Notes for Novices: Don't use

External Since: Sep 14, 2004 Posts: 1625

It is recommended that the font tag <font> is not used (it's no longer
supported HTML and may be ignored by later browsers). Instead use a
CSS style.

For example, say you wish to suggest that all <h4> text be slightly
smaller than the standard text, be displayed in the colour black, with
a standard weight (not bold) and use the typeface 'Times New Roman' or
failing that 'Times' or failing that 'sans-serif' you can declare a
style:

H4

{
font-weight: normal;
font-family: "Times New Roman", "Times", "sans-serif";
color: #000000; font-size: 0.8em
}

For a particular block of text you can define your own styles:

#mystyle
{
font-weight: normal;
font-family: "Times New Roman", "Times", "sans-serif";
color: #000000; font-size: 0.8em
}

And then in the HTML use a <div> thus:

<div id="mystyle">
This text will perhaps (it's up to the browser what it does with
styles) be presented in the style defined as 'mystyle'
</div>

Styles can be defined in the actual HTML pages, or better still in a
separate external text file which can then referenced from within the
<head> </head> section of the HTML page, for example assuming a CSS
style file named 'mystyle.css':

<head>
....
<link rel=stylesheet type="text/css" href="mystyles.css">
....
</head>

These are fully supported CSS operations with NO compatability issues.

Matt Probert

External Since: Jul 01, 2003 Posts: 50

In article <40015c01.74400656.DeleteThis@news.ntlworld.com>,
comments.DeleteThis@probertencyclopaedia.com says...
> It is recommended that the font tag <font> is not used (it's no longer
> supported HTML and may be ignored by later browsers). Instead use a
> CSS style.

Good idea to post considering recent posts, however, I'm gonna do my
best to pick it apart (in the nicest possible way, of course)

> For example, say you wish to suggest that all <h4> text be slightly
> smaller than the standard text, be displayed in the colour black, with
> a standard weight (not bold) and use the typeface 'Times New Roman' or
> failing that 'Times' or failing that 'sans-serif' you can declare a
> style:
>
>
> H4

If trying to conform to XHTML standards, it might be better to define a
style for "h4" rather than "H4".

> {
> font-weight: normal;
> font-family: "Times New Roman", "Times", "sans-serif";
> color: #000000; font-size: 0.8em
> }

Older browsers that have limited support for CSS prefer the 'shorthand'
font:, rather than font-xyz:. If color is defined, then background
should also be defined for the purposes of older browser (IE3 me thinks)
background issues, and potential accessibility issues with
foreground/background clashes involving UA defaults and user stylesheets
e.g.:

h4 {
font: 0.8em "Times New Roman", "Times", "sans-serif";
background: #FFF;
color: #000;
}

>
> For a particular block of text you can define your own styles:
>
> #mystyle
> {
> font-weight: normal;
> font-family: "Times New Roman", "Times", "sans-serif";
> color: #000000; font-size: 0.8em
> }

It's recommended that any defined styles (id's or classes) are named
with respect to their use, and not their style, so .leftcolumn is better
than .smallredunderline

> And then in the HTML use a <div> thus:
>
> <div id="mystyle">

Missing <p> tag I presume.

> This text will perhaps (it's up to the browser what it does with
> styles) be presented in the style defined as 'mystyle'

Corresponding </p> would also be missing.

> </div>
>
>
> Styles can be defined in the actual HTML pages, or better still in a
> separate external text file which can then referenced from within the
> <head> </head> section of the HTML page, for example assuming a CSS
> style file named 'mystyle.css':

> <head>
> ...
> <link rel=stylesheet type="text/css" href="mystyles.css">

Missing quotes from the rel attribute, and the media attribute has not
been mentioned. It's not required, but it does allow the author to
suggest seperate styles for display on screen and in a printed format
(amongst others).

> ...
> </head>
>
>
> These are fully supported CSS operations with NO compatability issues.

....for the UA's that support CSS (in it's varying degrees) in the first
place.

Gazza