Re: [CSS3] Some thoughts about 'display-model' property

This I could seriously get behind. I'd like to see more comments on
this from the list. Any thoughts?


On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 12:32:30 -0800, Andrew Fedoniouk
<news@terrainformatica.com> wrote:
> 
> 'display', 'display-model' and 'display-role' attributes (or properties?)
> are defined in [1]
> 
> I think that separation of 'display-model' and 'display-role'
> is very reasonable.
> 
> My understanding of 'display-model' and 'orientations of flows'
> is as such:
> 
> 'display-model' defines layout behavior of all normal(natural)
> flow elements in the container.
> 
> It is a bit different from "The 'display-model' property
> determines the algorithm with which an element lays
> out its children" as absolute positioned children are
> not affected by container's 'display-model'. (I hope)
> 
> Second thought is more radical I would say:
> 
> 'display-model' is in fact a definition of a layout manager
> algorithm used by a container.
> Layout managers, as an entity, is well known and time proven
> concept in Java world (and not only in Java).
> Standard list of Java layout managers could be
> found here [2].
> 
> I think that CSS will benefit if it would be possible to say
> e.g. display-model:border-layout or display-model:grid-layout
> 
> In fact current definition of display::table in CSS is just rudimental
> Java::GridLayout.
> But HTML::<TABLE> element has what Java uses as a Java::GridBagLayout.
> 
> I guess that if we will modify display-model list of values as
> 
> inline-layout
> block-layout (or box-layout)  - standard layout for DIV container
> border-layout
> flow-layout  - all children are inline-blocks
> grid-layout
> grid-bag-layout
> card-layout (probably)
> spring-layout (probably)
> 
> it will increase usability and clearness of CSS a lot.
> Clearly defined, time proven and familiar concept.
> 
> --------------------------------------------
> [1] http://w3.org/TR/2002/WD-css3-box-20021024/#L706
> [2] http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/layout/visual.html
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Andrew Fedoniouk.
> http://terrainformatica.com
> 
>

Received on Friday, 24 December 2004 02:20:49 UTC