Re: [css3-flexbox] flex-grow initial value should be 0px

On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 10:26 AM, Alex Mogilevsky <alexmog@microsoft.com> wrote:
> ± From: Morten Stenshorne [mailto:mstensho@opera.com]
> ± Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2012 1:06 AM
> ±
> ± As an implementor, I have no strong opinions (they are obviously equally
> ± easy to implement), but apart from that, I must say I like things that are
> ± clear and stupid, and at least not smarter than me. :)
>
> Exactly what I feel as an author. I prefer consistent over convenient too.
>
> ± Another issue being discussed in this thread, regarding the case where only
> ± one <number> being supplied in the 'flex' property: I prefer that it apply
> ± to both growing and shrinking, FWIW.
>
> Now that "0 1 auto" has been voted in and special case for "flex:0" dismissed (reasonable, considering the new default), I think there is still a way to make the whole thing at least somewhat sensible:
>
>        1) initial: "flex:0 1 auto"
>                ("flex-basis:auto; flex-grow:0; flex-shrink:1;")
>
>        2) defaults in flex shortcut match initial values:
>                "flex:auto" == "flex:0 1 auto"
>                "flex:1" == "flex:1 1 auto"
>                "flex:0" == "flex:0 1 auto"
>                "flex:0 0" == "flex:0 0 auto"
>                "flex:1 0" == "flex:1 0 auto"
>                "flex:100px" == "flex:0 1 100px"
>                "flex:0px" == "flex:0px"
>
> Yes, "relative flex" is a little easier to get:
>
>        .flex0 { flex:0 }
>        .flex1 { flex:1 }
>
> While for "absolute flex" you have to say you want to drop flex-basis to 0:
>
>        .flex0 { flex:0 }
>        .flex1 { flex:1 0px }
>
> But that's ***OK*** -- it is still easy to set flex-basis to whatever you want it to be, but default of "0px" really makes no sense for inflexible items, which have been the source of endless issues.

I strongly object to this.  We've had an understanding for a year+
that both absolute and relative flexing should be easy to use, which
means doable with a single value.  Changing this now would go against
that long-held understanding, and make it easier to accidentally opt
into relative flex when you want absolute.

Making absolute flex take more effort than relative (specifically,
requiring authors to specify a basis of 0px) was identified as a major
usability pitfall with the 2009 model.  We've been working around that
problem since, and I don't want to go back on it.

~TJ

Received on Wednesday, 6 June 2012 18:24:37 UTC