Absolute Positioning

Introduction:

Where do we start? Well if we follow the advice of our wise old ancestors we should ‘start at the beginning’.  This book starts somewhere in the middle.  Well, that may be a good place to start if you have some knowledge of what went before and have some understanding of the direction in which you want to head. 

Since you have picked up this book to read, we must assume that you do know what went before and what is to come after.  Nevertheless, we must begin at the beginning if we want to identify and root out misconceptions about web design.  Else we may find ourselves in difficulties.  We may not understand or appreciate the problems of positioning elements and the throes of positioning them absolutely.  So following the dictums of the ancestors we shall begin at the beginning.

The web page is a derivative of the physical paper. However, it does not suffer from the limitations of a physical paper.  Using paper is all about control.  Its size is fixed.  Its fonts cannot be fixed by the reader.  It will remain same at the point of creation and at the point of distribution.  The reader has no option but to accept what he gets!

The web page is different. Its dimensions can be changed.  The fonts can be changed; the look and feel can be changed.  It is dynamic and pliable and fully capable of adapting itself to the visualization of the web designer.  It can be customized to the needs of the user. It can be made accessible to the blind reader or cater to those who can see and hear.  Software can be made to read the page for the visually impaired or adapt itself to Braille for those who read with the fingers.  The presentation is only limited by the vision of the programmer and determined by the needs of the user.  

Unfortunately, the web page seems to have broken all bounds and become uncontrollable.  The designer cannot ensure that the web page remains the same at the point of creation and distribution! It takes on the shape of the window in which it is displayed and distorts the positioning of the elements that the designer so carefully laid out on the page!

The chameleon like quality of the web page has exercised the minds of the web designer and the end user alike. It is a common plaintive theme that can be found in web design discussion forums and books that have been churned out on web design.  The novice and the experienced, cry hoarse over the problem of control in web pages.

“How do we control the look and feel of the web page in multitude of browsers and desktop resolutions?”

“How do we ensure that the elements are positioned as designed in the final output that appears before the user?”

The web designer must acknowledge the sad fact that he has no control over the display of his page. The reality he encounters is a far call from the ideal that he wants! He can at best attempt to direct the user experience.  He will have to second guess the platform differences and resolution logic.  He will have to try to render every page pixel perfect. 

Therefore, before we start on this book about absolute positioning it is important to understand that positioning of elements is a challenge and absolute positioning of elements is an absolute challenge.

The designer is not God.  He needs to rethink his role, to abandon control and seek a relationship with the page that has nothing to do with the “what we see is what we get (WYSIWYG)” world. He must accept that he needs to create adaptable pages in which content and appearance are two distinct elements. He must appreciate that it is the nature of the web to be flexible. So he must begin the journey by letting go of concepts of control of web pages and accepting that flexibility is the first mantra web design.

If the dreams of a killer website have taken a beating, it is time to say that you have no cause to despair.  Killer web pages have been created and continue to be created despite thes problems.  However, concerted efforts are being made to discipline the web page.  You may soon find that you have tools which enable you create web pages that look the same and display the same whatever the browser, the platform or the device!

Microsoft, Netscape and Opera have rallied forces to deliver standard compliant browsers.  While these standards do not provide you with complete control they at least help you create web pages that look fairly good on desktops and palmtops alike.  The expectation is that you separate structure from presentation using semantic XHTML and CSS layout and do not get carried away with false convictions that backward compatibility with older browsers is a possibility.  The web designer must understand that bygones will be bygones and they must let go of those browsers and push the new ones that are taming the world of web design for him. 

Now that the decks have been cleared of all misconceptions you are really ready to get started.  So let me tell you what this book is all about.

This book is about web designing as you have guessed.  It is also about the problem of control.  It is about positioning elements and advantages of absolutely positioning them.  It is all about the challenge you are about to take up and the truths you are going to be forced to accept.  So if you are ready, turn the page and begin your journey of discovery.