Layout Coding Question

[switch842]

This is probably really simple to do, but I'm really stupid about things like this.

I want to center the header menu (Previous Entries, Friends Page, etc) on the page. How do I do that? I've tried looking through the layout comm, but the one thing I found to try didn't work. It just duplicated the links "image."

I'm guessing there's a little piece of code I need to stick into my layout layer. But where? And what? A snapshot of my layer code is behind the cut. If any of you oh so lovely smart friends of mine could help, that would be awesome. Thank you!

Comments

[or-mabinogi.livejournal.com]

My head's a little fuzzy, but I'm not so sure this is the place you need to define that element. I think it ought to be in the CSS, and where exactly that is may depend on your base layout style. It's been a while since I looked at my own layout CSS, but mine doesn't have the menu across the top anyway. Does the Leverage Graphix one have it that way? I haven't looked at that one in a while either.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

Oooo. That might be kinda tricky. I don't use CSS. The one for the Leverage Graphix is centered, but it's also a different layout than what I'm using if that makes any difference.

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

I've just adapted a custom-made theme to my own by manipulating the CSS and though I had no idea what I was doing, I think I picked up enough to maybe help...

Firstly you need to find the CSS for your page. If you go into your main journal page, and right-click, and go "view page source" a window should come up full of code. Copy that whole content and then go into the customise journal options and open the Custom CSS section, then paste all that code in there.

Next I think you need to find the line that contains <*div class="header-subtitle"*> (without the * - I had to add them so the code would show up in this comment) which is right after your header image link and journal subtitle bits, and right after that enter <*center*> (again, minus the *) with no spacing. The very next bit of text is Always look on the bright side etc. So the whole thing should then look like:
<*div class="header-subtitle">

[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<center*>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

I've just adapted a custom-made theme to my own by manipulating the CSS and though I had no idea what I was doing, I think I picked up enough to maybe help...

Firstly you need to find the CSS for your page. If you go into your main journal page, and right-click, and go "view page source" a window should come up full of code. Copy that whole content and then go into the customise journal options and open the Custom CSS section, then paste all that code in there.

Next I think you need to find the line that contains <*div class="header-subtitle"*> (without the * - I had to add them so the code would show up in this comment) which is right after your header image link and journal subtitle bits, and right after that enter <*center*> (again, minus the *) with no spacing. The very next bit of text is Always look on the bright side etc. So the whole thing should then look like:
<*div class="header-subtitle"><center*>Always look on the ...

Hopefully that should work to center your menu and not screw anything else up! If it doesn't just clear out the whole CCS code and your journal should go back to what it is now.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll give that a try. *fingers crossed*

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

Ack, I identified the wrong bit of code. You want to add <*center*> (minus the *'s) directly after the bit of code that says <*DIV class="header-menu"*> so it says <*DIV class="header-menu"><*center*><*ul*><*li*><a href="http://switch842*... etc (again, remove all the *'s). THAT should work!

[switch842.livejournal.com]

OK, I did what you said, but when I click the Save Changes on the Custom CSS page it just sits there loading and then blank page of doom. It just won't save. The same thing happened the last time I tried to use CSS. It just doesn't load. ????

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

Hmm, very odd. If your style didn't support CSS then the option wouldn't be there. Maybe some of the header code isn't needed from the "page source" info but I don't know enough to work that out :o(

[switch842.livejournal.com]

Hmm. :-(

Oh, well. Guess I'll just have to make do with it as it is.

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

Well, I think it looks okay as it is, if that's any consolation?

[switch842.livejournal.com]

LOL. Yeah, it's fine. It's just me kind of being all anal and stuff. :-)

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

Bwahahaha, I can totally relate!

I've just done what I suggested to you and pasted it into a CSS tester and it came out perfect, so I'm bamboozled.

The only thing I can suggest is perhaps searching up a customised LJ layout that provides you with the base CSS and then using that to customise from, because that way you know you're changing something that started off correct. I have no idea whether my method of retrieving your CSS for your current style is correct.

I recently adapted a theme by mentahelada and it worked great, once I knew which bits of code related to what. And I was still able to use LJ's little shortcut customisations (like the links and sidebar stuff) with it.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

I did try that a few months back. Starting with a completely customized CSS. Same thing happened. You'd think if it didn't like the code or whatever, it'd give some sort of error message. *shrug* Oh, well. I'm fine with what I have.

[nikki-dichotomy.livejournal.com]

There should be a css file somewhere. The header is written out as a UL inside a div with the class="header-menu". Style that class with either margin 0px auto or with text-align:center, whichever works with the rest of this stuff.