is a lot easer than searching and replacing of years past.

Reason #5 Faster
When you use CSS your pages not only load faster but they also can be scrolled quicker than ever before. This is a huge deal to most web surfers as well as webmasters because speed is a huge implication in whether someone stays on your page or moves on. CSS increases speed, and as a result is a tool you must learn how to use.

Reason #6 Print
When you use CSS you can also include a printer friendly version of the website that makes it easier to print and can eliminate color, images, and other things that do not print easily.

Reason #7 Control
If you have been working with tables for layouts you are probably tired of the guessing that goes on. However, with CSS you have more control and can issues commands and know exactly where the result will appear, rather than guessing. This is in itself makes CSS a must have.

The author of this article comes from http://www.powertraffictactics.com/, and you can find more about him on that website.

[kiwilie]

Ummm I think those are pretty staright forward, but it's nice to have a list. It seems to be a trend nowadays to have CSS layouts and XHTML, plus having valid coding. I'm not complaining though, it's one of the trends that I actually like. :]

Tables were made to display tabular data and it should say that way. Using if for a layout is just inefficient.

[susanh]

Nice list. Thanks ~delusion

I would not even think about doing designs nowadays without css and some php..

[Cobalt]

CSS to an extent is a must, although I do disagree that CSS is a must for everyone.

Take for instance, small clubs and community websites. I don't feel that people should pay over the odds for site creation unless it will be beneficial. Don't get me wrong, I'm a CSS convert, but I will sooner create a site in purely HTML with CSS text formatting than create an entirely CSS driven site if it's appropriate.

Small sites which aren't going to be widely used, and aren't going to be displayed on a range of browsers don't really need to be CSS driven just yet. It's easier to update fair enough, but if it's for displaying information to a limited group then I don't think that the owner paying double the amount is justified.

However, as soon as designers/coders charge HTML prices for CSS then yes, I agree, CSS all the way.

Then again, if you want to create a site accessible to all, especially e-commerce driven sites or large information networks then CSS is a must.

I still think that the price difference is enough to justify consideration. But only just.

Just my 2 cents,
John

[magician_678]

anyways i dint needed any reason for using css, but now that you have given, i have one more reason to stay away from making non-css based sites

[kimberwyn]

Meh, I never use it. I tried it a long time ago and I found it to be a hassle. Its easier just to use includes and default all your pages in the editor.

[kelp]

The first time I tried CSS, I gave up on it, but then I kept at it, and now I'm pretty good at CSS and making layouts in it. It's great how you can assign a class to one thing and make it have all these attributes. Plus, it cuts down on repeating code over and over, and makes the overall structure more clean and organized.

[bigbomba]

Awesome, 7 reasons. I always did enjoy using CSS more than HTML for tables, but I always found HTML to be slightly easier for me, I don't know why, it's just me. I learned HTML first so many that's the reason, HTML is usually the first language for people.

[kelp]

I had to have a gradual transition into CSS, but too much confused me. I started out by defining simple text classes. I put h1 classes for bigger text and some other text classes to make them stand out more, and then I defined them in CSS. If you're just starting, start by defining body font in CSS.

[firealegna]

That was a nice list. Thanks for sharing. ('',)