[thelist] why doth i hate css? let me count the ways.

[Joshua Olson]

>  > Why not just use absolute positioning and overflow?

> > Sure, but that means I can't apply a background image, background color,
or
> > border to the div, right?  I definitely feel Chris's pain.

> > I have yet to find solid example of someone making a div the same height
as
> > it's container.  Someone, please, present an example that works on IE
5/6,
> > NS 6/7, Moz so I can rest easier.


> I'm a little confused. Can you define a bit more precisely what seems to
be
> the problem? (I'm not saying the problem doesn't exist,I just don't quite
> get what you're asking.)

Simon,

I'll try to paint an example through text.

Let's say for a moment that I want a page with a left half and a write half.
The right half is the main content area and the left half is, let's pretend,
navigation.  The right-half needs a repeated background texture, and the
left side has a background image (repeated exactly once at the top) that
fades into a solid background color which is the same color as the text
color on the right-hand side.

The left-side needs to be able to change it's width to accommodate
navigation content, as necessary.

Between the two halves is a 3px black line that extends from the top of the
page to the very bottom of the page, no matter how long the page is.

The content may be VERY much longer than the navigation, or VERY much
shorter than the navigation, naturally.

How, in the name of Zeus' Butthole (to quote a famous movie) could one pull
off this design with pure css?

It would be simple enough if I could specify, somehow, that both the
right-hand panel and the left-hand panel are the same height as their
container, which should be the body.

With tables this design is a no-brainer.... one table, 100% height, spacer
column between the navigation and content cells, etc.  Too easy.  But with
css... I don't know if it's possible.

Thoughts?

<><><><><><><><><><>
Joshua Olson
Web Application Engineer
WAE Tech Inc.
http://www.waetech.com
706.210.0168