HTML 5 and CSS 3

[Pixelpusher]

Will WD6 take advantage of the new HTML5 and CSS3 in any way in future updates? There are some pretty cool and useful additions to the in-development standard.

[covoxer]

The simple answer is no. Simply because some of the browsers we are expected to maintain compatibility with do not support new standards. Besides, these new standards are not established yet and may be changed in the near future rendering our export results not compliant.
The XTHML 1.0 Transitional standard was chosen for the HTML export to maintain the widest cross browser compatibility and consistency of the rendered content.

[JENR8]

Since the new standards will not be added.. How about better features like CSS or other more editable code. I realize that WD is not a true WYSIWYG but it would be so nice to be able to add true HTML capability to a good program.

[steve.ledger]

I realize that WD is not a true WYSIWYG

Actually WD/DP6 are true WYSIWYG web page creators..
What they are not are HTML editors.
HTML capability is possible via placeholders.

[Pixelpusher]

Sorry to keep saying this, but Web Builder 7, which works exactly like WD6, allows saving external CSS and Javascript files so that you can edit your files manually. I have to assume if those guys can do it, Xara can do it too.

I'm just saying...

[ss-kalm]

.... external CSS and Javascript files so that you can edit your files manually ....

I'm trying to understand here, not criticize so bear with me .... What is the point of CSS to edit the page externally, when all the information on colour and style etc. is done right in the graphics. Won't editing/adding CSS screw up the layout that you spent hours perfecting?

[Add.O.B.]

I have to assume if those guys can do it, Xara can do it too.

Ha, ha! In other topic you say you are not a programmer! So how can you make any assumptions like this? And no, as far as I can see and understand your highly acclaimed Web Builder does not work the way web designer does! Not nearly. Still you can have your drag'n'drops. But you don't see it because you are not a programmer, right?

[Pixelpusher]

The difference lies in the fact that WD6 adds CSS styles inline, while WB7 saves CSS in a separate file (as it should be.) When adding text in WB7, the styles that you add to that text (color, h1-h6, background color, etc.) are saved into a CSS file that can then be modified based on the id that you give to that particular element. So if you create a lot of headings, the CSS properties of those headings can be changed once in the CSS file, thus changing every heading element at the same time (surely you know how CSS works?) In WD6, you have to manually change every text element if you need to change its color, font, etc. That is the power and beauty of having CSS separated from the page elements. The client wants the headings to be a different color after reviewing the page? BAM... change it once in the CSS file, changes translate across every heading on the page. Makes life so much easier.

Example: CSS of Xara

.xr_s0 {font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;color:#000000;letter-spacing:0.0em;}

.xr_s1 {font-family:Arial;font-size:16px;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;color:#000000;letter-spacing:0.0em;}

.xr_s2 {font-family:Arial;font-size:21px;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;letter-spacing:0.0em;}

.xr_s3 {font-family:Arial;font-size:24px;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;letter-spacing:0.0em;}

.xr_s4 {font-family:Arial;font-size:16px;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;letter-spacing:0.0em;}

.xr_s5 {font-family:Arial;font-size:14px;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;letter-spacing:0.0em;}

.xr_s6 {font-family:Arial;font-size:14px;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:underline;color:#FFFFFF;letter-spacing:0.0em;}

.xr_s7 {font-family:Arial;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;letter-spacing:0.0em;}

.xr_s8 {font-family:Arial Black;font-size:16px;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;color:#000000;letter-spacing:0.0em;}

.xr_s9 {font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;letter-spacing:0.0em;}

CSS OF WB7

h1

{

font-family: Arial;

font-size: 32px;

font-weight: bold;

font-style: normal;

text-decoration: none;

color: #000000;

margin: 0 0 0 0;

padding: 0 0 0 0;

display: inline;

}



h2

{

font-family: Arial;

font-size: 27px;

font-weight: bold;

font-style: normal;

text-decoration: none;

color: #000000;

margin: 0 0 0 0;

padding: 0 0 0 0;

display: inline;

}



h3

{

font-family: Arial;

font-size: 24px;

font-weight: normal;

font-style: normal;

text-decoration: none;

color: #000000;

margin: 0 0 0 0;

padding: 0 0 0 0;

display: inline;

}



h4

{

font-family: Arial;

font-size: 21px;

font-weight: normal;

font-style: italic;

text-decoration: none;

color: #000000;

margin: 0 0 0 0;

padding: 0 0 0 0;

display: inline;

}



h5

{

font-family: Arial;

font-size: 19px;

font-weight: normal;

font-style: normal;

text-decoration: none;

color: #000000;

margin: 0 0 0 0;

padding: 0 0 0 0;

display: inline;

}



h6

{

font-family: Arial;

font-size: 16px;

font-weight: normal;

font-style: normal;

text-decoration: none;

color: #000000;

margin: 0 0 0 0;

padding: 0 0 0 0;

display: inline;

}



.CustomStyle

{

font-family: Courier New;

font-size: 16px;

font-weight: bold;

font-style: normal;

text-decoration: none;

color: #000080;

}



a

{

color: #FF0000;

}

a:hover

{

color: #FFFFFF;

Clean and easy to modify.

[ss-kalm]

I understand how CSS works. The question was, what is the point? If you change the CSS it doesn't change the design page, just the generated HTML. Why would you want to do that? You'd still have to change the original design wouldn't you. If you use named colours/themes in Xara then you can still change the colours easily.

Let go back to "What is the point of CSS to edit the page externally?" I assuming you mean after publishing don't you? Just change the .web file and republish.

The whole point of the way Xara works is surely that you don't ever need to see/change the code isn't it?

[Add.O.B.]

So if you create a lot of headings, the CSS properties of those headings can be changed once in the CSS file, thus changing every heading element at the same time (surely you know how CSS works?) In WD6, you have to manually change every text element if you need to change its color, font, etc.

No you don't! Just edit that damn CSS you just had quoted here! Or do you have to be a programmer for this?
Also editing CSS just like that doesn't work well with what web designer produces. The strings are separated and positioned so changing font properties make them spill or overlap. Looks ugly. So there's no point in doing it. And then again, I was corrected in the other topic - this is not the way this program works, forget about editing exported site! It is not supposed to be done, ever! Just do your edits in the program and reexport. That's the way it HAS TO BE USED. Period.
And hey - that's the difference in how it works comparing to the web builder, so don't say this: "but Web Builder 7, which works exactly like WD6".

Being honest, I despise the Web Builder and other point'n'shoot, web designer wannabe oriented pseudo tools. Saying this I was mightily surprised to realize that I actually like Web Designer! Seriously. It's nowhere near as powerful as Dreamweaver, but it makes it possible to actually "draw" your site design in one pass! Can't do this in dreamweaver. I wish I could have these combined but I understand this is not something we can hope for as if it was, it would be implemented long time ago!
Just learn your tools and use them wisely! And leave development to those who know how to do it. I'm not the one though, so I'm not in position to complain - I have a choice to use it or not after all.