Oppinion regarding grid layout vs flow layout

[NWx]

Hi,

I develop an ASP.NET app which should be used from Internet, so I don't have
control over what browsers will be used.

I don't want to target every possible users, so I don't really mind is some
user with a very ancient browser (Netscape 3 or 4, or IE 3) won't be able to
view the site properly.
However, I want that modern browsers (IE 5+, Netscape 6, Mozilla, Opera, and
possible other browsers with new versions) to be able to access the site and
render it as good as possible.

My question is if I should use Grid layout, or use Flow layout, and design
my site using tables?

Does new browsers (well, most of them) handle grid layout OK?

Any suggestions, advices or opinions regarding this are welcome.

Best regards

 

[Chris Jackson]

A grid layout simply uses absolute positioning to achieve its results, and
most browsers will support this. the downside of this is that you become
very unresponsive to a user's settings for the size of their browser window
or for their DPI, as positions are set in pixels regardless of how big or
small those pixels are and how many are showing in the user's window. For
that reason, I always use the flow layout.

 

[Chad Z. Hower aka Kudzu]

I don't want to target every possible users, so I don't really mind is
some user with a very ancient browser (Netscape 3 or 4, or IE 3) won't
be able to view the site properly.

You need to stick to HTML 3.2. Unfortunately ASP.net is not very good about
that. Before anyone jumps on me - Im sure its possible to do. But if so its
not very easy and you'd lose probably about 90% of what "makes" ASP.net
ASP.net.

Your mileage of course will vary.

However, I want that modern browsers (IE 5+, Netscape 6, Mozilla, Opera,
and possible other browsers with new versions) to be able to access the
site and render it as good as possible.

This is another issue. Dumbing down the interface for older clients while
still providing a smarter interface for newer clients. ASP.net does support
this to some degree, but at least in my (maybe biased) opinion it really
doesnt go far enough.

My question is if I should use Grid layout, or use Flow layout, and
design my site using tables?

Stay away from grid layout. And even then that likely wont be enough.

Does new browsers (well, most of them) handle grid layout OK?

Yes. New ones do - old ones dont.

Any suggestions, advices or opinions regarding this are welcome.

If you are open to third party tools, take a look at IntraWeb.
http://www.atozed.com/intraweb/

Im not just pushing a 3P solution. There are a few very specific reasons I
am recommending this to you.

1) It has a specific HTML 3.2 mode that allows you to deploy to ALL old
browsers, even Lynx, PDA's and soon. (Also has WAP if you want that).

2) Its HTML 4.0 mode is a "Smart" mode. It detects each browser and
automatically renders to their level, specfic features, and so on. It even
works around known bugs and other issues in specific browsers.

 

[Chad Z. Hower aka Kudzu]

A grid layout simply uses absolute positioning to achieve its results,
and most browsers will support this. the downside of this is that you

Not the older ones he mentioned. At least not in a compatible or reliable
way. IE2 for instance didnt even support frames.

And NS4 just has its own way of doing everything becuase of how browsers were
evovling on their own before HTML4 was a standard.

become very unresponsive to a user's settings for the size of their
browser window or for their DPI, as positions are set in pixels
regardless of how big or small those pixels are and how many are showing
in the user's window. For that reason, I always use the flow layout.

Yes, thats another issue. With Intraweb (mentioned in previous message) it
takes care of all this too. You can dock regions or controls to sides and
anchor controls too. This takes care of all screen size issues automatically
for you.

You can see a demo of what I mean here:
http://www.atozed.com/intraweb/features/AnchorsAligns.iwp

(You will need flash to see the movie. Its not very big. Im on dialup and I
just looked, it came down pretty fast).

 

[Kevin Spencer]

We are migrating to absolute positioning using external CSS. The reason? To
separate layout design from presentation logic and content. This will enable
our programmers to ignore layout/design issues, and our graphic designers to
ignore logic/content. We expect it will increase productivity immensely, by
removing unnecessary layout code from the programmer's canvas, and
compartmentalizing the development process.

--
HTH,
Kevin Spencer
..Net Developer
Microsoft MVP
Big things are made up
of lots of little things.