Resolution dependent layout
 

(this a long-term discussion as well as suggestion, to help webmasters cater to a variety of visitors viewing requirements)

With the wide variety of screen sizes available today, as well as the huge number of older pc's running on whatever works and still works, I am compelled to open this thread to discuss as well as a developmental suggestion to vB, methodology for future enhancement to the vB product-line ability to assemble code that complies with both: 1 - fixed screen width styles, and 2 - multiple variations of such supporting multiple screen size potentials, automatically.



For my example:

I no longer support 800x600 on my site, but I strive to support the smallest possible common screen size, as well as of course, the variety of large screen resolutions when browsers are maximized. (and all points in-between)


Now I have found the best way to control the style layout is with a fixed width format in my styles.

But I have also desired and implemented for my forums a background image solely for esthetics.

In this effort I ultimatly ended up using a bg image size that meets the largest typical screen size.

This presents two problems.

1 - The bg file could be quite hefty as far as page weight concerns.

2 - Smaller resolutions dont see/dont need this extra page weight in their browsing experience.


So it occured to me and has been demonstrated in my findings on the web, potential for sensing screen res on pageload either thru cookie readbacks (already available with vB cookies) or javascript (could be combined into current pageload javascripts), that would direct the style loading to one of a few setup by the forum admin in ACP that was setup prior for this purpose. I can easily make a few child-styles to follow this concession.

In my example, so I may load a cropped bg image of smaller filesize to accomidate the fastest pageload possible for that particular visitor, as well as different fixedwidth attributes in stylevars to accomidate smaller/larger viewing reducing wasted real estate on page views.



Your thoughts appreciated as a whole, good or bad, conceptually.