Several
key terms are used to identify layout characteristics:
n Fixed??”Notes a column or other page component where the width is defined in pixels. A
fixed width layout does not expand or contract.
n Elastic??”Identifies a column or other page component where the width is defined in ems rather
than pixels. Ems are a percentage-based unit of measurement. An ems-based layout permits the
design to expand or contract when the page visitor changes the text size in the browser.
NEW FEATURE NEW FEATURE
144
Laying the Groundwork in Dreamweaver CS3 Part I
n Liquid??”Indicates a column or other page component where the width is defined as a percentage,
which expand or contract with the browser window width.
n Hybrid??”Includes at least one page element defined as elastic and one defined as liquid.
Typically, a hybrid design includes one or more elastic sidebars with an outer liquid container
that envelops both the sidebar(s) and the main content area. With such a design, if the width
of the browser window expands, the overall liquid page design and content area expand as
well, but the elastic sidebar remains the same width. If the text size is increased, the elastic
sidebar(s) expand, shrinking the adjacent main content area while the width of a layout as a
whole remains the same as shown in Figure 5-16.
Pages:
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357