Starting to learn CSS, should I stay away from Dreamweaver for now?

Hello all,

I've been designing small websites for myself, but never really finished them... I just enjoy the graphic design part. I would just put them together using dreamweaver tables, but now I seriously want to start learning CSS so i can someday have my own webdesign company on the side of my normal job. Instead of trying to convert all my websites to CSS using dreamweaver tutorials and whatnot, should I just stay away from dreamweaver and learn CSS exactly as they are taught in all the CSS resources sticky?

My personal opinion, is yes, stick with the stickies and what tutorials you can find on the web. Dreamweaver is a tool that can be used, but learning the basics first is the best. Once you feel comfortable, you can do the same work in dreamweaver and use some of its bells and whistles to work for you.

thanks for the reply. be honest here: am i about to embark on a long, frustrating journey into the world of css?

Hey mate here is a good site full of css info below, it will be a long journey but once you understand the basics it will fit together I am learning how to do tabless layouts with css at the moment myself.

http://www.css3.com/

wayne

No, I started in dreamweaver, tables and all. I found this place and they gently convinced me to look into CSS since as they say...table are for data. I am slowly but surely learning how to use it and hay, it is amazing. It is not an endless trip....it's an evolution. Try a little on your pages and then work up to more as you learn what it can do. Good luck and if you do decide to try, there are lots of knowledgable CSSers here and they are all willing to give advice and ways to make things easier.

thanks sannbe. one last question- are books or ebooks over css a waste of money... is there enough free css learning material on the web at my disposal?

As sanbee said if your completely used to tables and have NEVER used css before, then slowly implement it into your tables designs first...just to get used to the text and font formats and changing link styles etc.

Once you are used to a basic features of the language then you want to start learning layouts and replace your tables designs with CSS.

Personally I learnt CSS layouts in about a day on work experience I was given a project to attempt to create a CSSZenGarden project...didn't get anywhere near a submission but learnt how to use it to layout the page...since then my code has improved no end.

It may be frustrating at the beginning but stick at it. What you can do with CSS you could never do with tables, its fantastic for se friendly pages and user accessibility. Once it clicks in one palce you start to apply it to achieve different effects and your there!

ebooks are normally a waste of money...

there is enough resources on the web BUT I find it good to have a book or a few books to hand as well. there are some excellent reads out there that will improve your knowledge and skills.

Im not home right now but when I am I willlist the few that I find extremely useful!

I have never had any trouble finding inforamtion and tutorials. Besides, there is an incredible amount of info in the css forum. It you need the in your hand, yes, get a printed book. I just found what I considered to be the best tutorials and printed them out.

thanks 1840dsgn. if only i wasn't so rightbrained

The tutorials are key because if you don't understand what your looking at, and you don't understand what it does you'll pull your hair out trying to edit it.

Books are a good resource. Once your done reading them they offer a great way to look up what you have forgotten.

A great resource for book is www.oreilly.com

Good Luck,
Scott

__________________
Web Design and Development

Ok books that have helped me both learn and understand CSS and use it to its full potential...

HTML Utopia: Designing without tables using CSS
Web Standards Solutions
The Zen of CSS Design

Css the Missing Manual was my buddy when I started in Dec. I designed in tables forever. One day with all the encouragement I just made the decision not to use tables anymore.

I took my next project and worked my butt off. It too me forever to just place a header in... navigation next to a century. Then the content... etc.
Little by little with help from my book, here, and online tutorials, the sites came together. The first three sites were not so profitable because of the time it took me to "figure it all out". But now I am able to bang out a site pretty quickly.

Just so you know, I think it takes longer to build a site with xhtml/css than it ever did with tables in inline css. But the maintenance side, and updating is so much easier.