95% of all Web users now have CSS/DHTML compatible browsers. Now's the time to leverage these technologies to build sites that load faster, look hotter, and work better! In this fully updated best-seller, two renowned Web developers help you master CSS and DHTML -- hands-on! Learn how to use CSS and DHTML to build real-world sites that sell products, educate visitors, display ads, present quizzes, and deliver sophisticated interactivity. The book begins by introducing the fundamentals of CSS style sheets, including the STYLE Tags; Z-Index stacking; and more. The authors demonstrate how to add DHTML-based interactivity; build pop-ups for search and secondary navigation; create splash screens; and much more. The book also includes practical solutions for reliable cross-browser coding. All finished sample sites and applications are on the Web -- so developers can reuse the code, and see exactly how their pages should look and work.

PrefaceWhen I first started learning DHTML, there were two kinds of books on the market: overly simplified, cutesy books that were appropriate for technophobe junior high schoolers, and huge reference tomes that had their own gravity. But nothing really taught me how to build pages for real clients using CSS and DHMTL.This book will guide you through CSS (also called "style-sheets") and DHTML, using examples and techniques taken straight from my experience as a Web designer and programmer. I'll start off with basic concepts and simple examples and work up to more sophisticated effects and functionality. Who This Book Is ForThis book is for beginning to intermediate Web designers or programmers. You should already know enough HTML to build a simple table and form, and enough JavaScript to create an image rollover. You don't have to be a professional, but some basic Web development skills will make this book's material easier to digest. I'm assuming you want to add a little spark and interaction to your Web pages, as well as find a solid and simple way to control the fonts on your pages. How This Book Is Laid OutThe first code-heavy chapter covers CSS in all of its useful forms with a myriad of examples. The rest of the chapters focus on DHTML by presenting a real-world task and walking you through it step by step. All of the examples are for one of two fictional companies: Shelley Biotechnologies or Stitch, an online fashion magazine (like every other book in this series).The exercises and examples are designed to give you a solid, market-ready foundation in DHTML and enough expertise in practical solutions to carry you through 90% of the DHTML projects you'll do. You'll find there's often more than one way to accomplish a feat in DHTML, which is fine--there is no right or wrong in coding.All of the code, images, and working examples are available for download and viewing on www.wire-man.com/dhtml2 and www.phptr.com/essential . Special for Second EditionI am delighted to be able to write a second edition of this book. I've received hundreds of emails from readers of the first edition--some good, some bad. I have implemented many of the suggested changes, and kept the things people liked. I think the book is much stronger for it. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop me a line at dhtml2@wire-man.com --I'd love to hear from you.