Tags for this article: css validation, doctype, html troubleshooting, html validation, web design, web design checklist, WYSIWYG editor
Most people ask some doubts on how to fix problems in the web designs. While the challenge is that, there is only one way to get the right designs but there are many ways to get the design wrong. Problems could be as simple as not being able to upload the files or as difficult as having CSS cascade that cause unexpected conflicts. However, finding out the problem is frustrating.
For the problems if you approach with the methodical methods, you will be able to do two things:
The working aspects should be removed
You have to focus to the areas that are not working.
Ignoring some steps especially the first steps would be tempting. However, you would be surprised to see how many problems would be caused due to the misspelling of a file name. When you are facing the problem, it is always recommended to go through all the steps on the checklist. By verifying the checklist, you can remove what would be the possible error instead of being caught up in the testing process.
Web Design Checklist
Are the files that are related uploaded?
The URL of the relevant file should be pasted in the browser and ensure that it doesn’t get 404 errors. This includes The CSS, The HTML, External JavaScripts, The Images and other external files.
Are the correct URLs used for the files?
If your webpage is not been displayed, go to your host service provider and make sure that there is correct URL. The files linked with HTML, ensure that you refer the exact URL browsed to in first step.
Does your HTML validate?
HTML validator can solve many problems. It is not so important to have valid HTML but if you have valid HTML, you can make sure that it is not causing any problem.
Does your CSS validate?
Just like HTML validation, validating CSS can eliminate the cause of the problems.
Is your page cached?
Many problems will be caused due to Web Caches. If you make any changes in your WebPages will not be displayed. It is easy to clear the caches.
Are you editing the CSS file or correct file?
It is easy to edit and upload the files with same name stored in different directories.
CSS and many other web servers are case sensitive
When you are building a site on the windows machine and uploading the pages to the Linux or UNIX server should be done carefully at filenames on the server, if the HTML references are in lowercase and if the filenames are in upper case, they do not work.
Did you use DOCTYPE or included on at all?
Most of the modern browsers have the quirks mode and this is the mode when the browser enters when the HTML documents do not have DOCTYPE.
Check whether your pages are in the multiple web browsers
It will be always tempting to build the webpage and check whether it is in the favourite browser and it will be worse if it is on the WYSIWYG editor.