Thx Craig. --- In JSF 1.0/1.1 it is pretty much OK, but there are interoperability issues trying to put <div> elements inside another JSF component. Most of those issues have been dealt with in JSF 1.2. However, even there you're *much* better off designing components that render the <div> elements for you, so you don't have to deal with all the complexity. ---
What if your <div> tags are simply being used for the style and layout of labels and fields within a form or for the formatting and display of textual information? There are cases where it's just a one time deal for a specific app and it is not a custom component. Is it good practice to use <div> tags in that instance? Mike --- Craig McClanahan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On 11/14/05, Mike Duffy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > There is a difference between specifying CSS attributes and creating a > > liquid CSS design. The > > later involves a complete separation of style and content where a web page > > or JSP becomes a series > > of <div> tags that flow; a single style sheet can be used to change the > > look and feel of the > > entire application. In a liquid CSS design, tables are only used for > > displaying tabular data. > > > > In the "old days", complex web interfaces were based on an elaborate > > layout of tables, nested > > tables and nested tables within nested tables. In liquid CSS design, the > > creation of complex web > > interfaces is much simpler and far more elegant. If you look at a page > > created with nested tables > > and another created with liquid CSS design there is a definite aesthetic > > difference. Also, > > because <div>s are easily manipulated, rich interfaces based on AJAX are > > much easier to create > > using <div> tags. > > > > In JSF, if the layout is restricted to panel grids and panel groups, the > > design will be table > > based. In theory, the advantage of this approach is that multiple > > renderers (HTML, Swing, etc.) > > can make the application functional in different contexts. > > > Not true. You are free to create JSF components that output <div> tags with > appropriate style class names, rather than using things like panel group. > Indeed, a library of components organized around this metaphor would likely > be quite popular. > > Don't presume anything about the power of JSF from the limitations of the > standard components. They are basically there so you can write "Hello, > World" apps without having to write a JSF component first. Instead, the > promise is that you can enable different styles of component development > (including your "liquid CSS" approach) on top of a standard API that allows > us all to share our components with each other. (And a similar "liquid > JavaScript" approach might offer an even more flexible way to allow > customization of dynamically rendered HTML without modifying the source > pages at all.) > > In a JSF page, the <f:view> tag can contain <div> and other HTML tags. So in > > theory, you could > > have a JSF application that encompasses liquid CSS design. I'd like to ask > > a question of the JSF > > experts who monitor this list: Is it considered "bad form" to use <div> > > tags within the <f:view> > > tag? > > > In JSF 1.0/1.1 it is pretty much OK, but there are interoperability issues > trying to put <div> elements inside another JSF component. Most of those > issues have been dealt with in JSF 1.2. However, even there you're *much* > better off designing components that render the <div> elements for you, so > you don't have to deal with all the complexity. > > Like many of the subscribers to this list, I have been struggling with the > > decision of whether or > > not to make the jump to JSF. After reading the Geary/Hortstmann book and > > many articles > > (http://www.jamesholmes.com/JavaServerFaces/), and reviewing the work > > being done on Shale > > (http://struts.apache.org/shale/), I think it is time. The promise of JSF > > is real. > > > Yep :-). > > As someone who started out mapping form fields by using CGI and Perl, I am > > very thankful for the > > contributions made by those who created and maintained Struts. I sincerely > > hope that Struts can > > find a good home in the country where it can run and play in the warm > > sunshine. > > > > Mike > > > Craig > __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
