DTP


 
Lively discussions on the graphic arts and publishing — in print or on the web


Go Back   Desktop Publishing Forum > General Discussions > Web Design

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-07-2006, 12:02 PM   #1
annc
Sysop
 
annc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Subtropical Queensland, Australia, between the mountains and the Coral Sea
Posts: 4,592
Default background-color required!

I've just been caught again by the W3C, using a style sheet that validated perfectly a few months ago, but is now generating warnings about lack of background-color for text elements such as h1, h2, links etc.

It's not so bad this time, because I don't have any elements on this site with links or headings on coloured backgrounds, but when I first discovered the change in requirements late last year, it was on a site that did have coloured boxes, and I had to duplicate all the style elements and add background colours to every single instance.

I know this wasn't a requirement in about March last year when I first created the style I'm about to fix, because it validated then, and also later in the year, about May, when I made some further changes. So when did this change, why did it change, and how do I keep up-to-date so that I don't get these nasty surprises (and become embarrassed by my little brag box at the bottom of the page)?

   
__________________
annc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2006, 12:04 PM   #2
Kelvyn
Staff
 
Kelvyn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: In the Heart of the English Lake District
Posts: 1,381
Default

I think it has long been a "requirement". You can always add background-color: transparent; to the elements.

   
__________________
Kelvyn

Web site design, hosting and marketing, Keswick in the UK Lake District

If you are planning a visit to Keswick then try Keswick Tourist Information website

Kelvyn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2006, 12:23 PM   #3
annc
Sysop
 
annc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Subtropical Queensland, Australia, between the mountains and the Coral Sea
Posts: 4,592
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelvyn
I think it has long been a "requirement". You can always add background-color: transparent; to the elements.
Thanks, Kelvyn. That's going to solve a little problem there where I do legitimately need white text on a white background to hide flyout menus from IE Mac users.

Those CSS files really did validate as late as May last year!

   
__________________
annc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2006, 12:46 PM   #4
annc
Sysop
 
annc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Subtropical Queensland, Australia, between the mountains and the Coral Sea
Posts: 4,592
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelvyn
I think it has long been a "requirement". You can always add background-color: transparent; to the elements.
The validator doesn't like 'background-color: transparent;'

   
__________________
annc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2006, 01:00 PM   #5
iamback
Member
 
iamback's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Amsterdam, NL
Posts: 4,894
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by annc
The validator doesn't like 'background-color: transparent;'
Try inherit instead of transparent - does that help?

   
__________________
Marjolein Katsma
Look through my eyes on Cultural Surfaces (soon!), My ArtFlakes shop and Flickr.
Occasionally I am also connecting online dots... and sometimes you can follow me on Marjolein's Travel Blog
iamback is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2006, 01:46 PM   #6
annc
Sysop
 
annc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Subtropical Queensland, Australia, between the mountains and the Coral Sea
Posts: 4,592
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by iamback
Try inherit instead of transparent - does that help?
Brilliant, Marjolein, thanks. I've now got the 'no errors or warnings' result I was after.

   
__________________
annc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2006, 07:56 PM   #7
donmcc
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Sarnia, Canada
Posts: 1,122
Default

I always saw those as warnings: you should fix, but it still qualifies as compliant without it.

It is basically so that you don't change the font color to something incompatible with the user screen, in case the user has not chosen black on white as his/her default viewing colours.
donmcc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2006, 01:00 AM   #8
annc
Sysop
 
annc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Subtropical Queensland, Australia, between the mountains and the Coral Sea
Posts: 4,592
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by donmcc
I always saw those as warnings: you should fix, but it still qualifies as compliant without it.

It is basically so that you don't change the font color to something incompatible with the user screen, in case the user has not chosen black on white as his/her default viewing colours.
Yes, that's how they display. But they used not to show up.

   
__________________
annc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2006, 02:19 AM   #9
iamback
Member
 
iamback's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Amsterdam, NL
Posts: 4,894
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by annc
Yes, that's how they display. But they used not to show up.
I've always seen them - but maybe it's a asetting in how you validate. But the warnings are there for a reason - I've always considered warnings as "lurking bugs": they may not cause problems now, or no problems you see - but still cause problems down the line or for someone else.

   
__________________
Marjolein Katsma
Look through my eyes on Cultural Surfaces (soon!), My ArtFlakes shop and Flickr.
Occasionally I am also connecting online dots... and sometimes you can follow me on Marjolein's Travel Blog
iamback is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-14-2006, 07:48 PM   #10
dacoyle
Member
 
dacoyle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Arlington, VA (across the river from Washington, DC)
Posts: 560
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by annc
Those CSS files really did validate as late as May last year!
Ann, I know the XHTML validator still isn't 100% so it's probably the CSS validator has improved since last May.

Like you, I've not always been good about remembering setting both values. I like Marjolein's idea to avoid problems with "transparent".

Best way to keep up? Validate all the time! Everything. If someone at work submits an update that's just as minor as a phone number, I still revalidate using CSE, W3C, and 2 link checkers (Homesite and an inhouse tool).

   
__________________
Dennis
dacoyle is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Background Brushes for Photoshop Andrew B. Images 14 03-29-2007 09:48 PM
Background Elimination dthomsen8 Images 6 03-07-2007 02:35 PM
.NET Required dthomsen8 Web Site Building & Maintenance 11 01-04-2007 02:09 PM
Firefox Required Updates, NOW! dthomsen8 Web Site Building & Maintenance 16 11-10-2006 02:15 AM
Motion Background in Power Point Mato1344 General Publishing Topics 4 02-13-2006 07:58 PM


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 12:40 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Contents copyright 2004–2019 Desktop Publishing Forum and its members.