Re: [CSSWG] action 38, CSS Variables

Daniel Glazman wrote:

>   http://disruptive-innovations.com/zoo/cssvariables/

Here are a few principles I hold dear:

The smaller CSS is, the better. A smaller CSS is easier to learn, easier 
to implement and has a better chance of being interoperable.

If some feature can be done outside of CSS, especially a feature that is 
useful for other technologies than CSS, then is it should be done 
outside of CSS. Modularity avoids implementing things twice, allows 
parallel developments and re-use.

Indirection is bad, because too few people understand it. Half the 
people don't understand that EM refers to a style rule in a different 
file and that that style rule makes the text italic. Every further 
indirection we add halves our audience.


Variables in CSS are wrong for the above three reasons. They make the 
language bigger and more difficult to learn, they make other people's 
style sheets more difficult to understand and re-use. They can instead 
be done with a generic macro processor and would then be useful for 
other languages, too (HTML, SVG, Javascript, Atom, etc.). They introduce 
extra indirections.

Computer scientists love indirections, they believe all problems can be 
solved with them, but normal people hate them. Programmers program their 
video recorders, normal people prefer to press the Record button at the 
right moment. Programmers use text editors, normal people use Direct 
Manipulation interfaces (what's often incorrectly referred to as WYSIWYG).



Bert
-- 
   Bert Bos                                ( W 3 C ) http://www.w3.org/
   http://www.w3.org/people/bos                               W3C/ERCIM
   bert@w3.org                             2004 Rt des Lucioles / BP 93
   +33 (0)4 92 38 76 92            06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France

Received on Tuesday, 8 April 2008 22:51:08 UTC