Book excerpt: HTML and CSS remain the linchpin of the Web. Every beginning web developer needs to understand them thoroughly -- including the latest advances in these standards, and the newest techniques based on them. For decades, web professionals have turned to HTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide as the fastest and most practical way to gain that understanding. Now, this full-color guide has been thoroughly updated by a new author who's taught thousands of beginning web developers. Joe Casabona combines expert introductions to the latest HTML and CSS technologies, new examples and projects, and extensive online video content for a true multi-modal learning experience. Combining definitive reference information with hands-on tutorials, Casabona helps aspiring and current web professionals gain deep mastery of HTML and CSS separately, together, and in the broader context of the overall web project and lifecycle. Drawing on his extensive teaching experience, Casabona offers well-honed explanations that learners will understand, whether they're working on their own or in classroom environments. From the basics to advanced techniques, he guides you through: Designing, structuring, and formatting sites Using images, links, styles, tables, forms Adding media, visual effects, and animations Using CSS to gain full control over elements, fonts, colors, and layouts Making the most of sophisticated HTML5 and CSS3 capabilities Applying modern best practices for ensuring accessibility and responsiveness, and building high-performance progressive web apps Effectively testing, debugging, and publishing sites and applications Exploring leading JavaScript libraries and build tools for more advanced web development