Develop Reference

Do we need to use javascript to create a responsive layout?

I made the download of several free responsive layout (you can find them simply through google if you're curious) and I see that the layout has at least one or two javascript files.
The question is: javascript is essential to create a responsive layout?
Then, in the reply to this question is "no" and you have also the possibility to link a free responsive layout made only with html and css, well, you will receive a wonderfull BIG thank you.

The whole point of responsive layouts is that it can (and should) be done with CSS3 media queries only.
However, this can often require some clever HTML design, especially if you want to have a slide-in menu (hint: :active can be very powerful when combined with tabindex to make an otherwise "inert" element respond to click events like a link) and many developers just can't be bothered with that, especially when jQuery is so readily available.
So basically, yes, you can make a responsive layout with CSS only. And if you succeed, congratulations! JavaScript can be used to make things easier, but in general if you think you need it, you probably just need to rethink how you're doing things.
Unfortunately, I have no links to JavaScript-less responsive layouts for you, that's because I'm very DIM - Doin' It Meself!
Edit back While I appreciate Martijn's demonstration of a use of JavaScript in making images essentially have variable resolution depending on screen size, images can be made responsive simply by using SVG if possible. If this is not an option, consider using a container with a background-image - only the image that matches the media query will be loaded :)

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
First understand what is response layout: Responsive Layout is the one that dynamically changes itself. Depending on the Browser's screen size. So that it fits perfectly on every screen type, size, resolution etc. So that the website's layout doesn't break.
You can just use CSS3 media query to change the layout, or else you can use jQuery or some other JavaScript to make this happen.
But remember, JavaScript is not required to make the document Responsive.
Sometimes Yes!
Sometimes the developer is better in writing the code using JavaScript, such as jQuery API. So he would find it easy to write the code in jQuery to dynamically handle all the events in the Browser window to make a website Responsive.
I myself would find it pretty easy to write the code in jQuery as compared to CSS. So for that purpose, I would have to add the jQuery source file to the document to render it that way. Otherwise I won't be able to create the responsiveness in the Website or would have to stick to the pure JavaScript
Example would be:
if($(window).width() > '1300') {
$('body').css({
'height': '100%' /* etc */
});
}
Sometimes No!
Some developers are good at CSS (CSS3, and its media Queries too). So they try using CSS3 to render the document and make it responsive.
CSS3 is really much easy than jQuery and it would be helpfull to use it. It would also won't require any of the Script file to be included. You can easily write the code, in the default CSS file. And the changes would be made accordingly.
#media only screen and (max-width: 1300px) {
body {
height: 100%;
}
}
But Remember
If you use plain CSS and then use CSS3 Media Queries to change the layout of the website, you will be able to just detect the screen size and other elements. You won't be able to check for the Browser's properties or the content on the screen etc.

Both answers are acceptable.
No, if you pretend to work with something like a flash site, which I hardly discourage it.
Yes, because javascript is essential to do that, CSS3/HTML5 are solutions to your case, but, they come with some javascript included functions, that you will not see, so, there is javascript.

Responsive by Default
No, you do not need JavaScript for Responsive Webdesign. It is necessary for those cool fly outs and sliding effects.
If you do a website in pure CSS, you might need to take some compromises like a different menu layout or always visible sidebar content. Sliders are a problem.
But consider this:
If you think about it, responsive layout is not a new thing. Open a simple HTML file in a web browser, and the content automatically adapts to fit the width of that browser. The web is responsive on its own—by default. It's us that's been breaking it all these years by placing content in fixed-width containers.
Andy Hume in "Responsive by Default",
http://blog.andyhume.net/responsive-by-default/

Media queries allows you, to do responsive pages with css only. But you should remember about jquery function '.resize()' when user change horizontal layout to vertical on phone or tablet.

Scaling CSS relative to window

Just wondering if theirs a more efficient means of doing this?
$(window).resize(function()
{
$('.title').css('font-size',Math.floor($(window).width()*0.2)+'px');
$('.title').css('background-size',Math.floor($(window).width()*0.5)+'px');
$('.title').css('padding',($(window).width()*0.1)+'px 0px '+($(window).width()*0.1)+'px');
}); `
I'm doing this to get my web applicatiion (cordova/phonegap) to resize properly for all devices. I've tried using viewport and had mixed results especially when it came to getting text to scale relative to dpi and screen dimensions.

There are a few ways of doing this.
There are some pre-made libraries such as BootStrap for mobile view.
You can use percentage instead modifying the css through jquery.
For some help a nice tutorial site for css is w3Schools css tutorial page.
Each result has different results.
Now on your example code you are using window.width* 0.5 or window.width / 2 which is half. If you are in the root element with no width settings you could use 50% instead of pixels to easily achieve the effect you are looking for.
However it is most likely not like that. You may have to specify widths of parent elements to achieve this.

have you considered using css #media .
it is more neat , and doesnt require javascript event to be triggered.
more info can be found here
http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_mediatypes.asp

You can use #media queries to serve the purpose.

