Discuss the three categories-fixed, fluid, and elastic-of web page layouts.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Fixed, Fluid, and Elastic Layouts
Web page layouts fall into three general categories: fixed, fluid, and elastic. A fixed layout is one in which the size of the Web page and the size of the elements within it are set without regard to the screen resolution. A fluid or liquid layout defines the size of the page and its elements as a percentage of the screen width, meaning that a Web page and its elements are wider on a wider screen. Fixed layouts stay the same size regardless of screen resolution. Fluid layouts change with the screen resolution.

In general, fixed layouts are easier to set up and maintain, but they're less pleasing to the eye when viewed on wider screens. A fluid layout may be more difficult to set up initially, but it's more adaptable to a market in which users access the Web from a variety of devices and screen resolutions. Many designers use a combination of fixed and fluid page elements, enabling them to have the best of both worlds. Another approach is to use a script that queries each browser about its screen resolution and then adapts the page to that resolution.

Finally, some designers propose the use of elastic layouts, in which all measurements are expressed relative to the default font size using the em unit. If a user or the designer increases the font size, the width, height, and location of all of the other page elements, including images, change to match. Thus, images and text are always sized in proportion with each other. The disadvantage to this approach is that since sizing is based on the font size and not on the screen resolution, there is a danger that if a user sets the default font size large enough, the page will extend beyond the boundaries of the browser window.