A number of web tools are under development. Many will form part of a larger offering, but will be released on a free usage basis individually. In many cases there are similar tools available however none as yet work as I intend these to work. My aim is to relieve a web designer of the need to worry about what the best most compatible CSS is, but simply to pick a set of CSS code segments that have been pre-tested. The tools will package up the lot for delivery as a single CSS file for immediate use.
Alpha version nearing publication:
- Layout CSS generator for a variety of templates (Wordpress, Sandbox etc)
Web standards, validity, accessibility, semantics
Web’s that adhere to standards are more accessible, work on more devices and are able to ‘future proof’ their design against as yet non-existing browsers. These online tools support CSS, HTML and XHTML development. They aim to help developers deliver websites that are 100% valid and accessible XHTML, HTML and CSS. They are targeted at those who don’t like hacks, who want to deliver quality webs that are bulletproof and future proof, as well as aesthetically pleasing. The tools facilitate progressive enhancement with graceful degradation.
Web standards
The code that the tools produce validates against the web standards for CSS, HTML and XHTML,
Progressive enhancement, Graceful degradation and Browser compatibility.
Current browsers in common usage do not all support the web standards. To deliver quality web sites one has to do more (or less!) than just adhere to standards. Progressive enhancement aims to deliver a richer experience to viewers with modern browsers. Graceful degradation aims to ensure that the site will still be functional even if the browser cannot deliver all the functionality. Yahoo maintains a definition of these terms in relation to browsers and defines what they mean by A-grade browser support.
Accessibility
It is my belief that accessibility and usability go hand in hand. A well designed site will still be usable when your mouse breaks and you have to tab through it like the old days! The tools endeavour to support the Web Accessibility Guidelines.
Semantics
The tools hope to encourage a more semantic development of HTML and XML, by reducing unnecessary, non -semantic markup as much as possible. As yet there is no official standard for this. See wikipedia for status of this.