Re: Add margin-x and margin-y properties (same for padding and border-*)

On 16/01/2012 9:20 AM, Marat Tanalin | tanalin.com wrote:
> Hello. It would be nice to have ability to specify vertical and horizontal margins, paddings, and border-* subproperties once, without need for duplicating same value in separate subproperties like margin-top/margin-bottom.
>
> Vertical margins are margin-top and margin-bottom. Horizontal margins are margin-left and margin-right.
>
> For example, vertical margins (paddings, border-width, border-style) are _very often_ specified equal. Currently we are forced to inevitably specify same value twice:
>
>      .example {
>          margin-top:    1em;
>          margin-bottom: 1em;
>      }
>
> It makes sense to introduce more elegant syntax:
>
>      .example {margin-y: 1em; }
>
> One could argue why not just specify it as {margin: 1em 0}? Answer is that it's inappropriate if we need to _override_ vertical (or horizontal) margins _already specified_ as 'margin' property for more general class. For example:
>
>      .general       {margin:   1em 20px; }
>      .general.lorem {margin-y: 2em; }
>      .general.ipsum {margin-y: 3em; }
>
> Currently we are forced to duplicate either vertical margin (value for more specific class):
>
>      .general.lorem {margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em; }
>      .general.ipsum {margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 3em; }
>
> or horizontal one (repeating value already specified for more general class):
>
>      .general.lorem {margin: 2em 20px; }
>      .general.ipsum {margin: 3em 20px; }
>
> This is non-DRY and makes CSS-code littered / less readable and eventually making maintenance harder.
>
> Introducing margin-y and margin-x properties would make things simpler and smarter.
>
> (Same applies to at least padding and border-* properties like border-width as well as any other properties where vertical/horizontal values make sense.)
>
> Thanks.

So how does this overrule default margins [1] on block level elements or 
overrule the property 'margin'?

May I suggest this.

   .example { margin: y(1em); }

   .general       { margin: 1em 20px; }
   .general.lorem { margin: y(2em); }
   .general.ipsum { margin: y(3em); }


1. http://css-class.com/test/css/defaults/default-margins.htm


-- 
Alan Gresley
http://css-3d.org/
http://css-class.com/

Received on Monday, 16 January 2012 02:18:09 UTC