Rate this book

HTML & CSS: Design And Development Hardcover (2013)

by Jon Duckett(Favorite Author)

4.4 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1118871642 (ISBN13: 9781118871645)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

John Wiley & Sons

review 1: It's a decent, though outdated at this point, reference book. If you already know the basics of HTML and CSS, and just need a refresher or want to look up a specific tag, then this is a good source. There are, however, countless online resources that give you the same information for free. Because the book is three years old at the time of this review, there is a lot of information related to HTML5 left out. For example, the book doesn't mention the new input types (date, email, etc.) or new features like the canvas tag and geolocation. This is, of course, and issue with any tech book, but it is more pronounced in this case since HTML is currently going through a rather significant revision. The other issue is that I don't think this book will do much to prepare someone wh... moreo knows nothing about HTML when it comes to making a website. They would need to read another book before moving on to this one, though this book is a good "step 2".The one thing this book does well is cover the basics of design (layout, typeface selection, colors, etc). Few books go into much, if any, detail, and making the site easy to navigation and visually appealing is just as important as coding it correctly. The last two chapters are why this book gets 3 stars instead of 2.
review 2: Whether you're a beginner or an expert in web design and/or development, this textbook is a great tool in your arsenal. I'm on the latter end of the spectrum (i.e., an expert), and I found Duckett's work extremely useful in refreshing my memory on things I might have forgot (e.g., definition lists). For newbies fearful of diving into the world of web design and development, this book is highly welcoming and friendly, and its information is very digestible. It's well-organized, succinct, and well-written. The parsimony may seem like a downfall, but the textbook is meant to be a primer instead of a compendium of knowledge on the subject. The author makes note of this several on multiple occasions.One recommendation I have, particularly for beginners, is to read the chapters on user-centered design first (chapters 18 and 19). And I remind experts to always begin interface design with these processes. When you first start learning markup and CSS, it's very tempting to delve into building your first web page or website. Sometimes I too can't help myself but to begin coding when I start a new web project. Nevertheless, theory must come before practice. This includes requirements gathering, prototyping, wireframing, and usability studies. Even if the markup scares you off later and leads you to a content management system like WordPress (where markup is hidden), you'll still have knowledge of design standards, patterns, and guidelines that you read in these chapters.On a personal level, I used this textbook for one of my library information science and informatics classes for graduate school. While the price of the book is within my budget ($30), I inter-loaned it from an area library. My preference, especially for books covering topics in technology and web design is to either borrow textbooks or find resources online because the information (e.g., standards, trends, guidelines, etc.) is ever changing. less

Download links for: HTML & CSS: Design and Development Hardcover

Advertising