CSS - Centering But Not Quite, Question

I will preface this with the fact I am a newbie with CSS.

Site location - I would tell you where site was but against rules!

Question - site looks OK on everything except IE6 and lower. The body should be centered under the header image however it is pushed/alligned left. The CSS is below.

Can anyone see why this is happening and what a good fix would be?

Thanks

/* CSS Document */

body{
padding:0;
margin:0;}
form, div, p , ul, span, h2, h3, h4, h1,input, img{
padding:0;
margin:0;}
p{
color:#3D3B45;
font: 12px/normal Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif}
ul{
list-style-type:none
}
img {
border:none;
}
.spacer{
font-size:0; line-height:0; clear:both;
}
/*---------------header-------------------------------*/
#main{
width:780px;
margin:0 auto 0 auto;
background:#FFFCEC;
}

#main #header{
width:780px;
height:175px;
background:#FFFCEC url(images/header.jpg) no-repeat 0 5px;
position:relative;
}

#header a.title{
position:absolute;
left:23px;
top:37px;
width:228px;
height:25px;
display:block;
}
#header h1.title a{
display:block; text-decoration:none;
}
#header ul.nav{
position:absolute;
left:566px;
top:5px;
background:url(images/nav.gif repeat-x 0 0 #FFFEE4;
width:213px;
padding:0px 0 18px 0;
margin:0;
}
#header ul.nav li{
background:url(images/h_line.gif) repeat-x left bottom;
font:bold 11px/normal Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Tahoma;
color:#484848;
width:197px;
padding:5px 0 5px 0;
}
#header ul.nav li a{
background:url(images/arrow.gif) no-repeat 0 5px;
margin:0 0 0 15px;
font:bold 11px/normal Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Tahoma;
color:#484848;
text-decoration:none;
padding:0 0 0 15px;
}
#header ul.nav li a:hover{
color:#000000;
}
/*------body-------*/
#main #left{
background:url(images/v_line.gif) repeat-y right top;
width:543px;
margin:0 0 0 0;
padding:15px 0px 0px 23px;
float:left;
}

#left h2.contact{
background:url(images/contact_wp.gif) no-repeat 0 0;
width:518px;
height:16px;
text-indent:-200000px;
}

#left h2.survty{
background:url(images/survty.gif) no-repeat 0 0;
width:518px;
height:32px;
text-indent:-200000px;
}

#left h2.welcome{
background:url(images/welcome_to_wp.gif) no-repeat 0 0;
width:518px;
height:35px;
text-indent:-200000px;
}

#left p.weltxt{
font: 12px/normal Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
color:#3D3B45;
text-align:justify;
width:518px;
margin:0px 0 0 0;
}
#left p.weltxtsp{
font: 12px/normal Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
color:#3D3B45;
text-align:justify;
width:518px;
margin:16px 10px 10px 0;
}

#left p.headingtext{
font: 12px/normal Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
color:#3D3B45;
text-align:justify;
width:518px;
margin:10px 0px 10px 0;
}

