When SitePoint asked me to write the fourth edition of this book, I initially thought it would take the same format of other editions—adding new techniques, removing content that had become outdated, and updating solutions to a more modern approach. As I started to work through the table of contents, however, I realized that the world of CSS had changed so much that a complete rewrite was needed.

Rather than being about cutting-edge or experimental CSS, this book demonstrates the tips, tricks, and solutions that I use every day. We’ll thoroughly investigate the world of CSS3, many of the features of which are supported by the major browsers, and look at how to make these new techniques work in older browsers.

We’ll also walk through the use of CSS for layout purposes. While the tools that we have for layout haven’t changed much in the last two years, the types of devices that we need to design websites for have changed. Our sites are being viewed on hardware ranging from smartphones to desktop screens. Responsive design aims to tackle the challenge of designing a single site that provides a great experience for all.

This anthology contains minimal theory; instead, I’ve concentrated on providing solutions that will enable you to quickly get started with a technique or solve a problem. The sections in each chapter can also act as starting points for your own experimentation and creativity. Each one is framed as a specific issue or question, accompanied by a detailed explanation to help you understand the solution and point out any related challenges or alternate approaches.

This is a really exciting time for front-end development, and I hope that this book helps you start to explore some of the features of CSS3, and find answers to CSS problems that you might have.