May have to do with "column layout" WAS:RE: Proposal of alternative to CSS3 box-sizing property

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rod Dav4is [mailto:dav4is@bigfoot.com]

> Comments?
> 


IMHO, the current box model has the disadvantage of not letting the
developer decide if he wants to include the margin/border width/height
in it. You will probably say that when something is of "display:block",
it's behavior is to adjust to the available width. But what if I want a
more complicated design? I will have to use tables and destroy my
documents markup for presentation purposes.

Ok, positioning is good but doesn't have anything to do with my problem.
Float? Sure, helps a little. But when I want to put three or more blocks
in the same screen height, on next to the other, I will have to either
make their width fixed (thus, forgetting all about my "liquid" design)
or put them to three calls of a table, making my HTML looking like HTML
3.2: all about presentation.

A possible solution, would be an additional property (for not changing
the current size algorithms and keep backwards compatibility):

.myClass {
 width:20%;
 border:2px groove #f3f3f3;
 margin:5%;

 [...]

}

Now, if I replace [...] with 

 include-width:border;

I get four DIVs that can be positioned like DTs in a "row". The border
is included in the width and my margin fits perfectly.


I could also change the rules as:

 margin:10px;
 include-width:border, margin;
 

And have the same functionality with fixed margins.

Of course an additional "include-height" attribute would work the same.

NOTE that Microsoft has already seen the need for such functionality and
has "invented" dynamic properties. A module like this one would make the
functionality available to more browsers in a compatible way. I really
hope  someone above is reading this.

Does the proposed CSS3 module about "column layout" solve this? Can I
apply borders and more in a column or can I put more blocks in it?

Kindest regards,

Manos

Received on Saturday, 16 June 2001 13:16:47 UTC