#left p.weltxt a.more{
float:right;
padding:25px 0 21px 0;
color:#3D3B45;
text-decoration:none;
font-weight:bold;
}
#left p.weltxt a:hover{
color:#990000;
text-decoration:underline;
}
#left h2.rest{
background: url(images/catering.gif) no-repeat 0 0;
width:516px;
height:29px;
line-height:0;
font-size:0;
margin:20px 0 0 0;
text-indent:-200000px;
clear:both;
}
#left div.menu{
background:url(images/menu_bg.gif) repeat-x 0 0;
width:516px;
height:123px;
padding:11px 0 0 7px;
}
#left div.menu ul.brown{
float:left;
width:94px;
margin:0 8px 30px 0;
display:block;
}
ul.brown li{
background:url(images/brown.gif) no-repeat 0 8px;
padding:0 0 13px 10px;
color:#3D3B45;
}
ul.brown li a{
text-decoration:none;
color:#3D3B45;
font:bold 11px/normal Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Tahoma;
}
ul.brown li a:hover{
color:#990000;
text-decoration:underline;
}
#left h2.order{
background:url(images/directions2.gif) no-repeat 0 0;
width:513px;
height:26px;
text-indent:-200000px;
clear:both;
}
#left ul.image{
margin:15px 0 0 0;
width:520px;
}
#left ul.image li{
height:153px;
width:95px;
text-align:center;
margin:0 6px 0 0 ;
background:url(images/order_now.gif) no-repeat 14px 134px;
float:left;
font:bold 11px/normal Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Tahoma;
color:#3D3B45;
}
#left ul.image li span{
color:#B57D0A;
}
#left ul.image li a{
margin:0 0 0 0;
text-decoration:none;
color:#990000;
}
#left ul.image li a:hover{
color:#000000;
text-decoration:underline;}
/*------right----*/
#main #right{
width:200px;
background:url(images/right_bg.gif) repeat-x left bottom #FFFEE4;
float:left;
padding:25px 0 97px 13px;
}
#right h2.our{
background: url(images/location.gif) no-repeat 0 0;
width:145px;
height:15px;
text-indent:-200000px;
}
#right p.ourtxt{
font: 12px/normal Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
color:#3D3B45;
text-align:justify;
width:168px;
margin:18px 0 0 0;
}
#right img{
margin:13px 0 0 0;
}
#right p.border{
width:178px;
height:5px;
margin:23px 0 0 0;
font-size:0;
line-height:0;
background:#FCF2B8;
}
#right p.ourtxt span{
color:#8F1401;
font:bold 12px/normal "Trebuchet MS",Helvetica, sans-serif, Tahoma;
}
#right p.ourtxt a{
color:#B57D0A;
font:bold 12px/normal "Trebuchet MS",Helvetica, sans-serif, Tahoma;
text-decoration:underline;
}
#right p.ourtxt a:hover{
color:#000000;
}
/*----footer-----*/
#footer{
width:780px;
position:relative;
background:url(images/footer_bg.gif) repeat-x 0 0 #FDF6D2 ;
clear:both;
height:168px;
}
#footer ul.foot{
position:absolute;
top:21px;
left:140px;
width:522px;
}
#footer ul.foot li{
float:left;
margin:0 14px 0 0;
color:#232323;
font:bold 11px/normal Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Tahoma;
}
#footer ul.foot li a{
text-decoration:none;
text-transform:uppercase;
color:#232323;
}
#footer ul.foot li a:hover{
color:#990000;
}
#footer p{
position:absolute;
top:43px;
left:324px;
text-align:center;
color:#232323;
font:normal 11px/20px Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Tahoma;
}

#footer p a{
color:#232323;
font:normal 11px/20px Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Tahoma;
text-decoration:underline;
}

#footer p a:hover{
text-decoration:none;
}

For IE, I have used text-align:center; to define the body tag, which allows the entire website to be centered no matter the browser window size.

That method doesn't seem to be working for Firefox, yet I have seen it done before.

A few of my divs are using absolute positioning (NOT absolute to the document, mind you, but to a parent div). Could this affect anything?


Again, it works fine in IE, but not in Firefox or Safari


If body {text-align:center;} is not a good centering tool, I would love any other suggestions.

Thanks!

hi, just started with css and im having trouble centering 3 columns in a container.

Code:

<div id="container">
        <div id="content">
                <h1>Title Header</h1>
                <div id="top">
                    <div class="col">
                        <h2>Section Header</h2>
                        <p>Lorem ipsum est cu voluptatum efficiantur deterruisset, nec et solum lucilius argumentum, eum ei regione bonorum suavitate. Lorem nonummy suscipiantur sit cu, id eum soluta putant. Sale porro rationibus mei no. Vis ut primis virtute nostrud, sea an malis menandri definiebas, his agam ancillae delectus ei. Ei deleniti noluisse interesset quo, vis at quem scriptorem cotidieque. Sit an virtute gubergren expetendis, at ludus dolor accusam per.</p>
                    </div>
                    <div class="col">
                        <h2>Section Header</h2>
                        <p>Ferri docendi nec ut. Viris tamquam ad quo, nam admodum facilisis adolescens ut, usu meis iriure tractatos at. Ei duo eros qualisque elaboraret, paulo vivendo inciderint an duo, mea eius exerci constituam cu. Ne facer exerci appetere vis, id dicat malorum mel, an sed ferri ludus aliquyam. Ut omnis meliore praesent usu, te sit quas tempor moderatius, accusam voluptua eam at. Duo agam etiam facilisi eu, cum an aeque congue contentiones, id omnium persecuti sadipscing sit. Ne eum invidunt laboramus, eum error nostro ad.</p>
                    </div>
                    <div class="col">
                        <h2>Section Header</h2>
                        <p>Quem feugiat adipisci no sed, simul solet mandamus ut sea, no vocent corrumpit argumentum per. Cu iisque facilisi insolens est, posse nonummy adipisci vel ut. An has nibh natum dissentias, te lorem legere posidonium eam, te quodsi prompta euripidis sed. Ne noluisse petentium cum, sed utroque offendit recteque eu. Te cum petentium disputando, id duo oratio fuisset gloriatur, in sed timeam ponderum.</p>
                    </div>
                </div>
                <div class="clear"></div>
        </div>
        <div id="footer">
            <h3>Footer Header</h3>
        </div>
    </div>

