Re: Column proposal in CSS-3 - Need for :column pse...

On Sat, 16 Oct 1999, Sjoerd Visscher wrote:

>> That would be good, but no rule that could change the size of the
>> column could be used, for example: border-* margin-* padding-*
>> height, width, font-size (because lengths can be dependent on em),
>> etc....
>>
>> The reason for this is obvious if you try to imagine the result of:
>>
>>    P { display: columns; }
>>    P:column(1) { width: 50%; }
>>    P:column(2) { width: 40%; }
>>    P:column(3) { width: 20%; }
>>    P:column(last) { width: 60%; }
>>
>> The first column would be 50% wide, the second 40%, and the third
>> would not fit. So it would try to have two columns. That means that
>> the last column would be column 2, which would thus be made 60%
>> wide. But of course that would mean it could not fit. So the last
>> column would be column 1, which would be made 60% wide, but then
>> column 2 would fit, so it would be the last column. So it would be
>> made 60% wide, and.... ARG!
>>
>> So the :column(last) pseudo-element would be limited to colour and
>> background type stuff. Is it worse it?
> If 2 columns, after applying the :column(last) style, do not fit,
> then only 1 column should be used. There's no reason to try 2
> columns again.

Hmm.

So with this:

   P { display: columns; }
   :column { width: 10%; } /* sets the 'default' column style */
   :column(last) { width: 90%; background: url(end) bottom no-repeat; }

First, 10 columns would initially fit, but once the :column(last)
style is applied, it is found that the last column doesn't fit, and so
is cut off.

So now what? Is column 9 styled using :column(last), or do we stop
here? If we stop here, the "end" image won't be displayed, probably
counter to the author's intentions. 

-- 
Ian Hickson
"I take a Professor Bullett approach to my answers. There's a high
probability that they may be right."
  -- Dr Snow; Mechanics Lecturer at Bath University; 1999-03-04

Received on Friday, 15 October 1999 20:06:27 UTC