Hi all ...

I’m snooping [shopping? :>)] around for a good CSS person, so if you’re that guy/gal, please reply off-forum and we’ll discuss.

This will be my first foray in doing an all tableless design.  While the style to draw the page is all tableless, naturally, I have had to use html tables where necessary [ie: pulls from sql, etc].

My problem is threefold:

1) Things look fine on almost every browser except IE 6.0 on PC.

For some reason, the second I put a <div> tag in my page, the CSS breaks, and forces the content side of the page to render below the page fold. - This occurs right after our righthand navigation, so I am certain it’s an issue with my style sheet.

2) I’m using a CSS drop-down menu in our header.  This renders correctly on all browsers, except under FireFox, the menu ‘flickers’ [for the lack of a better term].  When it drops down, the menu jumps around and the page is showing through the menu itself.

At first, I thought it would be setting it to transparent [or something weird as that], but that is not the case here.

3) ... and finally, I am having trouble validating.  My header and footer is flushed to 100% of the browser space, but my content and nav needs to stand off a few pixels.  The only way I have been able to accomplish this is to use a marginset in the body tag, which obviously negates my validation. [xhtml transitional].

I have done everything I can do till I’m blue in the face, and it’s time to bring out the armor.  I just need someone’s help who knows this stuff. :>)

I have posted these issues on several good forums, but nothing has come out of it.  I have tried all responses’ suggestions, tips, etc., but wind up with exactly the same problem(s) above, especially where IE 6 is concerned.

I’m at a point where I’m hammered doing other work, so what I would like to do is pay someone to fix these sore-spots for me, and explain what they had to do to correct.  Please contact me off post, and we’ll sort out the details and what you need for compensation.  As with anything, things are always in a rush.  I will be forced to consider and move rather quickly, so if you have the extra time and need the work, contact me ASAP.

TIA!!

Raybo,

Sounds to me like you are actually pretty close!  Also sounds like the old “frustration factor” may have set in.  (I can relate!) Sometimes a short break to let your face change back to its normal color helps! {;>) And, unfortunately, IE is the WORST “current version” browser when it comes to standards support, and causes even very experienced CSS designers endless frustration.  (You have doubless heard of the many IE hacks that have been been developed to work around its shortcomings.)

<soapbox>
I am a big proponent of Web Standards (and I don’t do table-based layouts), so I would like to see you get this solved yourself, if for no other reason than that you would make one more designer leaving “the dark side” and coming into the standards fold.  The learning will be beneficial to you and the “community” in the long run, and the knowledge you gain well-earned.
</soapbox>

The first problem you describe sounds like a ‘float’ problem (are you using float to position your navigation?), possibly compounded by IE’s improper rendering of the CSS box model. The third problem sounds like you need to use ‘margin’ rules in your stylesheet, rather than trying to set margins with your markup.  I’m not sure at all about the second problem.  (Firefox is THE most standards-compliant browser going.)

If you are REALLY ready to toss in the towel and pay de$igner rate$ to have someone fix these problems for you, I would be more than happy to take a look at it.  But, I would first encourage you to give it another try or two.

You can contact me offline if you want me to look at your problems.  Screenshots would be helpful, and of course the code to replicate the problem.  I also accept payment through PayPal!  {;>)

Good luck!