CSS Future

The future CSS holds for the Internet community lies in the flexibility of design and structure. New and improved ways of building the background design of a page are mentioned in the article To Infinity and Beyond! by Alex Walker of sitepoint.com. The three things he mentions are multiple background images, background sizing and gradient fills.

Multiple background images make it easier for designing a site with a background fill and added effects for aesthetics. For instance, if a designer wanted to place a background image in the top left and bottom right corners of a division within the website, he/she would previously have had to create a separate division absolutely positioned over the top of the original with an image of considerable size with a transparent background which was positioned correctly so it would fit into the division. With multiple backgrounds, smaller, less cumbersome images can be used and positioned in place as needed within the division. Up to four may be used! As a web developer, I feel the future of multiple background images will help the simple design structure and contribute to an easier code for building sites.

Ironically, as I read the first topic of the article, I began thinking how it would be convenient if they had a 'stretch' property in background images. As it turns out, the background-size property with its values of currently proprietary nature can be used to stretch the image to a specific size. While sizing of images has not always produced very desired results, it can be a consideration for images with merely a fill design. I cannot say I can see this as useful now as I have not really had a need for it, but I do see its advantages.

Gradient fills are the way of the future. We speak of accessibility, and gradients are the answer to blocked images. We speak of flat-colored, boring websites, and gradients are there to provide the possibility for a sleek design without compromizing simplicity. The future of the web is likely changing with the design structure used with gradient backgrounds. I can see this being a great tool in my future design where one might need a header of one color to gradually fill out the rest of the page with another color without storing image files on the server. The coding process is less difficult and the possibilities for direction are less limited.

Reading the article did excite me for the future of the web, although we are still trying, as with most technology, to be 'backward compatible' to those who might not have the latest browsing or upgrade in computing. Accessibility includes the old systems and must therefore be included in the design thought and structure. However, as mentioned in the article, cross-browser techniques are ever prominent in ensuring the users with the latest equipment can take part in the design intended by devlopers of the age, while those not so fortunate will not be left without consideration... for now.

In consideration of where I stand in my knowledge of CSS and its many uses, I do believe I have made progress. I understand more how elements interact with each other, and I understand there are definitely some quirks that need to be worked through to achieve a desired effect when dealing with multiple browsers, and multiple versions of the same browser. Positioning of elements has been a challenge sometimes, but it gets better, as do most things, with a little practice. We all have a future ahead. Why not start now to include the future in it? The more I use the tools of the future, despite the complaints I may have of loss of mastery due to the change in upgrades, the more I realize that to be a resourceful candidate in the future of the computing and Internet world, I must understand what users are experiencing when they get upgrades. We have a playground in technology. It's the mystery of the unknown. It is playtime!

Accessibility

Web accessibility is made ever-increasingly easy with the use of separation of web layers. Text-only devices rely on accessibility techniques for displaying and relaying content for users without the regular means of graphics for understanding web content. The cause for this could be a number of things including mobile users, visually impaired users (including those with color-differentiating restrictions), restricted browers (disabling pictures, JavaScript, etc.), and those with difficulties in the navigational use of computer input devices. An increasingly dense older population has called for a simplified layout in web content which helps users, who might have not been engulfed in the Information Age since birth, achieve the highest level of understanding for where navigation, links, and interactive interfaces can be found and how each site should function. Accessible websites are important to reaching out to the entire web audience without discriminating against those with less ability than others. Using the proper syntax and layout of a website can better enable users of all walks of life to find what they are looking for and to do so without feeling a need to look elsewhere for a more accessible site.
The Web Accessibiliy Initiative (WAI) by W3C has published Web Content Accessibility Guildelines to help with accessibility in a website and give developers a guide on which to base their sites. These guidelines are a basis for what can be considered appropriate when questioning whether a site is most accessibly developed.