[css3-grid-layout] Suggestions for terminology amendments

In reference to: http://dev.w3.org/csswg/css3-grid-layout/#core-concepts-of-the-grid

I'm confused as to the need to invent new terminology with regards to grids that have existed for centuries. I'm also a little concerned that the mental model this terminology builds is one more similar to tables and spreadsheets (where these terms could be interchangeable) than to grids and layout.

Specifically on the terminology:

- Grid Lines are known as Gutters.
- Grid Cells are known as Modules (or Units – the term is interchangeable). They represent the smallest building block of the grid.
- Combinations of modules vertically are Columns *if* they run the full height of the grid.
- Combinations of modules horizontally are Rows *if* they run the full width of the grid
- Combinations of modules both vertically and horizontally are Fields.

There's a lot of great stuff in this draft, but some of the theory of designing grids has been around for centuries. If we could start to align CSS with existing terminology, and existing mental models of how layout is designed, then all the better.

Just a thought…

For more information on this, I wrote a blog post last year that expands on some of this thinking: http://www.markboulton.co.uk/journal/comments/rethinking-css-grids

Thanks for your time and consideration,
Mark Boulton

Received on Thursday, 2 August 2012 13:31:54 UTC