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From Chapter Eighteen, Discussion of Browsers and Standardization Issues

(Note: this discussion requires access to different Web browsers. If your lab or classroom doesn't provide access to multiple browsers, you can download them from the Net. See our clients page for information about current Web browsers.)

Since not all browsers display text, images and formatting in the same way, it's impossible control every aspect of the way your pages will appear on the Web. Besides the fact that browsers interpret commands differently, variations in monitors and differences in browser window size can change the layout of a page by altering what constitutes a "screenful." Often, your efforts to make your opening graphic exactly tall enough to match perfectly with your last line of text will be thwarted when users change the size of their browser window.

There are ways to standardize the layout of your pages so that they will appear nearly identical regardless of which browser is used, but these solutions often provide fewer interesting layouts or come at the expense of bandwidth. If you keep the HTML formatting so plain that all browsers will interpret the pages similarly, your site won't have much pizzazz. Conversely, if you control almost all features of the layout by making your presentation depend solely upon graphics, your site will take forever to load, and non-graphical browsers won't see a thing.

To get a feel for these standardization issues, first experiment with the settings in your browser as you check out different sites on the Web. Try browsing a few graphic-heavy sites with your images turned off. Try changing the default text size and font in your browser settings. Finally view the site with your window sized smaller and larger than the standard setting. Next, use different browsers to look at the same sites. List features that stay functionally the same, and identify elements which change from browser to browser.

Hold a class discussion about the most important considerations for standardization. Are there times when standardization and universal access are more important than non-standard features and vice versa? Do you prefer pages which take a more standard approach to page layout or pages which lean toward innovative design. How can you best balance standardization and innovation? As a class, come up with strategies for making your pages both interesting and accessible.