Ask A Question

Notifications

You’re not receiving notifications from this thread.

How come so many solutions to solving layout problems are just: put <div> wrappers around your <divs>

Damiangage asked in General

I'm just a noob, but feeling layout frustrations. CSS is so 'artsy' to me, in that there's 30 ways to do everything, but none of them actually work unless you've aligned the stars correctly.

Pretty much 90% of issues I google, the solution presented is either something that doesn't line up with my efforts (No, I don't want to use Position to solve my layout issues - maybe I should?) or just involves 'wrap another div around it'

Seems like I'm mixing Grids, Flexes, Positions, and I never know when the right one makes sense to use. The end result is that I just guess at patterns of CSS until it works, and when it does, it's often not a revelation, it's a "oh, ok it works now... I hope I don't have to change that".

And wrapping

around
after
just seems like poor workflow. I am making divs just to get things to position correctly. Surely that's not recommended.

Are there any WYSIWYG editors for CSS? I know Dev Tools let's you play around but that's a lot of trial and error and does little to reinforce methodologies. I'd like something where I can just drag elements where I want them, and the css and html are spat out for me. If design is going to be so artsy, then perhaps the interface to create it should match? Is there anything like that?

ps: I am extremely happy to have my understandings solved. I've got no problem with javascript, but the patterns of CSS escape me. And I love patterns.

I think that's the other part is that I find most CSS sites with instructions or tutorials' examples (particularly for noobs) aren't relevant to what the noobs are trying to do, or simplify the problem to the point that it's not relevant. They says "this works" rather than reinforce why the patterns work. I'm often left unable to directly apply the "knowledge" I'm getting.

If there are good sources for you that clicked for making intermediate layouts, what are they?

Reply

I'm just a noob, but feeling layout frustrations. CSS is so 'artsy' to me, in that there's 30 ways to do everything, but none of them actually work unless you've aligned the stars correctly.

Pretty much 90% of issues I google, the solution presented is either something that doesn't line up with my efforts (No, I don't want to use Position to solve my layout issues - maybe I should?) or just involves 'wrap another div around it'

Seems like I'm mixing Grids, Flexes, Positions, and I never know when the right one makes sense to use. The end result is that I just guess at patterns of CSS until it works, and when it does, it's often not a revelation, it's a "oh, ok it works now... I hope I don't have to change that".

And wrapping

around
after
just seems like poor workflow. I am making divs just to get things to position correctly. Surely that's not recommended.
Are there any WYSIWYG editors for CSS? I know Dev Tools let's you play around but that's a lot of trial and error and does little to reinforce methodologies. I'd like something where I can just drag elements where I want them, and the css and html are spat out for me. If design is going to be so artsy, then perhaps the interface to create it should match? Is there anything like that?

ps: I am extremely happy https://speedtest.vet/ https://vidmate.bid/ https://wordtopdf.ltd/ to have my understandings solved. I've got no problem with javascript, but the patterns of CSS escape me. And I love patterns.

I think that's the other part is that I find most CSS sites with instructions or tutorials' examples (particularly for noobs) aren't relevant to what the noobs are trying to do, or simplify the problem to the point that it's not relevant. They says "this works" rather than reinforce why the patterns work. I'm often left unable to directly apply the "knowledge" I'm getting.

If there are good sources for you that clicked for making intermediate layouts, what are they?

Reply
Join the discussion
Create an account Log in

Want to stay up-to-date with Ruby on Rails?

Join 82,464+ developers who get early access to new tutorials, screencasts, articles, and more.

    We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.