Footer in Custom Joomla Template - templates

Question

I am currently running Joomla with a custom template which I designed. Most everything is working beautifully, but I am having a major problem with the footer: it appears in the middle of the page if the content is longer than a certain height. I have the footer set to absolute with a bottom value of 0, so I cannot figure out why it would show up like this on some pages. Below is the contents of my template's custom.css and index.php for reference. Please also see the screenshots below. The first shows a page with the footer correctly positioned, while the other two highlight the footer problem. Thanks in advance for any assistance!
custom.css
#charset "utf-8";
/* Wowcrofty's Picture Perfect Custom Layout */
/* CSS Descriptor properties order:
1. Positioning properties
2. Width and height properties
3. Margin and padding properties
4. Border and box properties
5. Background properties
6. Text properties */
/* HTML tag styling */
body {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
background-color: #FF8000;
font-family:Impact, Haettenschweiler, "Franklin Gothic Bold", "Arial Black", sans-serif;
}
a {color: #000;}
a:visited {color: #FF8000;}
h1 {
font-size: 28px;
}
h2 {
font-size: 24px;
}
h3 {
font-size: 18px;
}
header {
width: 99%;
height: 310px;
padding-top: 20px;
background-color: #000;
text-align: center;
}
footer {
position: absolute;
bottom: 0;
width: 100%;
height: 40px;
border-bottom-left-radius: 10px;
border-bottom-right-radius: 10px;
background-color: #000;
line-height: 2;
color: #fff;
font-style: italic;
text-align: center;
}
/* Navigation Styling */
nav {
text-transform: uppercase;
}
.navbar-inner {
min-height: 40px;
padding-left: 20px;
padding-right: 20px;
background-color: #000;
background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #000, #000);
background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 0 100%, from(#000), to(#000));
background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #000, #000);
background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #000, #000);
background-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, #000, #000);
background-repeat: repeat-x;
filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.gradient(startColorstr='#000', endColorstr='#000', GradientType=0);
border: 0px solid #d4d4d4;
-webkit-border-radius: 0;
-moz-border-radius: 0;
border-radius: 0;
-webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.065);
-moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.065);
box-shadow: 0 1px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.065);
}
.navbar .nav > li > a {
float: none;
padding: 10px 15px 10px;
-moz-border-top-left-radius: 6px;
-webkit-border-top-left-radius: 6px;
border-top-left-radius: 6px;
-moz-border-top-right-radius: 6px;
-webkit-border-top-right-radius: 6px;
border-top-right-radius: 6px;
color: #fff;
text-decoration: none;
font-size: 18px;
text-shadow: 0 -1px 0 #000;
}
.navbar .nav > li > a:focus,
.navbar .nav > li > a:hover {
background-color: transparent;
color: #FF8000;
text-decoration: none;
}
.navbar .nav > .active > a,
.navbar .nav > .active > a:hover,
.navbar .nav > .active > a:focus {
color: #000;
text-decoration: none;
background-color: #FF8000;
-webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 3px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.125);
-moz-box-shadow: inset 0 3px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.125);
box-shadow: inset 0 3px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.125);
}
nav .nav-child {
position: absolute;
top: 95%;
left: 0;
z-index: 1000;
display: none;
float: left;
min-width: 160px;
padding: 5px 0;
margin: 2px 0 0;
list-style: none;
background-color: #FE642E;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
border: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
*border-right-width: 2px;
*border-bottom-width: 2px;
-webkit-border-radius: 6px;
-moz-border-radius: 6px;
border-radius: 6px;
-webkit-box-shadow: 0 5px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
-moz-box-shadow: 0 5px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
box-shadow: 0 5px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
-webkit-background-clip: padding-box;
-moz-background-clip: padding;
background-clip: padding-box;
}
nav .nav-child.pull-right {
right: 0;
left: auto;
}
nav .nav-child .divider {
*width: 100%;
height: 1px;
margin: 8px 1px;
*margin: -5px 0 5px;
overflow: hidden;
background-color: #e5e5e5;
border-bottom: 1px solid #fff;
}
nav .nav-child a {
display: block;
padding: 3px 20px;
clear: both;
font-size: 13px;
font-weight: normal;
line-height: 18px;
color: #fff;
white-space: nowrap;
}
nav .nav > li {
position: relative;
}
nav .nav > li:hover > .nav-child,
nav .nav > li > a:focus + .nav-child {
display: block;
}
nav .nav-child:before {
position: absolute;
top: -7px;
left: 9px;
display: inline-block;
border-right: 7px solid transparent;
border-bottom: 7px solid #FE642E;
border-left: 7px solid transparent;
border-bottom-color: rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
content: '';
}
nav .nav-child:after {
position: absolute;
top: -6px;
left: 10px;
display: inline-block;
border-right: 6px solid transparent;
border-bottom: 6px solid #FE642E;
border-left: 6px solid transparent;
content: '';
}
nav .nav-child li > a:hover,
nav .nav-child li > a:focus,
nav .nav-child:hover > a {
text-decoration: none;
color: #000;
background-color: transparent;
}
/* User Bar Styling */
#userheader {
width: 100%;
min-height: 25px;
max-height: 45px;
padding: 3px 8px;
border-top-left-radius: 10px;
border-top-right-radius: 10px;
