Topics: The Web Design Process and some review of Flexbox, CSS Positioning, and Floats
Important Note:
Adobe stopped supporting the Brackets code editor a while back. It is now an open source project, so you COULD use it for the the class, but, as I said, I do suggest you use VS Code going forward to do the coding in the class(download here). If you are used to Brackets, here is a video from the GDS 45 class on switching to VS Code from Brackets, and includes some useful VS Code extensions. VS Code and extensions change all the time, so things may change rapidly. VS Code has becomevery popular and seems to be the current standard. The videos in the class were done using different editors like Brackets, VS Code, and maybe others, but remember the code is the same. It's just a different editor.
Assignments
There is some review this week, as well as some new things. We'll be getting everybody up to speed on the Web Design Process, Flexbox, CSS Positioning and Floats.
The Web Design Process
Flexbox
- If you haven't already, read the section on Flexbox in Ch. 16 of Learning Web Design
- This will provide more background on Flexbox.
- Do Exercises 16-1 through 16-3 to practice using Flexbox. You will make a menu bar, a flexible menu, and change the order of items. You do not have to turn these in, but the material is important.
- Optional: If you are not familiar with the display property, you may want to Watch this short video on the Display Property, Learn CSS Display Property In 4 Minutes - Duration 4:14
- If you don't feel real comfortable with flexbox, you may want to watch these videos from GDS 045, especially the first one. They are newish as of Fall 23, so you probably haven't seen them. Hopefully a lot of it would be review :)
- Assignment:
Watch the video on Responsive Flexbox Layout Patterns - Duration 28:12
- For this video, follow along with the video and recreate the page done in the video.
- This exercise was extra credit later in the GDS 045 class, so you MAY have done it already. If so, you can turn in the file that you made.
- The start files are here
- Drop your zipped site folder into the Canvas drop box in the Assignment module.
- You can check the Canvas calendar for due dates.
- If you have never played it, Flexbox Froggy is a great way to learn flexbox and get a feel for how to use many of the properties related to flexbox.
- Optional:
Watch this video from GDS 45 on Layout with Flexbox if you have not already seen this video, and you want to see flexbox used in a complete layout. Use this start file(right click to download) if you want to follow along.
- Optional: Take a look at Ch. 4 of the book Responsive Web Design with HTML5 and CSS - Fourth Edition on Fluid Layout and Flexbox. You should have access to the book through your O'Reilly account. Go here for details and to sign up http://libguides.missioncollege.edu/oreilly-safari
Multicolumn Layout
- Check out Multicolumn Layout as another method of creating columns
- Page 420 of Learning Web Design has information on this technique. You may have to search the online version of the book, since there are not page numbers.
- There is also a full article here
- This is a pretty easy way to make text flow into columns, and can come in handy
CSS Positioning and Floats
- Very Optional: Review Ch. 15 of Learning Web Design on Floats and CSS Positioning if you do not feel comfortable with them. Float based layouts are going away, but you MAY need to update a float based layout sometime, so it's good to know, and Positioning is used in specific instances, although not usually for an entire layout. Do the exercises in Ch. 15 if you want to practice CSS Positioning, and if you have not already looked at these. These exercises are optional, and are not to be turned in. The information on float based layouts is for reference only.
CSS Shapes
- Look at the information in Ch. 15 of Learning Web Design on CSS shapes, which is pretty cool, although I'm not sure it is being used too much out in the wild... Yet.
Bio Project
- Complete the Bio Page Project
- See more details here
- Here are example wireframes and other student work.
- Extra credit if you use CSS Shapes on the assignment!
- Don't forget to validate your assignment by checking the file at: http://validator.w3.org/ Click on Validate File by Upload near the top, and then click the browse button, locate your file, and submit. Make any corrections necessary so you get the happy, green, OK message.
- To turn in assignments with multiple files or folders, it works best if you put all files in a folder and zip the folder. It is important to name your folder correctly BEFORE you zip it to send, so I know who's folder it is. Please name you folder like this firstname_lastname_assignX. Then when you zip the folder, I will know it is yours. Don't rename any files of folders inside your site folder before sending, as that will probably break things. To zip a folder on a PC, create the folder with your name on it like this firstname_lastname_assignX and put the files needed in it, then right click, select "send to," and finally "compresses (zipped) folder". On a mac, control click or right click on the folder and select compress. Remember to name the folder before compressing it, so I can see who's it is when it is uncompressed.
- Drop the zip files into the drop box under the Projects module in Canvas.