3-Column Web Page Using CSS Layers in Dreamweaver CS4

By Dawn Pedersen · 03/10/2009 ·

Step 9: Create the Footer

Finally, we’ll put a nice bottom rectangle to allow for copyright information and other small notations and links. It has the same white text and dark blue background as the navigation bar, 10 pixels of text padding, and 1-pixel white borders on the top and bottom. We’ll tell Dreamweaver to put it just after the local container.

Click on the Code button on the Document tool bar.
Find this bit of code again and click just before it:
</div>
</body>
</html>
Click on the Design button on the Document tool bar.
In the Insert panel, click on the Insert Div Tag button.
Click on the New CSS Rule button.
In the New CSS Rule box, use these settings and click OK:
1. Selector Type: ID
2. Selector Name: #footer
3. Rule Definition: main.css
In the CSS Rule definition for #footer box, use these settings and click OK twice:

Category	Subcategory	Setting	Value
Type		Color	#ffffff
Background		Background color:	#005ac9
Box		Width	700 pixels
Box		Height	40 pixels
	Padding (same for all)	Top	10
Border (UNCHECK same for all in all 3 columns)	Top	Style	solid
		Width	1 pixel
		Color	#ffffff
	Bottom	Style	solid
		Width	1 pixel
		Color	#ffffff

Save both the source code and main.css (Save > Save All.) With index.html active, press F12 to view the page in a browser. It should look like this in Firefox (other browsers will vary):

end of step 9

Step 10: Cleaning up the Flaws

This site design is nice but it has layout flaws. Sometimes we need to do a dreaded "CSS Hack" to get a CSS site to behave the way we want.

Let’s look at what’s wrong:

Click inside the center column and press Enter about eight times.
Click inside the left column and press Enter twice.
Notice that the green and teal columns do not expand along with the center column.
Notice that the color for each column only goes down as far as there is content (or empty lines create by pressing Enter.)
In Firefox, the footer is hiding behind the columns.

step 10 flaws

First, we need a horizontal rule to push that footer down, and we need it to be invisible. To do this, we will create an Class selector, which can be used any number of times on the page. Class styles begin with a period (.).

In the CSS Styles panel, click on the New CSS Rule icon. Use these settings and click OK:
1. Selector Type: Class
2. Selector Name: .clear
3. Rule Definition: main.css
In the CSS Rule definition for .clear box, use these settings and click OK:

Category	Setting	Value
Block	Display	Block
Box	Clear	Left
Positioning	Visibility	Hidden

We need to put the horizontal bar just after the Click on the Code button on the Document tool bar.
Find this bit of code and click just after it:
<div id="right">Content for id "right" Goes Here</div>
Click on the Design button on the Document tool bar.
On the Insert panel, click on Horizontal Rule.
In the Property Inspector, select clear from the Class dropdown box.

step 10

Save the files and view the page again in Firefox. The footer should be fixed. However, the columns still need color.

step 10

Step 11: Color Fill

That does a nice job of pushing that footer down. Now all we need to do is use a background image in the #container layer to give the impression that the left and right columns are going all the way down too.

Add the 3-column background image to your site files. Right click on the link below and save the image into the folder that contains your index.html file:
css-layers-bgcolor.gif
In the CSS Styles panel, select the #container style and click the Edit Style Sheet… icon.
Go to the Background section and click on the Browse button next to Background Image.
Navigate to css-layers-bgcolor.gif inside your assets folder and click OK.
Save both files (File > Save All), and with index.html active press F12 to view the page in a browser.
Go back to Dreamweaver and look at all the HTML and CSS code you created in Dreamweaver.
1. Bring index.html up front by clicking on the Source Code tab. Click on the Code button on the Document tool bar. Find the various div tags which tell the layers where to go. HTML is used for STRUCTURE.
2. Bring main.css up front by clicking on its tab. Notice how the CSS tells the layers what size to be, what to look like and how to behave. CSS is used for PRESENTATION.

end of step 11

Done

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Category: CSS, Dreamweaver, Tutorials

Tags: box model, CSS, Dreamweaver, layers

Comments

24 Comments

By Sarah, 04/27/2009 @ 1:27 am

This is a great tutorial. I want to encourage my students to use DIVs and CSS instead of tables. They should easily be able to follow this in a lesson its very clear.
By Siobhan, 05/06/2009 @ 9:16 am

I just set up my homepage following your tutorial – it has been of great help to me and it worked a treat, so thank you.
By Dawn Pedersen, 05/06/2009 @ 6:00 pm

You are so welcome, Sioban! Thanks for the feedback, Sarah. I’m glad it is useful to you.
By Jober, 05/14/2009 @ 6:37 am

This has been a real help, particularly with regard to getting the columns to drop all the way down evenly to the footer.
By Dawn Pedersen, 05/20/2009 @ 4:08 pm

I received this comment from Lucy, but for some reason it’s not showing up:

“This tutorial makes creating a website in CSS just so simple. I was really nervous about making the change from tables to CSS but Dawn gave me the confidence to create my very first site in CSS! I just tweaked her example dimensions and background colours to suit my own and here’s the finished result for my charity website – http://www.richiekeefelifeandsoultrust.org.uk
Thanks Dawn!”
By Dawn Pedersen, 05/20/2009 @ 4:09 pm

P.S. Good job, Lucy!
By Shanny, 05/28/2009 @ 7:45 am

That was so awesome,thanks!

