Going crazy w/ absolute positioning

bbwrede · Oct 28, 2003

Hi, I need help figuring out the vb.net IDE. I am taking over an aspx w/ vb code behind project and I don't understand how to edit the form. When I try to add a label or anything the label jumps to the top left of the page and if I try to cursor down the label jumps to the bottom of the page. Everything is absolute positioned so it will be hard for me to add what I need to in the code.

Any suggestions? Any books or online reference suggestions.

Thanks,
Barb

Isadore · Oct 28, 2003

Barb -
As far as I know, absolute positioning works fine, you just have to add the following to each object, for example, if you have a text box:

<asp:Textbox id="lblTest" runat="server"/>

...and you want it located at such and such location, simply add:

style="Z-INDEX: 101; LEFT: 393; POSITION: absolute; TOP: 420"

resulting in:

<asp:Textbox id="lblTest" runat="server" style="Z-INDEX: 101; LEFT: 393; POSITION: absolute; TOP: 420"/>

...in which the object is placed at Left:393 and down from the Top at 420.

Otherwise, strip out some or all of the absolute positioning statements, add a table (with 0 border) and align via horz/vert alighment techiques.

Either way seems to work just fine. I have never had any problems with absolute positioning. If you just add the style statement and the coordinates, it'll go where you say.

To edit? Use Notepad to open the aspx page. You can edit just fine there.

BoulderBum · Oct 28, 2003

Change the Documents's pageLayout property from FlowLayout to GridLayout. The absolute positioning will be automatically added for you.

Isadore · Oct 28, 2003

Boulder -

Good point. In Visual Studio it is automatic, and can save you a lot of time.

jgillin · Oct 28, 2003

BTW, you don't need to use absolute positioning. I use a combination of dreamweaver and Visual Studio. I create all of the tables in dreamweaver and then paste into VS (and remove MS_Positioning attribute of <body> tag

Isadore · Oct 29, 2003

jg --

Good point. I try to avoid absolute positioning, favoring instead the alignment of objects within table cells setting the border to zero, and centering, etc... within each table cell.

BoulderBum · Oct 29, 2003

You can do that in VS.NET too, but I dig the grid positioning in many cases! It can be sooo frustrating and time consuming dealing with the auto-alignment stuff of pages and tables, and it's convenient to just drag a control where you want it and forget about it.

Isadore · Oct 29, 2003

I hear ya Boulder, can go either way; and the absolute positioning is great, and saves lots of time, and is neat, etc.. Not sure if there are any "browser" limitations to same. Keeps object in certain location etc.

The reason I prefer table cells (and yes, sometimes it can be a pain) is I like the "fluidness" of the page, i.e., ability to flow with page size, etc.. Also, when "text" size is changed, table cells "open up" and allows "breathing space" for letters. I tend to get overlap in those situaitons.

Its a 50:50, perhaps with more siding with absolute positioning (not that I don't use it) -

bbwrede · Oct 30, 2003

Thanks everyone for all thel help.

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Going crazy w/ absolute positioning

bbwrede

Programmer

Isadore

Technical User

BoulderBum

Programmer

Isadore

Technical User

jgillin

Programmer

Isadore

Technical User

BoulderBum

Programmer

Isadore

Technical User

bbwrede

Programmer

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