Re: [css3-layout] New CSS3 module for Advanced Layout

On 12/16/05, Bert Bos <bert@w3.org> wrote:
>
> The CSS WG published the first version of a new module for CSS3, called CSS3 Advanced Layout Module
>     http://www.w3.org/TR/2005/WD-css3-layout-20051215
>
Firstly I cannot restrain myself from a little yelp of joy as Advanced
Layout makes progress. I've had my eye on it since you linked to the
early concept drafts. If I were an American, I expect I'd be "pumped"
about it, but since I'm a Brit just put me down as "quietly content".

Thank you Bert for the work you've put in to this.

> As always, feedback is very welcome.
>
On the whole, it's going to take a little more time to digest it all,
but I'm pretty happy with the display: "abc" syntax. At first it seems
'hacky', (my private response to your original document was "surely
XML would be better?") but in retrospect there is an awful lot to be
said for the simplicity of "abc".

Plus, people already treat CSS in quite a rough manner, so I think it
would fit in with the mindsets people apply to CSS development quite
well.

In ยง3.10:
"The template approach is easy and avoids introducing @-rules and
extra properties, but it is also limited: no way to add borders or
backgrounds to the template."

I agree that being able to style slots would be very useful indeed.

However, the alternative @rules syntax seems very messy, I can't say I
warm to it. A separate XML syntax is probably preferable since it at
least resembles something closer to what HTML authors are already
familiar with.
Neither fits in too well with existing CSS though.

Sticking with the original display: "abc"; syntax, would it not be
possible to have a means of directly selecting a slot to apply
styling? Perhaps treating it as a pseudo-element?

For example:
  body::slot("a")
  {
    background-color: grey;
    outline: 2px solid blue;
  }

would select and style the slot "a" defined by:
  body {  display: "aab";  }

By selecting the pseudo-element, you can then apply backgrounds and
borders to the slots. I suspect you'd need to define restrictions on
which properties can be applied to slot pseudo-elements.

I _think_ that might just solve the slot styling problem without
bloating the syntax.

Regards,
Ben

Received on Friday, 16 December 2005 17:12:45 UTC