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Basic CSS issues

Hello,

I'm new to CSS and getting stuck.

The URL I'm working on is https://dev.goebase.com/cssframestest.asp

I'm trying to have a fixed header, content, and footer areas. I want the primary middle area to centered in the browser with a grey background on the left and right of the primary area.

However, my tests have not worked. It's left-aligned, the footer isn't showing.

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated!

Steve

Julian Hansen

Can't see the page - there is a login screen.

Steve Bohler

ASKER

Sorry about that, should be open now.

Julian Hansen

Here is a very basic template for a sticky footer with full height centered page

<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Test</title>
<style type="text/css">
* {
  padding: 0;
  margin: 0;
  box-sizing: border-box;
}
body, html {
   height: 100%;
   background: gray;
}
.wrapper {
   padding-bottom: 100px;
   height: 100%;
   width: 1024px;
   background: #fff;
   margin: 0 auto;
}
.content {
  padding: 15px;
}
header {
  line-height: 50px;
  background: blue;
}
footer {
  height: 100px;
  background: blue;
  width: 1024px;
  margin: -100px auto 0 auto;
  padding: 15px;
  color: #fff;
}
nav ul {
  link-style: none;
}
nav ul li {
   display: inline-block;
}
nav ul li a {
   text-decoration: none;
   color: #fff;
   margin: 0 15px;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="wrapper">
  <header>
    <nav>
      <ul>
        <li><a href="#">Link 1</a></li>
        <li><a href="#">Link 2</a></li>
        <li><a href="#">Link 3</a></li>
      </ul>
    </nav>
  </header>
   <div class="content">
    <div class="container">
    <h1>Main Page</h1>
    <p>This is the main content</p>
    </div>
   </div>
</div>
<footer>
  footer content goes here
</footer>
</body>

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Working sample here

Steve Bohler

ASKER

Julian,

Thanks for your post.

I should have mentioned that the header and footer need to be fixed, like frames.

I implemented your code, and it sort of destroyed the existing formatting if you go to:

https://dev.goebase.com/cssframestest.asp

Is there an easy fix for that as well?

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Julian Hansen

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Steve Bohler

ASKER

Yes, that's it.

Thank you.

I implemented it here: https://dev.goebase.com/cssframestest.asp

However, there's no scrollbar and the footer isn't where it should be.

Are there other styles overuling your styles? Or mismatched "div" tags?

Julian Hansen

You have put the entire site in the header - you need to separate your content out and close the header off.
You don't need scroll bars - if you have made the header and footer fixed the content will create a browser scroll bar.

I see you are using tables for layout - you should reconsider that - we don't use tables for layout anymore - only for showing data.

Steve Bohler

ASKER

Well, the header section includes another file, which has some javascript and it's own styles, so maybe it just looks like the whole site is in the header tag if you view source. But, it shouldn't be.

I've removed some of the stuff in the header include file so it looks less like the whole page is in the header tag. Look better now?

Yeah, the whole site needs to be gradually migrated to CSS. This is just the beginning of creating a new template.

Julian Hansen

But, it shouldn't be

Except it is - view the source and you will see. (see image below)

Steve Bohler

ASKER

Wow, I can see that now if I inspect the code. But, I can't see why that would be. The div's in the included file appear to match. Hmmm...

Steve Bohler

ASKER

Julian,

I inserted the include file in the header tag. Same issue. I'm not good enough to know why the main content is being included in the header tag. Are you able to see?:

https://dev.goebase.com/cssframestest.asp

Thanks!

STeve

Julian Hansen

Looks better.

The footer just needs a background
footer {
...
background: #fff;
}

The header is a bit more complicated because the <header> element contains two div's that are positioned absolutely. This means they are not going to expand the height of the <header> to the height of the contained elements. You can fudge it by doing the following
CSS

#headerbg {
  position: absolute;
  z-index: 100;
}
#header1 {
  position: absolute;
  z-index: 2;
  background: white;
}

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Not ideal but it should work

Steve Bohler

ASKER

Hi,

I made those edits. But, it still looks the same. The header is transparent and the footer is north of the bottom.

I'm looking at it in Chrome.

Any thoughts?

Thanks again, so much, for your help!

Steve

Julian Hansen

I am not seeing the edits. No background colour in the footer

No background colour in #header1

Steve Bohler

ASKER

OK, I had background as "fff", not "#fff". Thanks. Now the footer is fixed in it's place.

Julian Hansen

Now the footer is fixed in it's place

It always was - just did not have a background to hide the page behind.
Still no background for #header1

Steve Bohler

ASKER

Ah, I was missing the semicolon before the background specification. That's fixed now.

One last thing. If I scroll to the bottom, some of the main content is cut off (not showing or hidden by the footer).

Which specification should I tweak to fix that, please?

Thanks!

Steve

Julian Hansen

Add padding to .content equal to at least the footer height

.content {
  background: white none repeat scroll 0 0;
  padding: 100px 15px 70px;
}

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Steve Bohler

ASKER

Perfect. Thank you!

Julian Hansen

You are welcome.

Steve Bohler

ASKER

Julian,

I have another related question. If I should create a new question here, let me know.

But, I took all of the CSS declarations and put them into style.css and linked it.

Now, the header and footer and some other styles are not being applied.

You can see at https://dev.goebase.com/landingpages/tooltest.asp

Are there things that change when you go from linking to a .css file instead of just having them in the file?

Julian Hansen

Hint: to save you hours of frustration - put some time into formatting your code. Neat code is always easier to debug because mistakes jump out at you.

There are several things wrong
1. You have two <head> sections - in fact the whole area between <html> and <body> should be revisited
2. Your stylesheet on line 38 has a style .largetext without a closing '}' (the root cause of the problem)
3. Your reset.css link is right in the middle of your javascript - do page source and look at line 358

Seriously, if you are going to be doing development and not take the time to structure your code you are going to have many more problems like this.

Not critical but out of interest
1. Tags that are self closing should be marked up as such. Example (note the \>)

<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css" />

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Instead of

<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css" >

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2. We don't need to specify a language for <script> tags any more you can just do

<script>
...
</script>

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Fix that closing '}' in the style sheet and you should be set but take some time to structure your code and css files.

Steve Bohler

ASKER

Ah, thanks. I guess I removed the bracket when pasting in the new css.

Yeah, I'm inheriting some real spaghetti-code.

Just curious, are you available for css-work for hire if we go that route?

Steve

Julian Hansen

Yes - you can use the Hire Me button on my profile.