css:
Code:

* {
    margin: 0;
    padding:0;
    border: 0;
}  

body {
    background-color: gray;
    text-align:center;
}

#container {
    width:  900px;
    background-color:white;
    margin: auto;
}

#content {
}

#top {
    margin: auto;
}

.col {
    margin: auto;
    width: 267px;
    float: left;
    text-align: left;
}

.clear {
    clear: both;
}

#footer {
    clear: both;
}

this obviously doesnt work. and has some serious issues. if not, coded wrong altogether.

im free to any suggestions as far as my div markups and what i should be doing to keep code efficient.

i also am wondering what the keyword 'auto' mean in css. ive searched all around and never found a good exp or example explaining what it is.

again, the css is pretty screwed. i added and deleted so much that i cant even remember what i did and getting a little frustrated in the process.

thanks in advance for the response.

This list is a navigation bar that displays tabs horizontally. I can't seem to figure out what properties I need to use to center it correctly.

I have 2 problems:

1. How can I get these list items centered?
2. the second level seems to have problems displaying horizontally in IE. How can I fix it?

Code:

<div id="tablenavcontainer">
  <div id="navcontainer">
    <ul>
			<li><a href="/doctors/enroll/" rel="self" class="" id="purple" name="patientenroll">Enroll Patient</a></li>
			<li><a href="/doctors/patients/" rel="self" class="" id="current" name="doctorspatients">My Patients</a></li>
			<li><a href="/doctors/lab/" rel="self" class="" id="green" name="doctorlab">Lab</a></li>
			<li><a href="/doctors/pharmacy" rel="self" class="" id="yellow" name="doctorpharmacy">Pharmacy</a></li>

			<li><a href="/doctors/tools/" rel="self" class="" id="red" name="doctortools">My Office Tools</a></li>
			<li><a href="/doctors/home/" rel="self" class="" id="graphite" name="doctorhome">Home</a></li>

    	<ul>
				<li><a href="/doctors/patients/currentchart.html" rel="self" id="currentchart" name="currentchart" >Current Chart</a></li>
				<li><a href="/doctors/patients/labhistory.html" rel="self" id="labhistory" name="labhistory" >Lab History</a></li>
				<li><a href="/doctors/patients/symptomhistory.html" rel="self" id="symptoms" name="symptoms" >Symptom History</a></li>

				<li><a href="/doctors/patients/prescriptionhistory.html" rel="self" id="prescriptions" name="prescriptions" >Prescription History</a></li>
				<li><a href="/doctors/patients/reports.html" rel="self" id="reports" name="reports" >Restore Reports</a></li>
				<li><a href="/doctors/lab/ordertesting.html" rel="self" id="ordertest" name="ordertest" >Order Testing</a></li>
				<li><a href="/doctors/pharmacy/prescribe.html" rel="self" id="orderrx" name="orderrx" >Prescribe</a></li>
				<li><a href="/logout.html" rel="self" id="" name="" >Log Out</a></li>
	    </ul> 
     </ul>

    <br style="clear: both;" />
    
  </div>
  </div>

Hi, I'm trying to design a web page and I want to center all the content (including the background), and have another background behind all of that. I can't figure out how to center everything. When I put a <div> around all the content and center it in CSS, only certain elements(some graphical buttons) get centered while all of the text stays lined up to the left. Any ideas? I'm sure I'm making a really silly mistake.