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Re: fixed width or resizable pages

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From: Jens Meiert
Date: Nov 9, 2004 11:36AM

Nice thread, so let's just add some detail ;)

> > Basically: a fixed layout only works on a certain size monitor
> > (see Jakob Nielsen (1999) [1]).
>
> A fixed width layout only works (properly) in a browser viewport
> that is at least as wide as the fixed width.

Not really -- if the viewport is wider, then you're about to waste valuable
space you could and /should/ use to show what you've got. I define this as
/not/ working properly, and thus I tend to defend the former argument.

> Again, throw out the whole concept of screen resolution. It's
> irrelevant.
>
> (even if it was, don't forget that more and more folks are using
> web browsing devices that are much SMALLER than 640x480...PDAs,
> Cellphones, etc.)

This doesn't matter since CSS allows you to support different media and
devices (and you ideally use CSS). So let's say you code for "screen"
(media), which allows you to take into account screen resolutions starting
at, say, 640x480 pixels.

> Though note that if 'x' = a specific number, a fixed width
> will do nothing to obtain that, as a simple changing of text
> size will completely change that variable.

Of course, but it nonetheless /makes/ a difference. Using a fixed layout you
see, say, ten words per line and then enlarge the font that there are only
eight words per line -- doing this using a liquid layout where one line uses
the entire monitor width you'll see 40 words a line then decreasing the line
length to 32 words (still too much).

(Hope this example illustrates what I meant before ;)


All the best,
Jens.


--
Jens Meiert
Interface Architect (IxD)

http://meiert.com/