Changing the Design of a Page for Wireless Devices with the Handheld Media Type
by heela · in General Discussion · 03/27/2009 (7:57 am) · 0 replies
If you haven't already started thinking about how your Web pages look on cell phones and other small devices, now, with the advent and popularity of the iPhone, Treo, and Blackberry, you may want to reconsider. It would be great if we didn't have to do anything to our Web pages to have them viable on cell phones, but until some science fiction device comes true allowing us to view 1024x768 sized images on 320x160 screens, we're going to need to cope.
Website Design CA need to use the link method to attach your style sheets, as wireless devices don't have to download those style sheets they don't need (in other words, the screen and print ones). Plus, many built-in browsers on cell phones don't support the @media and @import methods of loading style sheets.
The user-agent knows what type of media it can display, and will download and use the style sheet for that appropriate media type. For example, computer screens use "screen", print uses "print", and wireless handheld devices use "handheld".
Some wireless devices refuse to use the "handheld" media type, and instead display Web pages using the "screen" media type. Others ignore both style media types, so you might want to include a very basic style sheet at the top for "all" media types. And finally, some cell phones strip out all style information completely, leaving a page that is very simple.
The browser wars continue, and the casualties are the Web designers (and the customers). My recommendation? Do what you can, and use the handheld media type to style for wireless devices. If you're feeling really ambitious, write to the manufacturers with cell phones that don't comply and complain.
Website Design CA need to use the link method to attach your style sheets, as wireless devices don't have to download those style sheets they don't need (in other words, the screen and print ones). Plus, many built-in browsers on cell phones don't support the @media and @import methods of loading style sheets.
The user-agent knows what type of media it can display, and will download and use the style sheet for that appropriate media type. For example, computer screens use "screen", print uses "print", and wireless handheld devices use "handheld".
Some wireless devices refuse to use the "handheld" media type, and instead display Web pages using the "screen" media type. Others ignore both style media types, so you might want to include a very basic style sheet at the top for "all" media types. And finally, some cell phones strip out all style information completely, leaving a page that is very simple.
The browser wars continue, and the casualties are the Web designers (and the customers). My recommendation? Do what you can, and use the handheld media type to style for wireless devices. If you're feeling really ambitious, write to the manufacturers with cell phones that don't comply and complain.
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