background-color: #BDBDBD;
}
.userdata .control-group{
position: relative;
top: -12px;
left: 0;
float:left;
}
#form-login-remember {
position: absolute;
top: 14px;
left: 340px;
}
form ul.unstyled {
position: absolute;
top: 55px;
left: 10px;
display: none;
list-style: none;
}
.logout {
position: relative;
top: -10px;
left: 55px;
float: left;
}
.search {
position: relative;
top: 6px;
}
/* Component Styling */
.breadcrumb {
-moz-border-radius: 6px;
-webkit-border-radius: 6px;
border-radius: 6px;
background-color: #BDBDBD;
color: #000;
}
#componentcontainer {
width: 99%;
height: auto;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 15px;
border: 2px #000 solid;
background-color: #fff;
}
/* Button Styling */
.btn-primary {
color: #ffffff;
text-shadow: 0 -1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);
background-color: #000;
background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #000, #6E6E6E);
background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 0 100%, from(#000), to(#6E6E6E));
background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #000, #6E6E6E);
background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #000, #6E6E6E);
background-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, #000, #6E6E6E);
background-repeat: repeat-x;
filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.gradient(startColorstr='#000', endColorstr='#6E6E6E', GradientType=0);
border-color: #0044cc #0044cc #002a80;
border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);
*background-color: #000;
/* Darken IE7 buttons by default so they stand out more given they won't have borders */
filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.gradient(enabled = false);
}
.btn-primary:hover,
.btn-primary:active,
.btn-primary.active,
.btn-primary.disabled,
.btn-primary[disabled] {
color: #ffffff;
background-color: #000;
*background-color: #000;
}
#contentheader {
position: relative;
top: 20px;
width: 55%;
height: 55px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 10px;
border-radius: 10px;
box-shadow: -1px -3px 2px #CDC7C7;
background-color: #000;
font-size: 36px;
color: #fff;
font-weight: bold;
text-align: center;
}
#content {
position:relative;
top: 35px;
background-color: transparent;
font-size: 36px;
text-align: center;
}
.bodycontent {
position: relative;
top: 175px;
width: 97%;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 10px 0 20px 0;
border-radius: 10px;
box-shadow: -2px -2px 1px #ADA0A0;
background-color: #FD1115;
font-size: 26px;
line-height: 2;
color: #fff;
text-align: center;
}
/*News Ticker Styles*/
#news {
width: 95%;
margin: 0 auto;
box-shadow: -1px -1px 1px #fff;
background-color: #fff;
color: #000;
}
.date {
margin-top: 10px;
padding-top: 6px;
font-size: 18px;
font-weight: bold;
color: #000;
text-align: center;
}
.headline {
font-size: 24px;
font-weight: bold;
background-color: transparent;
color #000;
text-align: center;
}
.headlinebody {
margin-top: 10px;
font-size: 16px;
font-weight: normal;
color: #000;
text-align: center;
index.php
<?php
// Wowcrofty's Picture Perfect Photo Custom Joomla Template for v3.3
// Check that the template is being installed in Joomla.
defined('_JEXEC') or die;
// Add Joomla JavaScript Frameworks
JHtml::_('bootstrap.framework');
// Load Bootstrap stylesheets
JHtmlBootstrap::loadCss($includeMaincss = true);
?>
<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<jdoc:include type="head" />
<!--[if lt IE 9]>
<script src="<?php echo $this->baseurl ?>/media/jui/js/html5.js"></script>
<![endif]-->
<link href="templates/wowcroftypictureperfect/css/custom.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
</head>
<body>
<div id="userheader" class="row-fluid">
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span9"><jdoc:include type="modules" name="userinfo" style="html5" /></div>
<div class="span3"><jdoc:include type="modules" name="search" style="html5" /></div>
</div>
</div>
<header class="row-fluid">
<div class="span12">
<img src="templates/wowcroftypictureperfect/images/headerbanner.png" alt="Wowcrofty's Picture Perfect Photo, click to go home." />
</div>
</header>
<div class="row-fluid">
<nav class="span12 navbar">
<div class="navbar-inner">
<div class="container-fluid">
<a class="btn btn-navbar" data-toggle="collapse" data-target=".nav-collapse">
<span class="icon-bar"></span>
<span class="icon-bar"></span>
<span class="icon-bar"></span>
</a>
<div class="nav-collapse collapse">
<jdoc:include type="modules" name="nav" style="none" />
</div>
</div>
</div>
</nav>
</div>
<div id="componentcontainer" class="row-fluid">
<?php if ($this->countModules('breadcrumbs')) : ?>
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span12"><jdoc:include type="modules" name="breadcrumbs" style="html5" /></div>
</div>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php if ($this->countModules('componentheadermodule')) : ?>
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span12">
<jdoc:include type="modules" name="componentheadermodule" style="html5" /></div>
<?php endif; ?>
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span12">
<jdoc:include type="message" />
<jdoc:include type="component" />
</div>
</div>
</div>
<footer id="footer" class="row-fluid">
<div class="span9"><jdoc:include type="modules" name="bottomnav" style="html5" /></div>
<div class="span3">Copyright © <?php echo date("Y") ?> Matthew Croft. All rights reserved.</div>
</footer>
</body>
</html>

Answer 1

You might try setting the footer div to relative and #footer.span3 to absolute. I'd might try using float somehow too. I usually debug this type of stuff using the Chrome Inspector.