Fixed width versus fluid layouts

#1

Hi All,

Is it acceptable to use a fixed width vertical navigation column within a
fluid 2 or 3 column layout?

Example.

Left Column (navigation) fixed width of say 180px
Right Column (main content) fluid width to fit rest of window

I much prefer fixed width layouts and my target audience, I'm sure, will not
be inconvenienced by it. However, if I am to do things properly, I'll give a
fluid layout a go.

Should my navigation column be fluid too?

Thanks,

Jeff

#2

in comp.infosystems.www.authoring.stylesheets, JB wrote:

Quote:

Hi All,

Is it acceptable to use a fixed width vertical navigation column within a
fluid 2 or 3 column layout?

Example.

Left Column (navigation) fixed width of say 180px
Right Column (main content) fluid width to fit rest of window

No. How do you know your navigation fits 180px? Set width using em unit,
and it will work better.

Quote:

I much prefer fixed width layouts

Really? I bet you only have one monitor, with one resolution, with one
browser, with one settings in active use? Am I correct?

Buy another monitor + card. Doesn't have to cost much, and you get double
space. Make sure the monitor you buy is different shape than your
current, and runs in different resolution. Then use both monitors to surf
in the WWW.

Quote:

and my target audience, I'm sure, will not
be inconvenienced by it. However, if I am to do things properly, I'll give a
fluid layout a go.

Should my navigation column be fluid too?

No. Yes. Depends on definition of fluid you are using. Whatever you do,
don't use percentage widths less than maybe 30% for defining column that
has some text (and then make sure you it will be nicely wordwrapped.)

--
Lauri Raittila <http://www.iki.fi/lr> <http://www.iki.fi/zwak/fonts>

#3

Quote:

No. How do you know your navigation fits 180px? Set width using em unit,
and it will work better.

So, you set your navigation area to a percentage and it looks ridiculously
strectched on high resolutions. How many ems do you suggest?

Quote:

I much prefer fixed width layouts

Really? I bet you only have one monitor, with one resolution, with one
browser, with one settings in active use? Am I correct?

I am using a mobile workstation with dual screens and 3 browsers. Each on
different resolutions. All testing is on 1024 x 768 as that is what site
visitors are using. I test the site on various monitors from 14" to 19" and
it seems fine.

Quote:

Should my navigation column be fluid too?

No. Yes. Depends on definition of fluid you are using. Whatever you do,
don't use percentage widths less than maybe 30% for defining column that
has some text (and then make sure you it will be nicely wordwrapped.)

OK, can you provide a quick example of an ideal stylesheet for a 2 column
fluid layout, please?

Thanks,

Jeff

#4

in comp.infosystems.www.authoring.stylesheets, JB wrote:

Quote:

No. How do you know your navigation fits 180px? Set width using em unit,
and it will work better.

So, you set your navigation area to a percentage and it looks ridiculously
strectched on high resolutions.

And things don't fit when on small window.

Quote:

How many ems do you suggest?

Depends on how long links you have. Generally, in English sites,
something like 10 to 12em is good. But it really depends.

Quote:

I much prefer fixed width layouts

Really? I bet you only have one monitor, with one resolution, with one
browser, with one settings in active use? Am I correct?

I am using a mobile workstation with dual screens and 3 browsers. Each on
different resolutions. All testing is on 1024 x 768 as that is what site
visitors are using. I test the site on various monitors from 14" to 19" and
it seems fine.

Different resolutions, or different screen sizes? It is entirely possible
to run 3 different size monitors in same resolution.

Anyway, I would have guessed that people with such setting would not like
fixed websites (based on my personal experience. I have 3 machines,
running Win95, 98 and Mac OSX, with about 10-15 browser, screensizes
1024*768 twice, 1450*something, 1600*1200)

Quote:

Should my navigation column be fluid too?

No. Yes. Depends on definition of fluid you are using. Whatever you do,
don't use percentage widths less than maybe 30% for defining column that
has some text (and then make sure you it will be nicely wordwrapped.)

OK, can you provide a quick example of an ideal stylesheet for a 2 column
fluid layout, please?

Closest I have gotten is
http://www.student.oulu.fi/~survos

Of course, not perfect.

--
Lauri Raittila <http://www.iki.fi/lr> <http://www.iki.fi/zwak/fonts>

#5

in comp.infosystems.www.authoring.stylesheets, Windsun wrote:

Quote:

Not always true... A lot of sites used fixed outer columns and a fluid
center, or a fixed navigation column, especially if there is a graphic in
there.

Of course. Depends on your definition of fixed.

Quote:

And it is quite easy to make navigation fit into a fixed width.

Well, if it has text on px sized box, that is not usually true. But as
usual among top posters, you never read, let alone understood my reply.

--
Lauri Raittila <http://www.iki.fi/lr> <http://www.iki.fi/zwak/fonts>

#6

Not always true... A lot of sites used fixed outer columns and a fluid
center, or a fixed navigation column, especially if there is a graphic in
there.

And it is quite easy to make navigation fit into a fixed width.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Lauri Raittila" <lauri (AT) raittila (DOT) cjb.net> wrote

Quote:

in comp.infosystems.www.authoring.stylesheets, JB wrote:
Hi All,

Is it acceptable to use a fixed width vertical navigation column within a
fluid 2 or 3 column layout?

No. How do you know your navigation fits 180px? Set width using em unit,
and it will work better.

#7

JB wrote:

Quote:

... All testing is on 1024 x 768 as that is what site visitors are
using.

Screen resolution is unimportant. You have no way to know if those
visitors have their browser windows maximized. This is why fluid design
is important.

Quote:

OK, can you provide a quick example of an ideal stylesheet for a 2
column fluid layout, please?

I like Ben Meadowcroft's designs:
http://benmeadowcroft.com/webdev/

--
-bts
-Warning: I brake for lawn deer

#8

In short, screw you and your arrogant attitude.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Lauri Raittila" <lauri (AT) raittila (DOT) cjb.net> wrote

Quote:

... But as
usual among top posters, you never read, let alone understood my reply.

#9

Thu, 2 Feb 2006 14:08:25 -0000 from JB <me (AT) here (DOT) com>:

Quote:

Is it acceptable to use a fixed width vertical navigation column within a
fluid 2 or 3 column layout?

Sure, if you don't care about users on certain classes of devices
like handhelds.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/
HTML 4.01 spec: http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/
validator: http://validator.w3.org/
CSS 2.1 spec: http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/
validator: http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/
Why We Won't Help You:
http://diveintomark.org/archives/200..._wont_help_you

#10

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 16:41:37 GMT from Windsun <wind-sun (AT) earthlink (DOT) net>:

Quote:

"Lauri Raittila" <lauri (AT) raittila (DOT) cjb.net> wrote in message
news:MPG.1e4c4acf6863070098a6fd (AT) news (DOT) individual.net...

... But as
usual among top posters, you never read, let alone understood my reply.

In short, screw you and your arrogant attitude.