Page 1 of 3 Travel the world with CMX as we tour great cities with our Web standards compliant JumpStarts. Our first stop is Paris with a two-column, fixed-width layout that includes both a banner and a footer in its centered wrapper. Constructed with CSS2 and XHTML 1.0 Transitional markup , fully valid and WAI and 508 compliant, the Paris package includes a basic page that can be used for home and inner pages, a contact form page, and much more.
Image 1: CMX presents Paris, the first of its JumpStarts
based on Web standards, XHTML 1.0, CSS2, and WAI and 508 Accessibility requirements.
Click the above image to see a larger view.
Let's look first at what the Paris JumpStart package includes. We'll then look at why its Web standards construction is important. Next, we'll look at how easy it is to customize the design so that it is completely unique, and show you a real working example of a modified Paris page. Finally, we'll let you know how you can make the Paris JumpStart your own.
First things first: what do you get when you purchase Paris for $29.99, or get it free as a subscriber to CMX?
The Paris JumpStart includes an extension, CSS files, XHTML 1.0 Transitional files, original PNG files, bundled tutorial files, and documentation to help you alter the Fireworks PNGs. Let 's look at each item in some more depth.
Note: While all of the pages and files included will work in any version of Dreamweaver, or any other HTML editor, the extension to install the design into the New Document window will only work in Dreamweaver MX 2004.
Tip: There are no restrictions on the number of sites for which you may use the Paris layout. Apply it over and over again to create unique pages: you are limited only by the boundaries of your imagination.
For those of you who want to understand the structural and design basis of Paris, the package comes bundled with all the tutorials you'll need to decipher its essential methods.
In addition to the bundled tutorials, Paris comes with specific directions on how to reproduce the effects used to create the graphics. Some of the techniques described include how to mask to achieve nondestructive modifications, and how to use textures to increase visual interest.
You can see that the package includes everything you need to get you started, as well as to turn the Paris JumpStart into an in-depth learning experience. You probably have other questions, however. For instance, why are the Web standards components of this layout so important, and why should you care enough to use them in your own pages? Let's examine those questions now.
Keywords
design, CSS2, CSS, XHTML, WAI, 508, CMX JumpStarts, Paris JumpStart, CMX layouts, Web standards, template, positioning, CSS-P, lists, list buttons, CSS buttons, buttons, slicing, slice, wrapper, div, float, two column, 2 column, valid XHTML, valid CSS
