Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

CSS CSS Layout Basics CSS Layout Project Creating and Styling the Layout Containers

Posted by Marco Toniato
Marco Toniato
9,422 Points

changing HTML code as a designer

I have a more general question about what Guil did right at the beginning of the video: he inserted a <div class="container"> for styling purposes and then used it.

Let's say, for example, that this is a "real world scenario": you get tasked, like Guil tasked us, with styling a webpage. You get your HTML code and all that, then you do your work on the CSS and the ball then goes to the Front End Developer who handles the JS and PHP, or more in general, the FUNCTIONAL part of the page.

Well, the question is: in the "real world" how free are you, generally speaking, to change the HTML as a web designer? Can you legitimately consider it "your turf" and make as many changes as necessary for styling purposes, or you should avoid making many changes, or you should avoid making ANY changes to the HTML in a page (provided you don't write it yourself, that is)?

Now, I know the answer to this question may wildly change depending on working practices, but is there an accepted standard somewhere?

How should changing the HTML on a page to suit styling needs rank in my development choices?

Or rather, how high does it rank in yours?

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,261 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,261 Points

These limits will be specified in the job. Chances are, if you are in a position where you are tasked to make changes, you'll be able to change anything necessary to achieve the result. This would include changing the HTML where the objective cannot be obtained purely by CSS (or would require significantly greater effort).

If you cannot change the HTML (perhaps because it's maintained by another department or even a third party), you'll know going into the task (or the job).