Comments on: On Appropriate Use of DIVs, or When Divitis Doesn’t Apply http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/ I'm a web technologist interested in product and user experience design strategy with deep expertise in frontend engineering & web development. Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:25:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: It’s not Divitis « Graphicmotion’s Weblog http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/comment-page-1/#comment-87350 It’s not Divitis « Graphicmotion’s Weblog Mon, 12 Nov 2007 23:55:01 +0000 http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/#comment-87350 [...] Koechley writes eloquently on the appropriate use of DIVs. While he doesn’t come out and say it, I feel like he’s speaking about those who quickly [...] [...] Koechley writes eloquently on the appropriate use of DIVs. While he doesn’t come out and say it, I feel like he’s speaking about those who quickly [...]

]]> By: Blueprint CSS Framework vs YUI Grids « outaTiME http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/comment-page-1/#comment-83409 Blueprint CSS Framework vs YUI Grids « outaTiME Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:25:35 +0000 http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/#comment-83409 [...] the div tag and class attribute, and it is wrong to say that it’s non-semantic or classitis. Nate Koechley said it better than I [...] [...] the div tag and class attribute, and it is wrong to say that it’s non-semantic or classitis. Nate Koechley said it better than I [...]

]]> By: Foo Hack » Blueprint CSS Framework vs YUI Grids http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/comment-page-1/#comment-83349 Foo Hack » Blueprint CSS Framework vs YUI Grids Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:01:39 +0000 http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/#comment-83349 [...] the div tag and class attribute, and it is wrong to say that it’s non-semantic or classitis. Nate Koechley said it better than I [...] [...] the div tag and class attribute, and it is wrong to say that it’s non-semantic or classitis. Nate Koechley said it better than I [...]

]]> By: Tips for Coding Better CSS - Part I | Design Adaptations http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/comment-page-1/#comment-71125 Tips for Coding Better CSS - Part I | Design Adaptations Thu, 17 May 2007 21:20:31 +0000 http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/#comment-71125 [...] may have heard of the terms divitis (or classitis), and it’s a poor coding habit that befalls many beginners. Along that vein, [...] [...] may have heard of the terms divitis (or classitis), and it’s a poor coding habit that befalls many beginners. Along that vein, [...]

]]> By: Adam Platti’s Blog » Blog Archive » Nate Koechley Describes When To Use DIV Elements http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/comment-page-1/#comment-17152 Adam Platti’s Blog » Blog Archive » Nate Koechley Describes When To Use DIV Elements Wed, 20 Dec 2006 16:02:54 +0000 http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/#comment-17152 [...] Web standards advocate (and all around cool dude!) Nate Koechley describes the appropriate way to use DIVs in HTML. [...] [...] Web standards advocate (and all around cool dude!) Nate Koechley describes the appropriate way to use DIVs in HTML. [...]

]]> By: Nate k http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/comment-page-1/#comment-16566 Nate k Sat, 16 Dec 2006 23:18:55 +0000 http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/#comment-16566 If you take a 'content out' approach to your websites, it helps to place things accordingly. I dont think you can use TOO much, unless you are making divs become something they obviously aren't (or there is another element that would be better suited). As you said, its when you have divs all over the place that it is no better than a tabled layout. Give meaning to your content the best you can, and go from there. There is no penalty for using divs, just use them properly and wisely. You can take this to an extreme. As Snook said in his post, once there is more than one item you could mark everything up as a list - but that wouldn't be the best option. If you take a ‘content out’ approach to your websites, it helps to place things accordingly. I dont think you can use TOO much, unless you are making divs become something they obviously aren’t (or there is another element that would be better suited). As you said, its when you have divs all over the place that it is no better than a tabled layout. Give meaning to your content the best you can, and go from there. There is no penalty for using divs, just use them properly and wisely.

You can take this to an extreme. As Snook said in his post, once there is more than one item you could mark everything up as a list – but that wouldn’t be the best option.

]]> By: Wayne Smallman http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/comment-page-1/#comment-16489 Wayne Smallman Sat, 16 Dec 2006 10:51:25 +0000 http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/#comment-16489 I got a new client and took charge of their website, taking over from a much bigger design agency. Most of the web pages were in regular HTML with a smattering of ASP. Nested tables were used extensively for the layout of the pages. The client was happy for me to go ahead and update these pages to something more standards compliant. The client knew enough for that knowledge to be a hazard. She pointed out that some of the web pages had been updated, and asked why they might need updating. Her logic was sound; why, if those web pages had been made 'standards-compliant', would they need an update? Principally because those pages were a morass of DIV tags used as if they were going out of fashion. Standards compliant? Yes! Used judiciously? Err, no... I got a new client and took charge of their website, taking over from a much bigger design agency.

Most of the web pages were in regular HTML with a smattering of ASP. Nested tables were used extensively for the layout of the pages.

The client was happy for me to go ahead and update these pages to something more standards compliant.

The client knew enough for that knowledge to be a hazard. She pointed out that some of the web pages had been updated, and asked why they might need updating.

Her logic was sound; why, if those web pages had been made ’standards-compliant’, would they need an update? Principally because those pages were a morass of DIV tags used as if they were going out of fashion.

Standards compliant? Yes! Used judiciously? Err, no…

]]> By: Nate Koechley http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/comment-page-1/#comment-16419 Nate Koechley Fri, 15 Dec 2006 23:03:53 +0000 http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/#comment-16419 Hey Ed, Thanks, it's been a long time coming for me too. This is actually part one (I hope); I needed to publish this so I could link to it in a forthcoming post. Thanks, Nate Hey Ed,

Thanks, it’s been a long time coming for me too. This is actually part one (I hope); I needed to publish this so I could link to it in a forthcoming post.

Thanks,
Nate

]]> By: Ed Eliot http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/comment-page-1/#comment-16411 Ed Eliot Fri, 15 Dec 2006 22:10:34 +0000 http://nate.koechley.com/blog/2006/12/15/divitis_and_correct_div_usage/#comment-16411 This is something I've repeatedly wanted to write but have never quite found the right words. Well said Nate. This is something I’ve repeatedly wanted to write but have never quite found the right words. Well said Nate.

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