Direct from the creators of CSS, this is the definitive reference to CSS 2.1, today's indispensable standard for controlling the appearance of any Web or XML document. This full-color book doesn't just show how to use every significant CSS 1 and 2.x feature; it carefully explains the "why" behind today's most valuable CSS design techniques. You'll find practical, downloadable examples throughout—along with essential browser support information and best practices for building high-impact pages and applications.

Cascading Style Sheets: Designing for the Web, Third Edition covers every CSS 2.1 improvement and fix, from new height/width definitions in absolutely positioned elements to new clip property calculations. Clear, readable, and thorough, it's the one must-have CSS resource for every Web developer, designer, and content provider. Coverage includes

Mastering essential CSS concepts: rules, declarations, selectors, properties, and more

Working with type: from absolute/relative units to font size and weight

Understanding CSS objects: box model, display properties, list styles, and more

Exercising total control over spacing and positioning

Specifying colors for borders and backgrounds

Managing printing: margins, page breaks, and more

Implementing media-specific style sheets for audio rendering, handhelds, and other forms of presentation

Moving from HTML extensions to CSS: five practical case studies

Making the most of cascading and inheritance

Using external style sheets and @import

Integrating CSS with XML documents

Optimizing the performance of CSS pages

Includes a handy CSS Quick Reference Card