Resources For Learning and Using CSS

This list is not exhaustive, but it includes sources that I have used and found useful. Others are listed at the Resources page of the PACS Web Design SIG. Links open in new browser windows.

Books

Meyer, Cascading Style Sheets, The Definitive Guide, 3d edition (O'Reilly 2006): This is the primary source for information on cascading style sheets. It is in its third edition, but the first edition will get you through the basics. CSS guru Eric Meyer is the author, and his credentials are impeccable. This book is not a tutorial, so while it is good to have it in your library, it might not be the first book to get.
Publisher's link.
PACS member review of earlier edition.
Meyer, CSS Pocket Reference, 2d edition (O'Reilly 2004): Another book by Eric Meyer. This quick reference is for anyone who has not memorized the entire set of CSS properties and values. It is inexpensive, and I find I use it regularly to check the syntax of CSS rules.
Publisher's link.
Callihan, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) By Example (Que 2002): I used this book to start learning CSS. It is a good tutorial that brings the reader from the very beginning up to some sophisticated CSS usage. I found the section on positioning to give me unreliable results, so don't go too far with this book. But it will get you going.
Publisher's link.
PACS member review.
Niederst, Learning Web Design, 2d edition (O’Reilly 2003): I used this book to organize an HTML workshop. There is chapter on CSS in the second edition, but the book is a beginner's HTML text. I am including it here as a resource for picking up the HTML knowledge that is the basis for what we are doing in CSS.
Publisher's link.
PACS member review.

Websites

CSS tutorials: This online resource has a set of lessons that will get you started with CSS. A good place to start.
A List Apart: A List Apart is where the cognoscenti post articles on cutting edge topics related to standards-compliant web design. The material is generally not for beginners, but it is good to see what the issues are and to get some insights into how to solve advanced problems.
css Zen Garden: The Beauty in CSS Design: css Zen Garden is the place where web designers are pushing the envelope. The premise of the page is fascinating: There is an HTML page posted there that is already marked up. The challenge is to create a design for the page using those existing markups. It is amazing to see what people do. Not a beginner's site, but more of a goal-setting exercise to understand the potential of CSS design.

CSS Editors

TopStyle: This editor is authored by Nick Bradbury and is available as a free lite version and as a paid version with a 20-day trial period.
Style Master CSS Editor: This editor was recently updated. It has a 30-day demo period.
Rapid CSS 2006: There is no trial edition of this editor, but the publisher promises a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Validators

W3C CSS Validation Service: This free service from the World Wide Web Consortium checks Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) in (X)HTML documents or standalone for conformance to W3C recommendations.
WDG CSSCheck: Another free service, this one from the Web Design Group, checks style sheets for conformance with standards. The site has not been updated for a while.

Color Selectors

HTML named colors: This page is a companion to Niederst, Learning Web Design, 2d edition. On this page are samples of the 140 colors that are recognized by name in HTML.
Web-safe color palette: This page is another companion to Niederst, Learning Web Design, 2d edition. On this page are samples of the 216 colors that are known as "web-safe."
Web-safe colors: This site has additional information on web-safe colors, plus a nice interface.
Color scheme generator: Todd from our group suggested this tool for generating colors for your site. As he describes it:
This one allows you to pick mono, contrast, triadic, tetrad, and analogical colors. One of the best web design color wheels I found. In addition it allows you to choose light pastel, dark pastel, contrast and pale colors and tells you what types of visional people will be able to see particular colors.
Color wheel selector: This tool lets you select a color from the full range available, and it shows you the nearest web-safe and web-smart colors.
Adobe Kuhler: This new site from Adobe Labs allows users to create color schemes and then to share them.

Browsers

Firefox: Firefox is part of the Mozilla open source web development project. It is a free download.
Opera: Opera has concentrated on making their browser standards compliant. It is a good browser to use to make sure what you are doing is consistent with W3C standards. Free to download.
Safari: Apple's Safari browser is available for the Windows platform. Some consider it the fastest loading of the major browsers. More important might be its use on the iPhone.

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