CSS3 Foundations

CSS3 Foundations is a hands-on approach to guide readers through the process of using CSS3 features and techniques to take a basic website template and turn it into a real-world, modern and future proof website. From learning how to add CSS to a page, to using advanced techniques such as Responsive Web Design, each example is clear and well structured, lending to the overall main project that the book builds upon throughout. CSS3 Foundations tackles many of the difficulties faced when building a website; fixing inconsistencies in older browsers, safely using CSS3 features still in development, and optimizing a websites layout for the device it is being viewed upon.

Ian has crafted a beautiful work that is as practical as it is inspirational. With CSS3 Foundations, Ian has taken what is often a confusing subject and made it not only accessible to beginners, but also valuable to practitioners who are looking for guidance on the latest CSS techniques.

Chris Webb, Associate Publisher, Wiley

My Approach to Writing CSS3 Foundations

Having been working on the web for over ten years, I've heard from many people new to the industry that struggle to find a good starting point due to the huge wealth of information and technologies available. My approach for CSS3 Foundations was to keep things simple, concentrating on the fundamentals of web site creation, and getting the reader up to speed with the latest ways to utilise those technologies. By the end of CSS3 Foundations, readers should have a solid understanding of how a web page can be structured and its content styled, whilst all working cross browser, both on desktop and mobile devices. Of course, the most exciting features of CSS3 are explored too, to add some eye-catching effects to the page.

CSS3 Foundations was written to complement the video material made available on Treehouse, and just like the website, aims to make learning approachable and fun. I paid careful attention to the structure of CSS3 Foundations to make sure the book had an accessible learning curve whilst also representing the workflow and process of how a website is built today. The latest techniques are covered, such as responsive web design, mobile-first design and progressive enhancement, to gently lead the reader through what exactly these latest buzz-words mean and how they benefit creating for the web. Each CSS property described comes with quick reference information such as initial values, browser support and so on, making the book an ideal desk-buddy to go back to for a reminder of how that property works.

Customer Reviews

CSS3 Foundations currently has an overall review score of 4.5 out of 5 on Amazon.com (November 2013), as well as many great reviews on other sites too.

This is a nice double-use book: it's a self-paced course in practical CSS & HTML, plus it'll stand on its own as a decent reference.

Risa, Amazon.com review

Nicely done. I don't give five stars lightly, but this has impressed me.

Anthony Lawrence, Amazon.com review

Conclusion

I love writing and sharing my knowledge and to pair that with my interest in web technologies meant CSS3 Foundations was a great project to work on -- it's nice to finally move away from digital and have a physical representation of my work too!