One solution is to use your server-side programming to dynamically generate the CSS file. This way you can control all sorts of things in your layout and look-and-feel relative to your database queries.
In your case, for your column of links, write an IF/ELSE statement based on the record count. This code would be in the file that generates the CSS file that is sent to the browser. Such as "site_styles.cfm or .php or .asp, or ..." which generates site_styles.css IF #record count# > x [css for one column width] ELSE [css for two columns] The downside to this approach is that your CSS file is regenerated and transmitted with EVERY call from the browser. A workaround to "this problem" would be to use inline CSS in the page that contains the link-list column(s). This way you're not regenerating the entire CSS file, just the particular code (selectors and rules) that pertain to a specific area of your page. This, of course, generates the dreaded future maintenance problem(s)--you now can't go to one place to maintain your CSS, it is now distributed throughout the site code/pages. Dan K -----Original Message----- From: css-d-boun...@lists.css-discuss.org [mailto:css-d-boun...@lists.css-discuss.org] On Behalf Of Colin (Sandy) Pittendrigh Sent: Sunday, October 09, 2011 7:22 AM To: css-d@lists.css-discuss.org Subject: [css-d] dynamic CSS strategies This is a CSS discussion list. So programming issues are not on topic here. But if I keep my dynamic CSS question abstract enough I don't see why it isn't a CSS issue as much as anything else. Let's say my content management system is currently using a three column layout, where a left side column of links is usually defined as 16% of available width. However, if it turns out the current page has a larger than normal number of navigation links, I could (somehow) set the navigation column width to 25% so it could contain two vertical rows of clickable links, rather than one vertical column. What is the best way to do this? My CMS codes could calculate the number of needed links before generating any output, and then choose from any one of several hard-coded CSS files depending on the total link count. Or I could manipulate the browser's CSS on the fly with Javascript and the DOM tree (which used to be a browser-sniffing nightmare, the last time I tried it). Are there any alternate strategies I'm not aware of.....simply because I'm an amateur hacker and not a well-educated professional? -- /* Colin (Sandy) Pittendrigh >--oO0> Have code will travel */ ______________________________________________________________________ css-discuss [css-d@lists.css-discuss.org] http://www.css-discuss.org/mailman/listinfo/css-d List wiki/FAQ -- http://css-discuss.incutio.com/ List policies -- http://css-discuss.org/policies.html Supported by evolt.org -- http://www.evolt.org/help_support_evolt/ ______________________________________________________________________ css-discuss [css-d@lists.css-discuss.org] http://www.css-discuss.org/mailman/listinfo/css-d List wiki/FAQ -- http://css-discuss.incutio.com/ List policies -- http://css-discuss.org/policies.html Supported by evolt.org -- http://www.evolt.org/help_support_evolt/
