HTML - Why does font-style not work when used in the <BODY> tag?

10-29-2003, 01:29 AM

I am trying to make all the text on some of my pages smaller using CSS.
What I did was put an inline style setting in the <BODY> tag, as follows:

<body STYLE="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif; font-size:
smaller">

Now, the "font-family" portion works just fine; all my text is Arial,
instead of my system default (Times New Roman). However, no matter what I
set "font-size" to, the font size is unaffected. I have tried smaller,
small, x-small, and xx-smaller. Nothing works.

Obviously I am not doing something right. Can someone enlighten me?

-Josh

Joshua Beall

10-29-2003, 02:38 AM

"Joshua Beall" <> wrote in message
news:iKEnb.1339$...
> I am trying to make all the text on some of my pages smaller using CSS.

Why? Why not just use the user settings in your browser to make the text
smaller. That way the text will be "normal" size for everybody else.

> What I did was put an inline style setting in the <BODY> tag, as follows:
>
> <body STYLE="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif; font-size:
> smaller">
>
> Now, the "font-family" portion works just fine; all my text is Arial,
> instead of my system default (Times New Roman). However, no matter what I
> set "font-size" to, the font size is unaffected. I have tried smaller,
> small, x-small, and xx-smaller. Nothing works.

A wild guess: You have also used tables to layout your page. Some browsers
do not inherit font size into table cells correctly. Use:

body, td {...}

and don't use those things, use percentages and nothing below 100 of them
except perhaps for a copyright notice which you want to make unreadable.

Cheers
Richard.

10-29-2003, 06:58 AM

"Joshua Beall" <> wrote in message
news:iKEnb.1339$...
> I am trying to make all the text on some of my pages smaller using
CSS.
> What I did was put an inline style setting in the <BODY> tag, as
follows:
>
> <body STYLE="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif; font-size:
> smaller">
>
> Now, the "font-family" portion works just fine; all my text is Arial,
> instead of my system default (Times New Roman). However, no matter
what I
> set "font-size" to, the font size is unaffected. I have tried
smaller,
> small, x-small, and xx-smaller. Nothing works.
>
> Obviously I am not doing something right. Can someone enlighten me?
>
> -Josh
>
Have you tried specifying an actual size in pixcels? e.g.:
.......font-size:20px;

Paul

10-29-2003, 08:06 AM

Paul Aitch wrote:

> Have you tried specifying an actual size in pixcels? e.g.:
> ......font-size:20px;

Argh. Dear. Me. Please. No.

I'm yet to see a browser which actually gets pixels right (in CSS terms),
and preventing a user from resizing their text (OK OK, its their own fault
for using Microsoft's excuse for a browser, but lots of people make that
mistake) isn't a good idea.

--
David Dorward http://dorward.me.uk/

10-29-2003, 10:33 AM

On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 01:29:50 GMT, "Joshua Beall" <> wrote:

: <body STYLE="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif; font-size:
: smaller">
:
: Now, the "font-family" portion works just fine; all my text is Arial,
: instead of my system default (Times New Roman). However, no matter what I
: set "font-size" to, the font size is unaffected. I have tried smaller,
: small, x-small, and xx-smaller. Nothing works.
:
: Obviously I am not doing something right. Can someone enlighten me?

Have you got tables? then you need to specify
body, td {... }

Problem with inheritance.

URL?

Sid

10-29-2003, 12:28 PM

"Joshua Beall" <> wrote in message
news:iKEnb.1339$...
> I am trying to make all the text on some of my pages smaller using CSS.
> What I did was put an inline style setting in the <BODY> tag, as follows:
>
> <body STYLE="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif; font-size:
> smaller">
>
> Now, the "font-family" portion works just fine; all my text is Arial,
> instead of my system default (Times New Roman). However, no matter what I
> set "font-size" to, the font size is unaffected. I have tried smaller,
> small, x-small, and xx-smaller. Nothing works.
>
> Obviously I am not doing something right. Can someone enlighten me?
>
> -Josh
Hi
Is that a comma after Sans Serif?
It should be a semi-colon
HTH
David

10-29-2003, 01:26 PM

"rf" <> wrote in message
news:AKFnb.169218$...
> Some browsers do not inherit font size into table cells correctly.

