After a closer look…

11 May, 2006 (18:06) | Internet, Webdesign | By: Andreas

Now I have downloaded the YUI and taken a closer look at the Grids CSS. After playing around with the code for a few minutes, it was obvious that the general concept of the Grids CSS is similar to the "blocks" feature of my modular template - although it is a bit more simple. While the Grids offer a number of different sidebar/content layout variations (mainly different sizes of the different sections), my modular template concept takes the idea a few steps further and adds blocks for headers, footers, navigation menus, site titles, breadcrumbs and different kinds of content (blog entry style, FAQ style, thumbnail gallery style and so on). And on top of that, it also adds typography, colorscheme, background images and general page layout independently from the other parts.

So I'm not reinventing the wheel, no matter what I do with this project. The Grids CSS is simply not the same thing as my modular template. I'll try to get in touch with the person who built the Grids to see if he/she/they want to use my code in some way. If not, I'll wrap it all up and release it as I have planned. It may not be unique or even very good, but I know for sure that it will make it very easy to build pretty advanced (and still perfectly standards-compliant) XHTML/CSS layouts.

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Comments

Comments can be only posted for 14 days after the post date. If you have comments about an older post such as this one, feel free to send me an e-mail!

Comment from badger
Time: May 11, 2006, 18:34

You should check out CMS Made Simple - http://cmsmadesimple.org - They do a similar thing with multpile css files for type, colors, etc. Then let you apply them to different pages in your CMS.

I've been using CMS MS for a while now, and I find it to be a very powerful CMS that doesn't try to do too much, or is really just a blog with a few extra pages. It's a true CMS for websites.

I'd love to see your templates for CMS MS.

badger

Comment from Brainchemicals
Time: May 11, 2006, 18:36

And take a look at this discussion: http://www.contentwithstyle.co.uk/Articles/12/modular-css/

Comment from Andreas
Time: May 11, 2006, 18:54

Brainchemicals: That's the story behind the CSS Framework, right? It is interesting, definitely.

But once again, what I do is not another "CSS framework". What I do is a website template with a modular layout. The main feature of the template is the possibility to build hundreds of different layouts using only one single CSS file - by adding blocks of XHTML in the template file. These blocks can be added in any number and any order - and THAT is the key feature.

Once you have built a layout (or a set of layouts) you can use an additional feature that allows you to apply different kinds of styles independently from the layout. But that is definitely not any new idea… ;)

Comment from Barracuda62
Time: May 11, 2006, 19:25

Andreas - we're supporting your idea 1000%.
Let's stop waisting time argueing about the "details", just go ahead and show us what modular CSS layout is all about.
The community is looking forward to it.
We support you and believe you can do it!
Komaan!

Comment from Carl Galloway
Time: May 11, 2006, 20:12

Totally agree with barracuda62, go for it, we'll recognise the difference when we see your work and then it'll be like a light going off above the head…

BTW, did you get my email about the Opera fix for andreas06, I really need to know what you did, can't find any comments in the template to tell me where to look. Thanks dude,

Carl

Comment from Andreas
Time: May 11, 2006, 21:21

You are right, I'll focus on my own work from now on. The good thing is that this has given me inspiration to work with the template again, after months of no coding on it. Tom, are you still there? ;)

Comment from Tom
Time: May 12, 2006, 0:53

Yes, I'm still here :) I think I could incorporate your concept into ztml and make it into reality. I did not participate in your initial testing is because I was busy doing some other project at the time so I was waiting for your first beta release. I do not have all the detail on this so if you could give me everything you got so far and I'll try to make this happen. If other people like to help out that would be great. Of course if you could give the project an occasion consultation whenever you have spare time (if that is possible), that will surly make this project successful. Thanks.

andreasviklund.com