text formatting - columns (HTML / CSS)

2003-07-28

Hello peoples.

Anyone know of any way of having text automatically lay itself out into columns (i.e. without making a table with say three columns and then manually distributing text across them)? Is there no way of having text automatically spill over into the next column? And that is compatible with IE 5 +...... apparantly netscape used to or does support a tag called <multicols>, which did this but , well....only in netscape, so that's not much use to anybody.

Got the feeling the answer is "no" but feel free to surprise me!

Ta

Nico · 2003-07-28 #2

don't think it's possible ...
I checked the dreamweaver bible, html manual and a css manual. Found Nothing

Trance · 2003-07-28 #3

.. multicols did the job, but like u said, only in nestcap, but use tables, whats the problem?..

Nico · 2003-07-28 #4

Originally posted by Trance.Dsg
whats the problem?..

Please read the first post properly ... , blibbka wants the text to spill over into the next column automaticly. So if you had some dynamic text you wouldn't have to format it manually every time it changes.

Neurowave · 2003-07-28 #5

blibbka, check out this site, they seem to manage it quite nicely. http://www.iht.com/articles/104342.html

It's not exactly what you wanted, because they're actually using javascript to split up the text into three different div's and then positioning them accordingly... however, it's an interesting approach and I think it would work for your purpose.

Here's how you would do it in CSS3, although it isn't actually implemented in any current browser. Something to look forward to...

http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-multicol/

blibbka · 2003-08-03 #6

Neurowave - well spotted, and thanks for that. It does seem to work quite well.....

Also thanks for the other link. That's good news that it's being worked on. Once it's implemented - I bet we'll start seeing a hell of a lot of web-sites with columns. I have a few friends who do graphics for print and one of the things that makes them groan the loudest when they try and tinker with web-design is the realisation that columns are a pain in web-sites.

ta

colorblind · 2003-08-04 #7

This is one of the things you could prefer Adobe GoLive over MM Dreamweaver. It actually supports the copy & paste method.

On the other side, there is lots you can do with Find & Replace as well as "Import Table Data" ...

blibbka · 2003-08-04 #8

What do you mean about find & replace?.... I don't uderstand how that could be helpful for formatting columns of text. Maybe I have misunderstood, but please explain.

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	Ultrashock Forums > Creative Software > Web • text formatting - columns (HTML / CSS)


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	Nico	2003-07-28 #2
	don't think it's possible ... I checked the dreamweaver bible, html manual and a css manual. Found Nothing

	Trance	2003-07-28 #3
	.. multicols did the job, but like u said, only in nestcap, but use tables, whats the problem?..

	Nico	2003-07-28 #4
	Originally posted by Trance.Dsg whats the problem?.. Please read the first post properly ... , blibbka wants the text to spill over into the next column automaticly. So if you had some dynamic text you wouldn't have to format it manually every time it changes.

	Neurowave	2003-07-28 #5
	blibbka, check out this site, they seem to manage it quite nicely. http://www.iht.com/articles/104342.html It's not exactly what you wanted, because they're actually using javascript to split up the text into three different div's and then positioning them accordingly... however, it's an interesting approach and I think it would work for your purpose. Here's how you would do it in CSS3, although it isn't actually implemented in any current browser. Something to look forward to... http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-multicol/

	blibbka	2003-08-03 #6
	Neurowave - well spotted, and thanks for that. It does seem to work quite well..... Also thanks for the other link. That's good news that it's being worked on. Once it's implemented - I bet we'll start seeing a hell of a lot of web-sites with columns. I have a few friends who do graphics for print and one of the things that makes them groan the loudest when they try and tinker with web-design is the realisation that columns are a pain in web-sites. ta

	colorblind	2003-08-04 #7
	This is one of the things you could prefer Adobe GoLive over MM Dreamweaver. It actually supports the copy & paste method. On the other side, there is lots you can do with Find & Replace as well as "Import Table Data" ...

	blibbka	2003-08-04 #8
	What do you mean about find & replace?.... I don't uderstand how that could be helpful for formatting columns of text. Maybe I have misunderstood, but please explain.