3col example using x.js - footer issue w/ FF1.5.0.10

[iowamf]

When I access the site:

http://www.sitepoint.com/examples/3col/

using firefox (1.5.0.10) on WinXP and shrink the width so the center exceeds the columns - the footer does not adjust down like it does in IE (isn't that a switch).

Getting 3cols to work with CSS is tough - the amount of hacks, negative margins and java is almost sending me back to a table for a layout.

[MikeFoster]

Hi iowamf, Welcome to SPF!

In the CSS forum there is a very good discussion on how to do this with CSS only.

For me in FF2.0, both the SP demo and my demo work properly - but not while you're resizing the window, but when you finish resizing the window the script then resizes the columns and repositions the footer (this is just the way FF implements the resize event). I don't have FF 1.5 installed so I can't check it. However it does work properly for me in FF1.0.2.

[iowamf]

Doh! makes sense now ... the effect does not become visible until after you finish resizing and let the java "run" (jscript newbie here).

I am curious on the alistapart column where they referenced this "fix" and felt it was "wrong" - I'm curious to why they think that? (especially now that I've got it working!).

I will search more on how to do this in pure CSS on this site - thanks.

PS -

I've seen a few CSS methods elsewhere, - faux columns and the 32767px overflow, and a reference to fixing the "holygrail" solution with a fix to the star html hack (fix to a hack?) ... those are, well, at least "equally" creative solutions to a problem that shouldn't exist.

sorry to jump the gun with a non-issue.

[MikeFoster]

The article at ALA looks interesting. Have you tried that technique?

The author says that a Javascript solution "felt wrong". IMO it only feels wrong if your goal is a pure CSS solution

[iowamf]

The article at ALA looks interesting. Have you tried that technique?

No, but I did try a similar ALA techniquewith an example here. But in their example, you will still see the height problem with the column background colors (which lead my to your js solution).

The author says that a Javascript solution "felt wrong". IMO it only feels wrong if your goal is a pure CSS solution

Agreed ... a sense of frustration for the CSS purists to have to go out of the CSS sandbox to do a 3 col layout.

NOTE: if you are interested in the ALA "holygrail" technique, you also need to read the fix for IE7 documentation.

The ALA HG solution is very sophisticated ... but that is also its weakness.

[MikeFoster]

Thanks for the link to the IE7 fix - very useful info.

The ALA HG solution is very sophisticated ... but that is also its weakness.

That's a good point - for me especially because I am not a CSS guru.

I'm not extremely familiar with the CSS solution as described in the big thread in the CSS forum - so do check that out because there are some very good CSS gurus there.

... a sense of frustration for the CSS purists to have to go out of the CSS sandbox to do a 3 col layout.

That reminds me of times when I became frustrated because of being forced out of my Js sandbox