Re: Javascript Enabled Style Sheets vs. CSS

At 20:12 -0500 1/19/97, Paul Ford asked:
> Will someone compare and contrast between Netscape Communicator's
> Javascript-enabled Style Sheets and W3-endorsed Cascading Style Sheets?
> I'm baffled.

I think that's the idea. <g>

> What is the advantage of the new Netscape-specific style sheets?

The advantage for whom? Netscape-specific "proposed standards," like the
new <layers> tag and shifting implementations of JavaScript, can themselves
be advantages to Netscape as long as they command the greatest market
share. Apologies in advance if my cynicism is unwarranted - I've heard no
more compelling explanation.

> What functionality does J-ESS offer over CSS?

J-ESS (aka JSSS, JASS) will offer scripted, dynamic control over styling,
rather than the simple declarative styling CSS1 offers. Rather than
normalize CSS1 and complement it with a separate script/object model,
however, Netscape will offer an all-in-one styling/scripting solution,
allowing authors to bypass CSS1. They claim that they will be supporting
CSS1 in parallel, but are promoting only their "proposed standard"
alternative. It is unclear to me whether NS4 will allow
degradation-conscious authors to use standard CSS and inessential
JavaScript extensions together.

>  Is anyone on this list planning to implement sites with J-ESS?

Unless you really want to have color-cycling <H1> elements available
exclusively to Nav 4 users, I see no point. Taking the two companies'
statements at face value, sites authored with proper CSS can look as
authors intend in IE 3.0+ and Navigator 4.0+, while remaining intelligible
to other, older browsers. Sites authored with J-ESS will behave as authors
intend only on Nav 4.0+.

____________

Todd Fahrner

Received on Sunday, 19 January 1997 22:49:45 UTC