Firefox text size

squibs

I'm using CSS to implement mouseover text buttons, and using the font-size property to force them to a certain size. This can be overridden by firefox's increase text size function. Is there any way, bar making graphic buttons, to stop firefox doing this?

GoneShootin

Well the same can be done with IE, so its not just a FireFox issue.

Why would you want to do that though? Why hinder those with poor eye sight from browsing your website?

Baz_

I presume that firefox's increase text size function is there for accessibilty sake, so it forces me to beg the question why on earth would you want to mess around with peoples accessibility settings?

GoneShootin

Baz_ wrote:

why on earth would you want to mess around with peoples accessibility settings?

*snap*

Baz_

and thus, boards snap was born...

squibs

The reason I want to lock the text size down is because the buttons are a fixed width, and if the text size gets too large, then it "breaks out" of the button. I am tied to a fixed width of 800px. I am allowing the user to view the main text in their preferred size.

IE6 will ignore the different view->text size options if the text size is stated explicitly in the HTML. Boards.ie appears identical regardless of which text size I select, but it changes in firefox.

Baz_

tbh it sounds like you need to change something about your design, to say it works in internet explorer is not saying much considering ie is so **** in terms of the rendering of html

Serbian

squibs wrote:

IE6 will ignore the different view->text size options if the text size is stated explicitly in the HTML.

This is a bug in Internet Explorer. It only happens when you specify pixels as the unit. Don't mistake it for intended behaviour, because it isn't. Change the units in your stylesheet to em and try and increase the size in IE.

The only time people would increase the text size is if they can't read the text. Why would you want to prevent people from reading your text? If you go to any size that is of a fixed width and uses text for navigation, you will see that the site will eventually break when you make the text big enough. There's nothing you can do about it, and it should be a non-issue in the first place.

In short, there is no fix or solution to what you are trying to achieve. You should develop your sites in a browser that adheres to standards (i.e FireFox) and then tweak it to work in non-standard compliant / buggy browsers (i.e. er ... IE).

squibs

If you go to any size that is of a fixed width and uses text for navigation, you will see that the site will eventually break when you make the text big enough. There's nothing you can do about it, and it should be a non-issue in the first place.

It's an issue if it makes the site look really ugly.

I went fixed width because there's a logo across the top which fits in an 800 wide screen. It's a typical logo on the top, buttons down the left, content on the right type site. If I went with something that sizes to 100% of the screen width, then my logo would look daft on a screen with 1280 wide resolution. How would you handle this scenario?

I think I'm gonna do graphic buttons. They'll be quite large and the content text will be fully resizeable. I'll put ALT text in as well. Believe me - I have no desire to alienate the sight-impaired.

Serbian

squibs wrote:

It's an issue if it makes the site look really ugly.

I went fixed width because there's a logo across the top which fits in an 800 wide screen. It's a typical logo on the top, buttons down the left, content on the right type site. If I went with something that sizes to 100% of the screen width, then my logo would look daft on a screen with 1280 wide resolution. How would you handle this scenario?

I think I'm gonna do graphic buttons. They'll be quite large and the content text will be fully resizeable. I'll put ALT text in as well. Believe me - I have no desire to alienate the sight-impaired.

I would handle the scenario exactly the same. I'm sure when the text is the size that you have intended it to be, the site looks fine. That is what's most important, right? I don't know how many people on the web have problems with their sight, but undoubtedly they are the vast minority. The average web user doesn't go around resizing the text on every site they go to, so bearing this in mind, I would consider it a non-issue. I think you are over-concerned with the fact that people can resize the text. They could download the site and make it bright pink too, but only they would see it and you would never know, so do you care?

GoneShootin

Good man squibs. Its good to see web designers designing for accessibilitity. Once you start to get into the habit you will start to do it without thinking about it.

squibs

The average web user doesn't go around resizing the text on every site they go to

Actually that's a very good point. I guess I have to make sure that the page looks ok if the user has text set to "largest" in IE6, as that is a permanent setting. Firefox seems to forget it's settings and return to default if you close and re-open the browser.

Good man squibs. Its good to see web designers designing for accessibilitity. Once you start to get into the habit you will start to do it without thinking about it.

Thanks Goneshootin - I actually studied UI design with the open university a few years ago, although you'd never know it to look at my sites

kstanl

The thing that amazes me about Ireland is that there are about a million foaming-at-the-mouth standards and accessibility fascists and only a tiny handful of decent designers. Folks - no matter how much you know about Web standards and accessibility, if your designs are pigs and you haven't got a creative bone in your body, then you're not adding anymore to the Web than people who are producing spaghetti-code rubbish. :rolleyes:

Baz_

kstanl wrote:

Insert bullshít here :rolleyes:

Well said kstanl, really... well said.

kstanl

Sorry, what I meant to say was... *ahem* 'YEAH! There are loads of excellent Web Designers in Ireland. Honestly, standards and accessibility advocates and nerds who are absolutely dross designers are in the tiny minority. That's why the standard of Irish Web and Multimedia Design is so high.'

There. That should smooth things over. Forget I said anything.

Baz_

kstanl wrote:

well taken

Talliesin

Serbian wrote:

This is a bug in Internet Explorer. It only happens when you specify pixels as the unit. Don't mistake it for intended behaviour, because it isn't.

It is intended behaviour, but it's bad intended behaviour - it's not a bug per se, but a design flaw. Same as the way a page design that breaks when users change the font-size isn't buggy, just badly designed.