Re: Controling structure with CSS

On 4/16/04 5:39 PM, "Adam Kuehn" <akuehn@nc.rr.com> wrote:

> Tantek Çelik wrote:
>>>> a quick question: would it make sense to allow authors to rearrange the
>>>>  structure of a document wit CSS?
>>> 
>>>  No.  That would mean it was trying to do everything.
>> 
>> Depending on how you interpret it, your statement is equivalent to saying it
>> is wrong to do everything with XML or with UNICODE for that matter.
> 
> Personally, I see no such equivalency.  The
> referent to "it" is very clearly "CSS", which
> says nothing at all about XML, UNICODE, or
> anything else.

That's the point.  You can substitute "XML" or "UNICODE" into that sentence
as the "it" to see how little sense it makes as a generalization.


>>> XLST is intended
>>>  for this sort of situation.
>> 
>> This statement has two fundamental philosophical flaws.
>> 
>> 1. The "one-tech" blinders.  Just because there is one technology to do
>> something doesn't mean there shouldn't be another.
>> 
>> 2. The fact that complex solutions beg for simpler solutions.
> 
> Let's assume you are correct in both.  Does this
> mean that it is your belief that CSS *should*
> allow authors to re-arrange document structure?

That question assumes binary thinking.

In answer to your question, no, because that would be assuming a false
dichotomy of CSS vs. anything else.

There is another possibility: invent something else.

Perhaps even reuse CSS syntax to build something else.

Or change the question slightly.

Instead of "re-arrange document structure", consider "re-arrange
presentation", which is probably what the original asker of the question
wanted.

Now that makes sense as something to solve with CSS in a simple way.

Tantek

Received on Friday, 16 April 2004 22:35:32 UTC