[LINK] Re: RFI: Unprintability of Web-Page (AUSCERT#20064d781)

[Tom Worthington]

At 06:25 PM 10/26/2006, Roger Clarke wrote:
>... At 6:12 PM +1000 26/10/06, AusCERT wrote:
>>... I get the same problem ... if I try to print the 'regular' 
>>version, but not if I print the 'printable' version. ...

There is an error in the coding of the print style sheet 
<http://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/__data/assets/text_file/3748/print.css>. 
If fixed there would be no need for the "printable" version of the page.

The problem is in the line:

         #nav, #nav-container, #header, #main { visibility: hidden; 
display: none; }

The "#main" shouldn't be there, as this tells the browser not to 
display the page's contents.

Web pages have this "alternate" style sheet feature so the layout of 
the page can be changed automatically when the user selects "print". 
This can be used to suppress navigation features not needed when 
printing, change the background color to white, remove irrelevant 
images and the like.

More on this in my lecture notes at 
<http://www.tomw.net.au/2006/wd/index.shtml#udf>.

>DCITA operates this site, so I've reported this to them for resolution.

DCITA's web designers may need a remedial CSS course.  ;-)



Tom Worthington FACS HLM tom.worthington at tomw.net.au Ph: 0419 496150
Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd            ABN: 17 088 714 309
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617                http://www.tomw.net.au/
Director, ACS Communications Tech Board   http://www.acs.org.au/ctb/
Visiting Fellow, ANU      Blog: http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/atom.xml