Taming the Web with Style: An Overview of Recent Advances in Enabling Presentation Technologies for the Web

Cynthia J. O'Connell web site design and implementation-21 January, 1999

Abstract:

In May, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) released the specification for Cascading Style Sheets, Level 2 (CSS2) as a Recommendation. Applicable to both HTML and XML documents, CSS2 facilitates maintainability of web sites while reducing the need for server-side programming and tedious graphic layout tricks. In addition, it paves the way for increased accessibility by allowing designers to target multiple media types, including the printed page and automatic web readers for the visually impaired.

As the major browsers are implementing CSS2, they are also further exposing the document object to scripting. Web pages can change dynamically based on user interaction, and simple animations that move across the entire screen become feasible, all with minimal client-side programming effort.

This presentation provides a overview of these advances, with a view to what's possible now and what the future may hold in store.

Speaker Biography:

Ms. O'Connell is an independent consultant who has been working with the Web since 1993. In addition, she has been key to the development of commercial software products as diverse as a Unix/PC office suite and a mainframe-based DBMS/inventory control system. She co-founded a software consulting company, and served as a Product Operations VP for an international computer company. She is currently serving as chair of the Professional Development Committee of the Washington, DC Chapter ACM. She holds a BSAD from MIT, where she worked under the direction of Nicholas Negroponte in what is now known as the Media Lab.

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For pre-talk questions contact:
Cynthia J. O'Connell-- web site design and implementation
cjo@alum.mit.edu
https://www.access.digex.net/~cjo
703-478-9646 voice
703-742-9723 fax (by prior arrangement)