HELP, please! Very basic CSS problem!

[Angry Girl]

I've spent bloody *HOURS* trying to figure out what's wrong and am starting to go insane. I'm teaching myself CSS. Everything was going fine until I tried the CLASS business. Why aren't my P CLASS and SPAN CLASS working???!!! (I just know I'm going to look like a tard here....)

My web page and external stylesheet are here:

http://nightweed.com/testtemplate.html

http://nightweed.com/test.css

I'm trying to change the font and table attributes of the left sidebar, where it says "Desksets, Frames and boxes," etc.

If you view the source of testtemplate.html you'll see where I denoted what I think should be the sidebar section.

I'm also trying to change the attributes of the text ZXZXZ, which is in the upper left-hand corner underneath where the image goes).

For what it's worth, my editor is FrontPage 2002 (yes, I know it sucks but I've only just started to really dislike it, so I'm open to suggestions, as long as the solution is free).

Many thanks.

[GregD]

1. not ignoring you, but can't quite figure out what's wrong

I copied the page and css to my site, and am messing with it.

[Angry Girl]

2. thanks so much! this has been driving me nuts!!!

[Angry Girl]

3. If this is any help....

I'm not married to that setup. It's my attempt to recreate a super-simplified version of http://store.yahoo.com/vtbear/get-well-gifts-ideas.html

And I want to be able to use CSS to control the sidebar's border and font attributes so I can change them according to holidays, for example.

I don't care *how* it's done really, as long as I can understand it. I tried looking at the source for some of vermontteddybear.com's pages and I exploded....

Thanks!

[GregD]

4. ok, first problem is solved.

http://www.greybearddesign.com/angrygirl/test.htm

You had:
.test { font-color: red
}

The corrected entry:
.test { color: red
}

Another issue is that if you are not careful, Front Page will assign all sorts of whacko column widths, and that has happened on your page. Do a view source and note that I adjusted your column widths to sum to 100%.

Other issues?

[Angry Girl]

5. Ah! syntax.... Thanks! But what about the sidebar?

Oh, that table thing.... Thanks for adjusting them!

But the sidebar section's attributes are still not working.... That's been the bane of my past weekend.... grrrr

[GregD]

6. what attributes are not working?

Maybe you are not telling it what you want.

Is your point that you want the text on the sidebar smaller? A darker background color as the separator between the sidebar and the main content?

Specifics please.

[Angry Girl]

7. sorry, i wasn't clear

I want to be able to control the font, background color, and the border width and/or color of the separator between sidebar and main content. Like the http://www.vermontteddybear.com folks do.

I thought if I used the SPAN CLASS around the sidebar html and then specified in the stylesheet the .sidebar attributes I wanted that I would see the changes.

But that's not working. Because now I've got the stylesheet saying that the sidebar section should have red font but it's not displaying as red., just the ordinary dark blue that the restof the text was specified to be.

So I didn't continue from there, figuring if I can't even get the font color right I shouldn't start with the separator yet.... *groan*

[GregD]

8. you didn't change the css?

Your CSS still reads:

.test { font-color: red
}

[Angry Girl]

9. duh. didn't think to update. done now.... sidebar still misbehaving

[GregD]

10. not a mindreader

In what way is it failing now? Your descriptions of what you are trying to do, and what is failing, is obscure at best. Help me understand what needs to be fixed!

[Angry Girl]

11. Huh?????

I'm totally confused now. The sidebar isn't behaving.... That was the original problem I'm having trouble with: The sidebar has instuctions to display in red font; however it is displaying in dark blue, like everywhere else.... And *that* was the original problem: the sidebar....

I've refreshed my browser (firefox), checked it even in an IE-based browser. I'm totally baffled now by your questions. Maybe I've gone insane....

?????

[Xithras]

12. The answer to your sidebar question

Since the other appears to be answered.

You are currently attempting to apply the style using this code:

<tr>

<!--BEGIN SIDEBAR SECTION-->
<span class="sidebar">
<td width="25%" height="141">Desksets<br>
...etc...

This won't work because of the inheritance...first you're applying your table tag (with its corresponding CSS properties), followed by your Sidebar class, and THEN your TD styles are being applied with that tag. You even apply a paragraph tag later on that adds still more CSS definition to the text.

You could fix it like this:

<tr>

<!--BEGIN SIDEBAR SECTION-->

<td width="25%" height="141">
<span class="sidebar">
Desksets<br>
...etc...

Or even by potentially reworking your CSS to allow this:

<tr>

<!--BEGIN SIDEBAR SECTION-->

<td width="25%" height="141" class="sidebar">
Desksets<br>
...etc...

Personally, I'd use the last option.

[GregD]

13. We got on IM last night and did exactly that

It's all good now