Web design course requires use of deprecated HTML

[atomicbartbeans]

Anyone else run into this? I'm taking a class that's required for my major - it's an introduction to XHTML, CSS, and some basic behavioral things. Our first assignment though, lists the required elements we need to incorporate in the one-page XHTML (no style sheet) web site - tables, align tags, and other presentational nasties that don't belong in a structural document.

As this is my first formal design education, I feel that I'm being tainted by being introduced to old practices. :(

[curiousuburb]

Maybe the next class will be to build the same page 'properly' and compare the results. Don't tell the students... make them do and see it themselves.

Would be much more effective at illustrating clean coding practice, wouldn't it?

Maybe they're actually being clever? :p ;)

[Wyatt]

A lot of places will teach tables and such first, then move on to CSS. They tend to treat CSS as the "advanced" method, rather than the "right" method, though, IMO.

[Gargoyle]

Do the work as instructed, then include details from the W3C validator and a correct version of the document, ether using HTML 4, or without the align stuff.

[Kraetos]

As this is my first formal design education, I feel that I'm being tainted by being introduced to old practices. :(

Yeah, you probably are. There probably isn't anything you can do about it, either, without pissing someone off.

If you're comfortable with the professor, ask him why you are learning depreciated code. If you're not, slug through the course, keep up with standards on the side, and choose your next professors very carefully.

[Kraetos]

A lot of places will teach tables and such first, then move on to CSS. They tend to treat CSS as the "advanced" method, rather than the "right" method, though, IMO.

That's why Evan Goer's HTML tutorial is the best. He teaches them simultaneously, and doesn't even tell you you've been using CSS until you're already knee-deep in it. It's really old, though...

Since it's under a CC license I took it and have been modernizing it, but it's not done yet. You all will be the first to know when it is.

[Wyatt]

Do you want some help? I'm always looking for interesting side projects.

[Ryan]

I'll pitch in if you're interested as well.

[Kraetos]

What the hell, I'm in too. Should be interesting. ;)

[Gizzer]

I don't know if you are interested or not but Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML (http://www.amazon.com/Head-First-HTML-CSS-XHTML/dp/059610197X) is a fantastic book to teach the basics of CSS.

Unlike a lot of books it teaches you the right way to do things right from the start without you actually realising it. That means you never learn the bad way, you just continue to learn newer, and better ways of building upon what the previous chapter has taught.

I swear by Head First books! (So far have read the above book, Head First Java, and am currently reading Head First C#) I wish they'd write a Head First Objective C book as I just know that it'd be good enough to finally allow me start developing for the Mac.

And, no, I don't work for them :)

[Partial]

I will agree that head first books are great.