"edit appearance" or html?

[TraceyHand]

Just wondering what everyone's preferences are?

Let's say you want to bold text and underline section titles.
Do you use the html in the layout? Or would you choose the "edit appearance" option and do it in there.

I've done it already, but I'm curious to know which method you'd pick and why? (and whether, indeed, it even matters!?)

Tracey (fiddling, as usual!)

[leehack]

Neither to be honest as they are the most inefficient methods.

Create classes and apply the classes to the given areas.

[TraceyHand]

*sigh*
classes...yeh, I remember those from school.

you're talking about css, I assume?
I'm sorry to say that it's kind of a whoosh moment for me. I've dabbled in it once or twice but only with step-by-step guidance.

so..using my example..I want to change my sectionname to be bold and underline..

I'd look at what class it is using (how/where?) and edit the stylesheet?
I'm trying to learn, honest I am!

[pinbrook]

I want to change my sectionname to be bold and underline

only underline if its a link

otherwise as Lee says create a class/style in css or use a class thats already there

[TraceyHand]

only underline if its a link

It is...which is good because it looks better underlined

otherwise as Lee says create a class/style in css or use a class thats already there

Probably should read up on that then...

[jont]

It can only be CSS .. anything else is either a pain to maintain (when, not if, you change your mind) or if using the inbuilt Actinic tool it leaves a trail in its wake when you want to remove it.

[leehack]

I knew you'd #sigh#, i wasn't gonna post, but you may as well learn the correct way, even more so for in the future. When actinic goes xhtml compliant (coffs and splutters), you will want to know.

Lets say for example your product name currently has:

<b>Big Fat Sheila's Dress</b>
or
<h2>Big Fat Sheila's Dress</h2>

Then i would create a class to embold the text for me and wrap or apply that class to the text.

IF it is like:

<b>Big Fat Sheila's Dress</b>

then you cannot apply the class to anything there, so you span it instead:

<span class="ProductHeading">Big Fat Sheila's Dress</span>

IF it is like:

<h2>Big Fat Sheila's Dress</h2>

then you do:

<h2 class="ProductHeading">Big Fat Sheila's Dress</h2>

The class would be something like:

.ProductHeading {
font-weight: bold;
}

[jont]

Lee .. it is a section title with a hyperlink .. you may want to edit your post as the <a> tag will need styling

[leehack]

Its the same logic Tracey with <a> tags. You can style them in a few ways, if the <a> sits within its own parent id, something like:

<div id="sectionTitle">
<a href="boo.html">BOO</a>
</div>

You can style all <a> tags within the #sectionTitle ID like so:

#sectionTitle a {
text-decoration: underline;
}

or you can create your own class, such as:

.sectionTitles {
text-decoration: underline;
}

and apply that direct to the <a> tag, such as:

<div id="sectionTitle">
<a href="boo.html" class="sectionTitles" >BOO</a>
</div>

There is at least another 2 ways of styling it also PLUS you then have the pseudo states - LINK, VISITED, HOVER, ACTIVE to further add confusion - i won't go there though, I've given the simplest methods, while you have a play and get used to it.

[jont]

Although best not to use an ID ... this is used for a single occurance on a page .. as this is a section link it is likely it will therefore appear more than once

[TraceyHand]

wow...thanks
(and I knew you'd be expecting me to sigh...I'm not one to disappoint )

It was more the fact that it hadn't occured to me to use the css...I'm still a newbie to all this editting lark!
V7 and before..the best I did was add the occasional html into titles etc.. apart from that, all I ever did was add stock and process orders..
this is still all new territory for me and, while I'm more than willing to learn, I am having trouble teaching *myself* everything

We need classes to learn about classes (actually, I think I need a beer to learn about anything nowadays!)

I shall have a play this evening and over the weekend.

Thanks again

[leehack]

Tracey, one golden rule, if it's an easy and quick way to change the style of something, then it's probably the worst way. For instance i have never once used the edit appearance facility on a build, to be honest it should not be allowed, if used incorrectly, it can add a right load of junk onto a page.

Take an extra minute or 2, setup things via css or existing styles already defined and give yourself a solution for longevity and efficiency.

[george]

to be honest it should not be allowed, if used incorrectly, it can add a right load of junk onto a page.

Thats the kind of statement that scares me... I've noticed Jonty being a student of css for a long time now and thats always what he preaches... hard to get going with it though.

[leehack]

I've never seen him comment personally, but anyone knowing CSS would think the same, i think lol.

George if you felt comfortable with CSS, it would make a mockery of the years we have spent learning it. It would take me 18 months at least to learn how to get football heaven successful - but people think they can just happily hop into web design and pick it up.

Main problem with web design is that its like the sheila with make up an inch thick, it can look ok from far away, get up close and its just plain wrong and ugly.

Spend your life doing what you are good at, not beating yourself up over what you are not good at.

[pinbrook]

using css for a bit of simple styling is quite straight forward, hence Tracey is being encouraged, using css for positioning is a compleltely different ball game.

Hence one of my current projects the css part has been contracted out to a css specialist who will do it far better than me in 1/4 of the time. - Even us pros know when to call in the cavalry. I'll do the content and QA.