css vs html3.2

[Randall Twede]

I just got done learning css and while i like it many features are not supported in Netscape 4.x I am thinking I should continue using html 3.2 for a bit longer till more netscape users have upgraded to netscape 6 any opinions?

[Tony Alicea]

DEJA VU! (And I don't mean the great CSN&Y album!)
The first problem that anyone starting on DHTML encounters (let's say the time is early 1999...) is CROSS-BROWSER COMPATIBILITY. That's what I learned then, and I am glad I learnt it from books like the two I suggested elsewhere in this forum or in JavaRanch in general, before I would be tempted to code JavaScript without having an idea of which browsers would behave in what way.
It turns out that even the same browser version can show different behaviour in different platforms (Netscape in a Mac vs. the same browser in a Sun Workstation, for example).
It's really not worth it for the PUBLIC WEB. In an Intranet is good because someone somewhere dictates the HW platform and browser to be used.
For the Public Web, server side processing will guarantee that everyone will be serviced the same.
BTW: CSS is also part of DHTML...

[Randall Twede]

Amen, I use client side scripting as little as possible. even applets dont always work right in all browsers. so I much prefer doing dynamic stuff on the server(especially since my server only gets a half dozen visitors on a good day)
but css is part of html 4 and supposedly a static thing. still thanks for opinion. I think I might use style sheets on my next site but then again i might not...for sure im thinking twice about redoing my last job using css for "practice" why practice something im not going to use? any counter opinions?

[David Weitzman]

Use HTML 4.0 and CSS. "But that might break compatability!" you cry. Well, if you're seriously worried about compatability, write your website in text format and have visitors type in new addresses!
If your visitors choose not to use a browser that supports the current HTML standard (and 4.0 is by no means high tech -- it's been around for quite a while), then that is the visitors' problem.
Better yet, use XHTML. It works on today's browsers and you can be sure it will work on tomarrow's.

[Randall Twede]

David,
I hear that! i dont cater to old browsers at all but many people still use Netscape 4.7
I agree 100%
CSS only works in IE and netscape 6 or better though
BTW: i like the xhtm standard...its about time
[This message has been edited by Randall Twede (edited August 08, 2001).]

[Mapraputa Is]

I just got done learning css and while i like it many features are not supported in Netscape 4.x
Are those features really needed? It's possible to create HTML page with CSS which will work correctly with IEs and NN4.XX There are many browser compatibility tables on the Internet, check these, for example: http://www.blooberry.com/indexdot/css/supportkey/syntax.htm
http://www.webreview.com/style/css1/charts/mastergrid.shtml

[Randall Twede]

thanks map I knew somweone would stick up for it
im sorry but im really upset right now cause my windows isnt working right and consequently my server isnt working right>it is not acoding problem but it looks like it and it looks like my site really sucks and i dont know squat im so mad if i find the person messed me up i will skin him/her alive