asked on

css center div

I am trying to center the design on a page so it will look like this:
http://akademierna.se/www_gastro.intro.jpg

But I dont know what to do to make the container div center when I have absolute positioning inside.

This is how far I have got:

<html>
<head>
<title>Akademierna</title>
<style>
/* style of dynamic text: */
#desc1, #desc2, #desc3 {font:10px Verdana; color:#666; background:white; display:none; z-index:10;}
</style>
<script type="text/javascript">
 
function toggle(nbr,flip){
	document.getElementById('desc'+nbr).style.display=flip;
}
 
</script>
</head><body>
<div style="position:absolute; display: block; width:682px; height:800px; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; border:1px solid black;">
 
<a href="http://akademierna.se/vannerna" onMouseOver="toggle(3,'block')" onMouseOut="toggle(3,'none')">
	<img src="vannerna.gif" style="position:absolute; top:92px; left:220px;">
</a>
<div id="desc3" style="position:absolute; top:92px; left:495px; width:187px; height:100px;">Gastronomiska Akademierna och Måltidsakademiens Vänner, förkortat Vännerna eller GMV, bildades av respektive akademiers båda vänföreningar genom att dessa gick samman 25 april 2006.</div>
 
 
<a href="http://akademierna.se/maltidsakademien" onMouseOver="toggle(1,'block')" onMouseOut="toggle(1,'none')">
	<img src="maltidsakademien.gif" style="position:absolute; top:282px; left:262px;">
</a>
<div id="desc1" style="position:absolute; top:282px; left:495px; width:187px; height:100px;">Måltidsakademien grundades den 19 oktober år 2000 och har ett trettiotal ledamöter som arbetar för att främja forskning kring och utveckling av måltiden inom universitet- och högskolevärlden.</div>
 
 
<a href="http://akademierna.se/gastronomiskaakademien" onMouseOver="toggle(2,'block')" onMouseOut="toggle(2,'none')">
	<img src="gastronomiskaakademien.gif" style="position:absolute; top:427px; left:273px;">
</a>
<div id="desc2" style="position:absolute; top:427px; left:495px; width:187px; height:100px;">Gastronomiska Akademien instiftades år 1958 av Tore Wretman, Sten Broman och Fritiof Nilsson Piraten samt Povel Ramel som yngre ledamot.</div>
 
</div>
 
</body>
</html>

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GuitarRich

take out the position:absolute from the main div element. That doesn't need to be absolutely positioned you want it dynamic so it centers.

rbudj

use margin:auto instead of absolute position

bleech677

above are good tips - you can also create a fixed width div and give it a align=center property - that will center it on screen and anything inside of it . Though the margin:auto is the proper way

kalleanka

ASKER

none of the above comments worked since I have absolute positioning inside the container div.

below is some simplified sample code ready to cut and paste.
if you know your css and can make it center, please answer with the working code.

<html>
<head>
<title>Akademierna</title>
<style>
#centercontainer {
	display: block; 
	width:682px; 
	margin:auto; 
	border:1px solid black; /*just for show, will not be visible*/
	}
#absoluteimage1 {
	position:absolute; 
	top:92px; 
	left:220px; 
	width:242px; 
	height:124px;
	border:0;
	}
#absolutedynamictextfield1 {
	position:absolute; 
	top:92px; 
	left:495px; 
	width:187px; 
	height:100px; 
	font:10px Verdana; 
	color:#333; 
	background:white; 
	display:none;
	}
</style>
<script type="text/javascript">
 
function toggle(nbr,blockORnone){
	document.getElementById('absolutedynamictextfield'+nbr).style.display=blockORnone;
}
 
</script>
</head><body>
<div id="centercontainer">
 
	<a href="http://akademierna.se/vannerna" onMouseOver="toggle(1,'block')" onMouseOut="toggle(1,'none')">
		<img id="absoluteimage1" src="http://akademierna.se/vannerna.gif">
	</a>
	