Custom scrollbar

I am hoping to incorporate custom scrollbars in my site as there are divs with set heights that will overflow. I have managed to get exactly what I want using webkit styling in css however I am aware that there will be issues when looking at the site in Firefox or IE.
As a result, I tried to incorporate the jScrollPane library into my site but its causing all sorts of js "clashes" which is throwing the whole site into a mess!
Are there any simpler methods to customise my scroll bar so that I have cross browser compatibility without adding a new js page to the site?
Alternatively - is there a way I can attach something to the css for when the browser is firefox!?
Thanks
JD

Fast forward to 2017, and there are a lot of good custom scrollbar scripts these days. By good I mean ones that rely on native scrolling mechanics and works on mobile devices too. The one I use is Perfect Scrollbar. Some other good ones can be found here in this blog post.

I'm a little confused with what exactly you're asking for, but if you're looking for a scroll bar of some sort that can be customized with CSS, look no further than jQuery UI's Slider.
You'll have to add some event handlers to do the scrolling, but it shouldn't be too difficult over-all.

Here are some custom scrollbars you can use:
http://www.net-kit.com/jquery-custom-scrollbar-plugins/
One off these solutions should work. BTW i use JScrollpane and it works like a charm for me

I went through all of the suggestions above and was disappointed by either of the following issues:
poor cross-browser compatibility
lag
a lot of redundant code/ dependencies (jQuery UI)
Therefore, I've used some CSS trickery and JavaScript (depends on jQuery selectors) to build my own custom scrollbar implementation. The demo is available at https://dev.anuary.com/680a3c94-9651-550f-abca-e853613eb9ce/. The source code is hosted at https://github.com/anuary/jquery-custom-scrollbar.
My approach relies on the native browser scrollbar. However, this implementation does not support horizontal scrollbars.

Just found this, without jQuery, if anyone is interested:
http://www.script-tutorials.com/custom-scrollbars-cross-browser-solution/

Custom scrollbar

Is it possible to replace standard scrollbar (only appearance) with some custom one (the one from http://scripterlative.com/files/autodivscroll.htm to look like the top-left example from http://www.dyn-web.com/code/scroll/demos.php?demo=vert) so the script will still work and scrollbar behave like it wasn't modified?
Thanks!

Webkit supports it so it is possible in Safari and in Chrome. I tried it once, it works well.
My only problem: Doesn't support showing the scrollbar at the left or the top of the container.

An alternative solution would be to use CSS3 to adapt a custom scrollbar design, to achieve a standard, but different looking scrollbar.
See here CSS3 CUSTOM SCROLLBARS
Hope this helps!

How can one use scroll bar images?

How can I replace the scrollbar's images using HTML/CSS?
I have:
scrollbar-base-color: #00acee;
scrollbar-dark-shadow-color: #00acee;
scrollbar-track-color: #ffffff;
scrollbar-face-color: #00acee;
scrollbar-shadow-color: #00acee;
scrollbar-highlight-color: #00acee;
scrollbar-3d-light-color: #00acee;
Can I use an image to accomplish the same idea?

No you can't use images in place of the scroll bar. I'll also just mention that changing the colours is very annoying to users and it only works in IE anyway, so just stick with the standard GUI elements.

For webkit based browsers (for a sufficiently new value of "webkit") there are a collection of propriety CSS properties.

No, you can't use an image in the scroll bar. (Also, even changing the color is only supported in IE in non-standard mode.)
The only way to use images in a scroll bar would be not to use the standard scroll bar at all, but implement a replacement scroll bar yourself using DHTML, or find someone who has done that already.
However, you should be a bit restrictive when changing the look of controls that the users are already used to. If you are not careful you may end up confusing people so that they don't even recognise it as a scroll bar at all...

It is not possible to put an image inside the scrollbar. Customizing the scrollbar is not a W3C spec (IE only CSS), but details on what is possible can be found here:
http://www.quirksmode.org/css/scrollbars.html

as far as i know you cant style a scroll bar with an image.
if you want to use jquery, you can do so easily using this jquery plugin:
http://www.kelvinluck.com/assets/jquery/jScrollPane/basic.html
The trick there is to "simulate" a scroll bar using some divs, which you can style any way you want, since they are just regular divs. After that its easy to just use the scrollTop property and scroll events etc (but you dont really need to know how it works to use it)

For MooTools, there's MooScroller.
Steve

jScrollPane (demo)
or
Interface (demo).
Both using jQuery.

Webkit == Safari and Chrome, but Firefox and Opera have plans to implement similar in upcoming releases. The spec is a killer though, so it may not be worth using even if you have the support.
Mootools has quite a few:
Mooscroller (will be
implemented into Mootools -more),
MooScroll (based on
Solutaire's?)
UvumiScroll
MochaUI's
I imagine it is part of Ext UI, and probably JQ's UI library, but have no personal experience there.
One non-library dependent class: http://www.hesido.com/web.php?page=customscrollbar