As a beginner with HTML, I could use some help getting started with HTML and CSS. This is what I would like to do for now. I would like to create templates with the appearance of frames, that is, one side of the page (left side) with a different background, along with a list of links, small images, pull down (drop) menus, etc., and the other side of the page (right side), the main part of the page, with a different background, main text, images, more links, pull down (drop) menus, etc.

I'm also interested in having a background that doesn't move when you scroll up/down the page.

What is the easiest way to get started, without having to read hundreds of pages of manuals, and/or many webpages. Thanks.

-- vjamacaddict, G4 iBook, OSX 10.3.9

-- vjamacaddict, G4 iBook, OSX 10.3.9/9.2
-- PowerMac 7300/500, OS 9.1/8.6

If you're serious about diving into web development there's no getting around reading hundreds upon hundreds of pages of manuals and tutorials. There's simply too many browser inconsistencies, bugs, features, etc to learn. I've been doing this for eight years and I still fairly regularly discover new things in client-side web development.

That said, the design you're describing also isn't possible in today's browsers without some javascript (at least to get Internet Explorer compatibility).

What you're looking for is fixed positioning, and fixed backgrounds. Luckily there already exists a fantastic project to enable this functionality in Internet Explorer Windows via a JavaScript, the name of this project is "IE7", and it can be found here:
http://dean.edwards.name/ie7

You can Google on the terms "CSS", "fixed", and "positioning" (and/or "backgrounds"), for some decent tutorials.

HTH!

Regards,
Rich

--
[http://www.smilingsouls.net]
Mail_IMAP: A PHP/C-Client/PEAR solution for webmail
Author: Beginning CSS: Cascading Style Sheets For Web Design

if you want the image to not move when the page is scrolled up and down there is a css code that can be used to stop the image from moving. The code is as follows:

<style>body{background:url(URL OF IMAGE GOES HERE OR IF IT IS FISH.GIF) fixed no-repeat}</style>

where is says fixed no-repeat you can also decide where you want the image to go for example if i want the image centered, to stay in the same place and no-repeat then this is what i would do:

<style>body{background:url(URL OF IMAGE GOES HERE OR IF IT IS FISH.GIF) fixed no-repeat center}</style>

other opetions for deciding where to put the image is right bottom, left bottom, left center, right center or top right , left right.

if you want the image to be repeated then you would just put repeat and take out the no.

i hope that helped a bit, if you would like me to go into more depth then please e-mail me at [email protected]

regards steven