valid css?

[tom watson]

generic family as a last alternative

when validating css files i get this message, but what does it actually
mean.

 

[Steve Pugh]

generic family as a last alternative

when validating css files i get this message, but what does it actually
mean.

When you list a set of fonts you're encouraged to include a generic
option last. The generic options are:
serif
sans-serif
monospace
cursive
fantasy

These are not specific fonts but are generic labels for broad
categories of fonts. If the browser doesn't have access to any of the
named fonts you have specified then it will use the generic option to
pick a font from of the same general type.

However, there are some problems with the generic options. Old
versions of IE ahd a bug whereby the generic serif was screwed up, and
even the latest versions of IE don't give the user the option to pick
which font is the generic fallback for each option (and the defaults
are often quite poor). Hence some people recommend not using these
generic options at all.

This is a warning from the validator, not an error.

Steve

 

[David Dorward]

generic family as a last alternative

when validating css files i get this message, but what does it actually
mean.

http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS2/fonts.html#generic-font-families

 

[Nick Theodorakis]

generic family as a last alternative

when validating css files i get this message, but what does it actually
mean.

Unfortunately, this warning is considered by many to be bogus (check
the archives of this group and c.i.w.a.s.). In any case, there is
nothing wrong with not offering a generic family as an alternative.

Nick