Is this a bug, or does the W3C spec make this an acceptable behaviour?

-jb

10-29-2003, 04:34 PM

Gazing into my crystal ball I observed "Joshua Beall" <>
writing in news:5ePnb.27581$:

> "rf" <> wrote in message
> news:AKFnb.169218$...
>> Some browsers do not inherit font size into table cells correctly.
>
> Is this a bug, or does the W3C spec make this an acceptable behaviour?
>
> -jb
>
>
>

The W3C makes recommendations only.

--
Adrienne Boswell
Please respond to the group so others can share
http://www.arbpen.com

10-29-2003, 06:33 PM

Joshua Beall wrote:

> "rf" <> wrote in message
> news:AKFnb.169218$...
>> Some browsers do not inherit font size into table cells correctly.
>
> Is this a bug, or does the W3C spec make this an acceptable behaviour?

Bug.

--
Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS
Contact Me - http://www.goddamn.co.uk/tobyink/?id=132

10-29-2003, 06:35 PM

Joshua Beall wrote:

> <body STYLE="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif; font-size:
> smaller">

Note: Sans Serif should be "Sans Serif". You're not allowed to use font
names with spaces in them, unless you put quote marks around them.

Or perhaps you meant sans-serif (lower case, with a hyphen) which requests
that the browser uses its default sans serif font.

--
Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS
Contact Me - http://www.goddamn.co.uk/tobyink/?id=132

10-29-2003, 02:38 AM	#2
rf Posts: n/a	Re: Why does font-style not work when used in the <BODY> tag? "Joshua Beall" <> wrote in message news:iKEnb.1339$... > I am trying to make all the text on some of my pages smaller using CSS. Why? Why not just use the user settings in your browser to make the text smaller. That way the text will be "normal" size for everybody else. > What I did was put an inline style setting in the <BODY> tag, as follows: > > <body STYLE="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif; font-size: > smaller"> > > Now, the "font-family" portion works just fine; all my text is Arial, > instead of my system default (Times New Roman). However, no matter what I > set "font-size" to, the font size is unaffected. I have tried smaller, > small, x-small, and xx-smaller. Nothing works. A wild guess: You have also used tables to layout your page. Some browsers do not inherit font size into table cells correctly. Use: body, td {...} and don't use those things, use percentages and nothing below 100 of them except perhaps for a copyright notice which you want to make unreadable. Cheers Richard.

10-29-2003, 06:58 AM	#3
Paul Aitch Posts: n/a	Re: Why does font-style not work when used in the <BODY> tag? "Joshua Beall" <> wrote in message news:iKEnb.1339$... > I am trying to make all the text on some of my pages smaller using CSS. > What I did was put an inline style setting in the <BODY> tag, as follows: > > <body STYLE="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif; font-size: > smaller"> > > Now, the "font-family" portion works just fine; all my text is Arial, > instead of my system default (Times New Roman). However, no matter what I > set "font-size" to, the font size is unaffected. I have tried smaller, > small, x-small, and xx-smaller. Nothing works. > > Obviously I am not doing something right. Can someone enlighten me? > > -Josh > Have you tried specifying an actual size in pixcels? e.g.: .......font-size:20px; Paul

10-29-2003, 08:06 AM	#4
David Dorward Posts: n/a	Re: Why does font-style not work when used in the <BODY> tag? Paul Aitch wrote: > Have you tried specifying an actual size in pixcels? e.g.: > ......font-size:20px; Argh. Dear. Me. Please. No. I'm yet to see a browser which actually gets pixels right (in CSS terms), and preventing a user from resizing their text (OK OK, its their own fault for using Microsoft's excuse for a browser, but lots of people make that mistake) isn't a good idea. -- David Dorward http://dorward.me.uk/

