Flexible and robust template

Now substantially improved and simplified

Multiflex-3 is the third generation Multiflex template. Numerous improvements have been made since Multiflex-2.1: More modern appearance, more page layouts, new drop down menus with sticky hover zones, solid printer support, expanded browser support, fully scalable upwards and downwards when user resizes the default browser font size, and last but not least, a much better and easier code. But there is more than that. Check the navigation menu to discover all about the new Multiflex-3!

Content Management Systems

Portings for MODx and others

If you want to use Multiflex-3 in combination with a Content Management System (CMS), then you don't need to look any further! Operational portings are being produced for MODx and Contrexx.

Extensive browser support

Tested for all major browsers

Multiflex-3 has been tested for all major browsers and functions properly for about 95% of currently used browsers.

The only problematic browsers are Mozilla 1.7+, Netscape 8.1+, Konqueror 3.4+ and IE5.x, together making up for about 5% of browser users. For Mozilla 1.x, Netscape 8.x and Konqueror 3.4 the drop-down menu opens horizontally instead of vertically. For IE5.x the template breaks down. If you are not planning to use drop-down menus, but only want to use the main links in the navigation bar, then you have around 97% browser compatibility, only leaving IE5.x left over as incompatible with Multiflex-3 (but this is a browser on its deathbed anyway, so I will not care to make fixes for this one).

If you know a fix for the Mozilla 1.7+, Netscape 8.1+ or Konqueror 3.4+ browsers to make the drop-down menu open vertically, get in touch with me and let me know, so that I can make an update of the template and post it on Open Webdesign!

To see what the template looks like in various browsers, check the view-links below to see screenshots, or you can download all screenshots in a single ZIP-file. Screenshot files are stored at my personal website.

All screenshots in ZIP-file (6.4 Mb): Download

Windows 2000

• Explorer - IE6 (View)
• Firefox - 2.0 (View)
• Mozilla - 1.7 (View) (Drop-down menu opens horizontally)
• Netscape - 7.2 (View) (Drop-down menu opens horizontally)
• Opera - 9.0 (View)

Windows XP

• Explorer - IE6 (View), IE7 (View)
• Firefox - 2.0 (View)
• Mozilla - 1.7 (View) (Drop-down menu opens horizontally)
• Netscape - 8.1 (View) (Drop-down menu opens horizontally)
• Opera - 9.0 (View)

Windows Vista RC2

• Explorer - IE7 (View)
• Firefox - 2.0 (View)
• Opera - 9.0 (View)

Mac OSX 10.3

• Firefox - 2.0 (View)
• Mozilla - 1.7 (View) (Drop-down menu opens horizontally)
• Netscape - 7.2 (View) (Drop-down menu opens horizontally)
• Opera - 9.0 (View)
• Safari - 1.3 (View)

Mac OSX 10.4

• Firefox - 2.0 (View)
• Mozilla - 1.7 (View) (Drop-down menu opens horizontally)
• Netscape - 7.2 (View) (Drop-down menu opens horizontally)
• Opera - 9.0 (View)
• Camino - 1.0 (View)
• Safari - 2.0 (View)

Linux Fedora Core 4

• Firefox - 2.0 (View)
• Mozilla - 1.7 (View) (Drop-down menu opens horizontally)
• Opera - 9.0 ((View)
• Konqueror - 3.4 (View) (Drop-down menu opens horizontally)

Coding tools

Many people ask me what tools I use. Here is the list:

• HTML-Kit 292 freeware for coding the HTML documents.
• TopStyle Lite 3.10 freeware for coding the CSS documents.
• Browsercam provided the fantastic browsertest screenshots. They even offer services where you can test your templates at a live server. For those who are serious about webdesign, this is the ultimate place to check for compatibility. It is well worth its money (for 24-hrs you can even get a free test account)!

Credits for reviews and ideas

Persons who contributed with reviews, ideas or CMS ports:

• Ryan Thrash, Jesse Rochman (USA), Susan Ottwell (UK) -- Sticky hover zones, IE margin hack, and fantastic port to MODx.
• Martin Thumann (UK) -- Great port to Contrexx.
• Stu Nicholls (UK) -- Fabulous drop-down menus.
• Dan Popa (Romania) -- CSS-hack to eliminate IE6 flicker bug.
• Big John (USA) -- CSS-hack for clearing floats.
• Wolfgang Bartelme (Austria) -- Attractive green header.
• Mark James (UK) -- Cool flag icons.

Release Notes

Multiflex-3 / Update-2

November 29, 2006

• Printer layout and background color
  Browser: All / Description: When printing, a gap was created between the header and the content section. Further, no background color was printed for the left navigation sidebar. / Correction: Removed erroneous vertical padding in CSS-class ".header-breadcrumbs in all CSS-files "layoutNN_setup.css". Further, included a printer CSS statement for the class ".main-navigation" in CSS-files "layoutNN_setup.css".
• Template links
  Browser: All / Modification: All template links now point to my homepage, instead of to Open Webdesign. This change was done in "index.html".

Multiflex-3 / Update-1

November 27, 2006

• Drop-down menu items
  Browser: IE7 / Description: Misbehavior when hovering main link by showing multiple columns / Correction: Reformulated conditional "if" statements in "layoutNN.html", "headerNN.html" and "index.html".
• Bottom header background
  Browser: All / Description: Background gap between bottom header and breadcrumbs when browser font-size reduced / Correction: Added background to the CSS-class ".bottom-header" in "layoutNN_setup.css".
• Rounded corners line
  Browser: All / Description: When decreasing or increasing browser font size, a horizontal line appears above the rounded corners for subcontent boxes with boundary. Effect happens when font-size resizes, but page is not reloaded. / Solution: Simply reload the page, and the horizonal line disappears. This is a Safari bug which we have no control over.
• Top search form
  Browser: Konqueror 3.4 / Description: Field width available for search form widened, so that "Go" button appears to the right, and not below, the search area. / Modification: CSS-class ".header-breadrumbs" changed in "headerNN_setup.css" and "layoutNN_setup.css".
• Search form layout
  Browser: All / Description: Search forms now have their "Go" buttons below the search entry field (only exception is search form below the page header). Reason for this is that design remains consistent when browser font-sizes are resized / Modification: CSS-class ".button" changed in "headerNN_setup.css" and "layoutNN.css".
• Button styles
  Browser: All / Description: Default buttons are styled very differently for different browsers. / Correction: To harmonize button appearance we have now styled the buttons explicitly. However, Camino and Safari overrule this style with Mac-specific buttons. / Modification: CSS-class ".button" changed in "headerNN_setup.css", "layoutNN_setup.css" and "layoutNN_text.css".
• Credits for flags
  Credits were included for the flags.

Multiflex-3

November 23, 2006

• First public release at Open Webdesign.