I just can’t work out how to do that last bit where you put the picture in, do you have to do this for every css webpage? Sorry I’m very new at CSS!
By Dawn Pedersen, 05/28/2009 @ 5:05 pm

Hi Shanny!

Step 11 adds “css-layers-bgcolor.gif” to all pages that are using that external CSS file and also using the #container div. You have one single external CSS file, and you attach all HTML Web pages to it that should look the same. Check out the “link” icon at the bottom of the CSS Styles panel in this image: http://blulob.com/images/tutorials/css-layers-01.gif. Or just do a “Save As” on your first page to create a second page.
By JayR, 05/28/2009 @ 8:55 pm

Nice tutorial..and easy to understand..keep up the good work! even to those who doesn’t have any knowledge in css can follow your directions.
By Dawn Pedersen, 05/30/2009 @ 12:34 am

Thanks, JayR!
By drleadbasedpaint, 06/02/2009 @ 8:56 pm

This is a great tutorial. I’ve always avoided learning css because I don’t have the time. Now with layers gone from Dreamweaver, I’m sort of forced into it. You made everything very clear and easy to follow. I’m going to have to do this several times to get the hang of it though!
By Dawn Pedersen, 06/03/2009 @ 10:27 am

Dreamweaver’s “layers” were really just CSS divs all along. The name “layers” derives from the fact that you can overlap them by using different z-index values. In this tutorial, the divs don’t overlap, but they still work essentially the same way as “layers”. They could overlap if we wanted them to. I’m glad you found the tutorial useful and easy to follow!
By drleadbasedpaint, 06/09/2009 @ 9:28 am

I’ve been working with your layout tutorial for a while now, trying to get familiar with how it’s done. I’ve learned a lot, but there’s one thing I can’t do & I am hoping you could give me a pointer or two.

In the navigation, I want to add a CSS menu bar. I tried a few including the one at http://webdesigninfo.wordpress.com/2007/04/28/creating-simple-css-menu-bar/ and the one at http://toshuo.com/2006/how-to-make-a-css-menubar/

No matter what I do, I can’t get this concept to work. I invariably end up with a vertical list of each menu item in a vertical column, or I get the menu bar & I can’t reposition it to be in the navigation area. Also, when that happens I lose out on the column adjustments in your tutorial that make the columns go all the way down the page.

I really would appreciate it if you could give me a suggestion!

Best regards,

Dr. Paint
By Dawn Pedersen, 06/09/2009 @ 9:32 pm

Hi Dr. Paint,

I would not be able to diagnose this without the source files. I’d be happy to work with you on an hourly consultation basis. I will be available after this week is over. Email me at dawn@blulob.com.
By Josh, 06/20/2009 @ 1:38 pm

thank you so much – this is an amazing!!! tutorial best one on the internet thanks you
By Dawn Pedersen, 06/20/2009 @ 3:15 pm

You’re welcome, Josh. And thanks for the compliment!
By Donna, 07/03/2009 @ 5:18 pm

Dawn, I have been struggling to put together a website from scratch for a couple of weeks now. I have taken all kinds of Paid For classes that have left me very frustrated. Your tutorials are clear concise and are greatly appreciated. GREAT JOB!!!!!
By Dawn Pedersen, 07/05/2009 @ 3:18 pm

Thanks, Donna!
By Pam, 07/18/2009 @ 5:06 pm

Thank you for this it’s fantastic. I’m off to update my boring website. You’re a star
By Dawn Pedersen, 07/20/2009 @ 9:20 am

Thanks, Pam!
By Hussain M Hamid, 08/13/2009 @ 7:59 am

Thank you very very much for your guidence
two days back i am stucked in creating three column layout using Dreamwever CS3, but after reading your tutorials it solved my problem
this is really a good stuff
By Hector M., 09/08/2009 @ 2:38 pm

I just want to tell you that I have seen many Tutorials, but never one as Thorough, Precise and Easy to follow as this. You have done a masterful job helping me and others. Dawn, You are the BOMB!!! Keep them coming…. Thanks.
By John, 10/10/2009 @ 7:58 pm

great tutorial! Explained very well, and easy to follow`-`
One note: however in the beginning steps when creating the main.css file, I choose body and having dreamweaver writing everything for me. It creates the tag .body and not body.

This took a while to figure out why the css was not working. Dreamweaver did give a warning saying this was a general tag, are you sure?

This is more of a bug in dreamweaver!

I think as this is one of the best html/CSS that I have encountered, well done and thank you!
By Henry Nwankwoala, 07/28/2010 @ 3:15 am

Your tutorial is really awesome. I did enjoy it.
Please i need a favour from you. Am trying to design a website where users(or registers for new users) enters their username and password to enter the main webpage.
Can you help me out on what to do