10-29-2003, 10:33 AM	#5
Sid Ismail Posts: n/a	Re: Why does font-style not work when used in the <BODY> tag? On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 01:29:50 GMT, "Joshua Beall" <> wrote: : <body STYLE="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif; font-size: : smaller"> : : Now, the "font-family" portion works just fine; all my text is Arial, : instead of my system default (Times New Roman). However, no matter what I : set "font-size" to, the font size is unaffected. I have tried smaller, : small, x-small, and xx-smaller. Nothing works. : : Obviously I am not doing something right. Can someone enlighten me? Have you got tables? then you need to specify body, td {... } Problem with inheritance. URL? Sid

10-29-2003, 12:28 PM	#6
David Graham Posts: n/a	Re: Why does font-style not work when used in the <BODY> tag? "Joshua Beall" <> wrote in message news:iKEnb.1339$... > I am trying to make all the text on some of my pages smaller using CSS. > What I did was put an inline style setting in the <BODY> tag, as follows: > > <body STYLE="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif; font-size: > smaller"> > > Now, the "font-family" portion works just fine; all my text is Arial, > instead of my system default (Times New Roman). However, no matter what I > set "font-size" to, the font size is unaffected. I have tried smaller, > small, x-small, and xx-smaller. Nothing works. > > Obviously I am not doing something right. Can someone enlighten me? > > -Josh Hi Is that a comma after Sans Serif? It should be a semi-colon HTH David

10-29-2003, 01:29 AM	#1
	Why does font-style not work when used in the <BODY> tag? I am trying to make all the text on some of my pages smaller using CSS. What I did was put an inline style setting in the <BODY> tag, as follows: <body STYLE="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif; font-size: smaller"> Now, the "font-family" portion works just fine; all my text is Arial, instead of my system default (Times New Roman). However, no matter what I set "font-size" to, the font size is unaffected. I have tried smaller, small, x-small, and xx-smaller. Nothing works. Obviously I am not doing something right. Can someone enlighten me? -Josh Joshua Beall

10-29-2003, 01:26 PM	#7
Joshua Beall Posts: n/a	Re: Why does font-style not work when used in the <BODY> tag? "rf" <> wrote in message news:AKFnb.169218$... > Some browsers do not inherit font size into table cells correctly. Is this a bug, or does the W3C spec make this an acceptable behaviour? -jb

10-29-2003, 04:34 PM	#8
Adrienne Posts: n/a	Re: Why does font-style not work when used in the <BODY> tag? Gazing into my crystal ball I observed "Joshua Beall" <> writing in news:5ePnb.27581$: > "rf" <> wrote in message > news:AKFnb.169218$... >> Some browsers do not inherit font size into table cells correctly. > > Is this a bug, or does the W3C spec make this an acceptable behaviour? > > -jb > > > The W3C makes recommendations only. -- Adrienne Boswell Please respond to the group so others can share http://www.arbpen.com

10-29-2003, 06:33 PM	#9
Toby A Inkster Posts: n/a	Re: Why does font-style not work when used in the <BODY> tag? Joshua Beall wrote: > "rf" <> wrote in message > news:AKFnb.169218$... >> Some browsers do not inherit font size into table cells correctly. > > Is this a bug, or does the W3C spec make this an acceptable behaviour? Bug. -- Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS Contact Me - http://www.goddamn.co.uk/tobyink/?id=132

10-29-2003, 06:35 PM	#10
Toby A Inkster Posts: n/a	Re: Why does font-style not work when used in the <BODY> tag? Joshua Beall wrote: > <body STYLE="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif; font-size: > smaller"> Note: Sans Serif should be "Sans Serif". You're not allowed to use font names with spaces in them, unless you put quote marks around them. Or perhaps you meant sans-serif (lower case, with a hyphen) which requests that the browser uses its default sans serif font. -- Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS Contact Me - http://www.goddamn.co.uk/tobyink/?id=132

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