Re: Publishing the flexible box model

On Wednesday 2008-06-04 17:50 -0700, Andrew Fedoniouk wrote:
>   flow:horizontal; /* all children form single row */

I've been thinking about this a little more.  I think my main
problem with what you're proposing is this:

You're proposing that we take the CSS box model, with all its
complexity -- things like margin collapsing, flow around floats,
doing intrinsic width calculation in the presence of floats and
containers that establish new block formatting contexts, and make
this whole complicated thing work in both horizontal and vertical
orientation (and mixing orientations).  I don't think all of these
pieces are needed for user interface layout, and I worry that this
whole mess put together will collapse under the weight of its own
complexity.

I'd rather start with something simpler that doesn't have these
complications, where maybe we have a chance of defining sensible
intrinsic dimensions in the presence of switches between horizontal
and vertical layout (which is complicated enough already).


I think your solution does solve a pretty similar set of problems.
But I disagree with your claim that it's simpler.  I think by
reusing the existing, complicated model, it's actually more complex
than a cleaner break that introduces more new properties.  (I'd even
agree that there are advantages to reusing the same model; I just
don't think simplicity is one of them.)

-David

-- 
L. David Baron                                 http://dbaron.org/
Mozilla Corporation                       http://www.mozilla.com/

Received on Thursday, 5 June 2008 05:49:36 UTC