A big mess

[John Salerno]

Can someone help me with this:
http://www.johnjsal.com/blog.html

I'm using a style sheet I found that divides the page into a header,
footer, and three columns. I'm trying to put the navigation menu in the
left column, but it doesn't even show up. When I add a bit of text as
content to the other divs, then it all shows up, but the menu doesn't
stay within the left column. I guess this has to do with all the
positioning, but I have no idea how to fix it. Maybe I shouldn't use the
three_column.css file.

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Can someone help me with this:
http://www.johnjsal.com/blog.html

... Maybe I shouldn't use the three_column.css file.

I'd agree. Have a study of this one:
http://www.benmeadowcroft.com/webdev/csstemplates/3-column.html

 

[John Salerno]

I'd agree. Have a study of this one:
http://www.benmeadowcroft.com/webdev/csstemplates/3-column.html

Thanks, I'll give this a try also. But since the navigation menu that
I'm using has absolute positioning, I'll probably still have the same
problem. What would I change this to to make it fixed inside the left
sidebar?

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Thanks, I'll give this a try also. But since the navigation menu that
I'm using has absolute positioning, I'll probably still have the same
problem. What would I change this to to make it fixed inside the left
sidebar?

Ben's menu has absolute positioning as well.

..menu{ position : absolute;
top : 5em;
left : 5px;
width : 10em;
z-index : 1;
padding : 0em; }
...etc.

If you intend to do some trickery to prevent the menu from scrolling
(e.g. on screen all the time regardless of where in the content you are
reading), that doesn't work in IE. It may also prevent visitors with
short windows (in height) from seeing the bottom of the menu.

I guess you've looked at the rest of his templates, too?
The standard two-column, with menu on left:
http://www.benmeadowcroft.com/webdev/csstemplates/left-column.html

Notice that there are two style sheets, one for common styles, and the
other for the column layouts. You could have multiple pages with
differing numbers of columns just by switching the one line linking to a
style sheet.

 

[John Salerno]

Beauregard T. Shagnasty wrote:

Notice that there are two style sheets, one for common styles, and the
other for the column layouts. You could have multiple pages with
differing numbers of columns just by switching the one line linking to a
style sheet.

yeah, that's one of my small victories, that i actually figured out to
keep it separate by myself

 

[John Salerno]

I guess you've looked at the rest of his templates, too?
The standard two-column, with menu on left:
http://www.benmeadowcroft.com/webdev/csstemplates/left-column.html

I took a look at all of them. One question about the ride sidebar: if I
choose not to have any content in it at present, should I leave the
markup in the html file, or remove it until it's needed? Would it change
the layout of the page if it's there and empty, or if it's not there at all?

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

I took a look at all of them. One question about the ride sidebar: if
I choose not to have any content in it at present, should I leave the
markup in the html file, or remove it until it's needed?

If you only have two columns on some pages, remove any and all markup
for the right sidebar.

Would it change the layout of the page if it's there and empty, or if
it's not there at all?

Of course it would change the layout. If empty, you would have a ..
well, an empty space. If you want a two-column page, do not add code for
the right-hand sidebar, and switch to the two-column css file.

 

[John Salerno]

If you only have two columns on some pages, remove any and all markup
for the right sidebar.


Of course it would change the layout. If empty, you would have a ..
well, an empty space. If you want a two-column page, do not add code for
the right-hand sidebar, and switch to the two-column css file.

But even the two-column file uses the extra div and puts it in the left
column instead of the right. So if I leave out this markup, should I
also remove the CSS for it as well?

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

But even the two-column file uses the extra div and puts it in the left
column instead of the right. So if I leave out this markup, should I
also remove the CSS for it as well?

There is a <div class="other"> in there, set to position at the right.
In a two-column page, don't put any content in it, and use the
two-column css file for that page.

I think you're worrying too much. <g>

 

[John Salerno]

There is a <div class="other"> in there, set to position at the right.
In a two-column page, don't put any content in it, and use the
two-column css file for that page.

I think you're worrying too much. <g>

I think you're right!

 

[wayne]

I think you're right!

In your three_column.css file, #left section, remove the margin-left :
-100%;

The menu will pop onto your screen.

Wayne