Webops: CSS Overview

The UW Web Common Look and Feel (CLF) is achieved via two components: the Dreamweaver template, and the central set of Cascading Style Sheets.

The differing areas on the web page are formatted as HTML "DIVs". The central CSS provides the formatting for these DIVs. Not everyone will create and maintain their CLF web site via a Dreamweaver template. But no matter what technique is used to manage a CLF web site, it is essential that the naming convention for the DIVs be maintained.

It is not intended that anyone copy these style sheets to their own web servers; the style sheets should be accessed from the central server. That speeds up processing as a reader moves from one web site to another, because the style sheets are cached. But more important, it means that major changes to the look and feel of the UW web space can be attained by simply changing the central CSS, with little or no effort required by web site maintainers.

It is possible to change some of the formatting provided by the central CSS via the creation of your own site's customized CSS.