	<div id="absolutedynamictextfield1">Gastronomiska Akademierna och Måltidsakademiens Vänner, förkortat Vännerna eller GMV...</div>
 
</div>
 
</body>
</html>

Open in new window

kalleanka

ASKER

and my main goal is to get the design to look centered with 1 dynamic textfield lined up to the right of each logo like this picture:
(in picture mouse is over middle logo)

www-gastro.intro.gif

rbudj

<html>
<head>
<title>Akademierna</title>
<style>
#centercontainer {
	display: block; 
	width:682px; 
	margin:auto; 
	border:1px solid black; /*just for show, will not be visible*/
	}
#absoluteimage1 {
	position:absolute; 
	top:92px; 
	left:220px; 
	width:242px; 
	height:124px;
	border:0;
	}
#absolutedynamictextfield1 {
	position:absolute; 
	top:92px; 
	left:495px; 
	width:187px; 
	height:100px; 
	font:10px Verdana; 
	color:#333; 
	background:white; 
	display:none;
	}
</style>
<script type="text/javascript">
 
function toggle(nbr,blockORnone){
	document.getElementById('absolutedynamictextfield'+nbr).style.display=blockORnone;
}
 
</script>
</head><body>
<div id="centercontainer">
 
	<a href="http://akademierna.se/vannerna" onMouseOver="toggle(1,'block')" onMouseOut="toggle(1,'none')">
		<img id="absoluteimage1" src="http://akademierna.se/vannerna.gif">
	</a>
	
	<div id="absolutedynamictextfield1">Gastronomiska Akademierna och Måltidsakademiens Vänner, förkortat Vännerna eller GMV...</div>
 
</div>
 
</body>
</html>

Open in new window

rbudj

scratch that first code... paste mistake. try below... this site needs an edit option

<html>
<head>
<title>Akademierna</title>
<style>
#centercontainer {
	display: block; 
	width:682px; 
	margin:auto; 
	border:1px solid black; /*just for show, will not be visible*/
	}
#absoluteimage1 {
	
	top:92px; 
	left:220px; 
	width:242px; 
	height:124px;
	border:0;
	}
#absolutedynamictextfield1 {
	
	top:92px; 
	left:495px; 
	width:187px; 
	height:100px; 
	font:10px Verdana; 
	color:#333; 
	background:white; 
	display:none;
	}
</style>
<script type="text/javascript">
 
function toggle(nbr,blockORnone){
	document.getElementById('absolutedynamictextfield'+nbr).style.display=blockORnone;
}
 
</script>
</head><body>
<div id="centercontainer">
 
	<a href="http://akademierna.se/vannerna" onMouseOver="toggle(1,'block')" onMouseOut="toggle(1,'none')">
	<div style="margin:auto; width:230px"><img id="absoluteimage1" src="http://akademierna.se/vannerna.gif"></div>
	</a>
	
	<div id="absolutedynamictextfield1">Gastronomiska Akademierna och Måltidsakademiens Vänner, förkortat Vännerna eller GMV...</div>
 
</div>
 
</body>
</html>

Open in new window

kalleanka

ASKER

still not working... did it work for you?

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

bleech677

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David S.

You're still testing in IE5/Mac? It is very old now and has many bugs that make it display pages differently from other browsers. I recommend you concentrate your testing in Firefox, Safari, and/or Opera.

Also one thing necessary to get browsers to display similarly is to use a doctype that triggers "standards mode" rendering. I recommend you read this: http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/14-choosing-the-right-doctype-for-your/

bleech677

I didn't see anything about IE5 / Mac?
<!doctype html> will trigger standards mode for IE6+ and most others (FF, Chrome, Safari,opera)

rbudj

works fine for me

David S.

> I didn't see anything about IE5 / Mac?

The screenshots are taken in IE5/Mac.

kalleanka

ASKER

Including the doctype put me in the right direction.
Then I figured out I had to combine a position:relative for the container and position:absolute for the pics and texts inside.