Fundamental Web Design and Development Skills (Tools of the trade) [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Glasshaus has a new book for anyone looking to get involved in web development, and learn the best ways to go about things from the outset. In this book we see an admirable dedication to sticking to the modern standards of XHTML 1.0, HTML 4.01 and CSS; with little space wasted on discussing the common methods that forward-looking web designers are trying to distance themselves from.

While this book is very much targeted at the beginner just starting to make their way in the field, it would serve equally well as a guide to the modern way of doing things for any developer still mired in the un-compliant techniques and inaccessible practices of the past. Careful attention is paid to explaining fully the relationship between HTML, XHTML and XML, and the future-compatibility ramifications of your choice of markup. The only time deprecated elements (like the <font> tag) are ever mentioned are necessary notes for those coders who are tasked with redesigning existing sites authored in old-style markup.

Covering a wide range of topics, all extremely relevant to anyone in the business of making quality websites, this book should help any reader to feel confident in their awareness of the current state of play. The first few chapters introduce the fundamental concepts of markup languages and hypertext, before diving straight in to page and graphic design. Designing page layouts using tables is advised against, and the superior CSS positioning options are championed. Subjects usually left out of introductory texts - like accessibility and site administration - are here examined and explained without ever being simplistic (or stunting the reader's understanding with overly-technical information). In fact, the book carries a very strong commitment to usability and accessibility, and includes many practical implementation tips. A complete introduction to JavaScript is also included.

While a complete discourse on each subject area are naturally beyond the scope of the book, adequate exposition is given for each topic, which will provide ample foundation for further learning. This book is an excellent starting point that will quickly set interested readers on the right track.

-- Ross Shannon, yourhtmlsource.com

I am just starting to learn web design: HTML, CSS, etc. This book was recommended from an online tutorial that was really good, but I just needed more to really understand all the concepts. The tutorial was last updated in 2010. I think the first issue with this book is that it was published somewhere around 2002. Sometimes, I feel like I am reading something from the 1990's as some of the information of web design is outdated. Most basic principals are still sound and useful. The writers obviously know their web design, but if I had not read the online tutorial which had nothing to do with this book, many of the concepts would have been difficult for me to understand. The writers don't go into enough detail describing many of the tags, attributes, etc. I had hoped for more information on HTML and CSS. Mostly, it is lacking in examples that make sense in the context of a text editor. It mainly just gave bits of code without really showing the context in the bigger picture of the HTML file or building a website. I don't think one can read this book and have the skills to setup a basic and simple modern website. Just one sort of with basic concepts plastered all over it. Maybe I expected too much from this book. I know one beginning book is not going to teach you everything, but I really felt it could of dug a little deeper into subjects. It is a nice overview of web design, concepts and history of the web and scripting languages, but don't expect to be able to put together much of a website once you are done reading the book and you will probably have lots of lingering questions. I am having to seek out other tutorials for further explanations of concepts. Maybe the authors will revise this book someday. I do believe it is actually out of print so perhaps it is best to avoid buying this book new or used. I took the recommendation of the online tutorial author who happens to be one of the other reviewers here. That recommendation might want to be taken off of his website and books that are more up-to-date added.

FUNDAMENTAL WEB DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT SKILLS
AUTHOR: Rachel Andrew, Chris Ullman and Crystal Waters
PUBLISHER: Glasshaus
REVIEWED BY: Barbara Rhoades

BOOK REVIEW: The very first thing I always look for when a book contains a CD is the contents of that CD. If it has a trial version of the software the book is about, it is one I would think of buying. Fundamental Web Design and Development Skills has such a CD and it contains Macromedia's Dreamweaver MX, Flash MX and Fireworks MX. Anyone buying this book is off to a flying start with these programs available to them

Next I check out the Contents section. Fundamental Web Design has 16 Chapters and the titles of the Chapters make real sense. A reader would know where to look for a specific item. Then I look at the Index which, of course, is another version of the Contents but gives a more in-depth listing. There are 28 pages of information located here. Between the Contents and the Index, no reader should have to wonder where to go to find the information he/she wants.

In reading the book, the chapters give a good explanation of what the chapter is about. It doesn't skimp on explaining what HTML or XHTML is but it also doesn't go overboard to the point of boring a reader or giving extraneous information. The chapters contain visual examples of what is being discussed and each chapter ends in a summary of that chapter.

This is a book I wish I had known about when I was beginning to learn Web Designing. I would have been able to "test-drive" the software and would have bought these programs to begin with rather than going through different software first. The CD also contains all the files needed to work through what the chapters are teaching and as it says on the CD, there is "an extensive list of links to provide you with further reading and material to compliment the wealth of knowledge already contained within this book......."arranged into categories for easy reference.

I would highly recommend Fundamental Web Design and Development Skills to anyone even if you already have some knowledge of web design. Why the writing in this book so understandable may be due to the fact that two of the three authors of this book are women and the only man has interests in art and literature, is a cat lover and has worked with a baby in his lap.