Re: [mediaqueries] Add "<" and ">" syntax?

On 12.11.2013, at 09:10, Tab Atkins Jr. <jackalmage@gmail.com> wrote:

> Media Queries currently states that it purposely went with the
> min/max- prefix approach for range-type queries specifically to avoid
> any issues with the "<" character in HTML/XML syntax.
> 
> These characters have no issues in modern <style> elements, though I
> suspect they might once have had some, before all browsers recognized
> the contents of <style> as plain text.
> 
> Thus, it may be time to reconsider this decision.  I believe that the
> min/max prefixes are harder to use for authors.  You always have to be
> careful with the words "min" and "max", as they can mean opposite
> things depending on exactly how you're using them.  For example, the
> min() function selects the smaller of its argument, but if you have a
> "minimum number", then you take the *larger* of the minimum and the
> attempted value.
> 
> Instead, I propose we add another syntax possibility to MQs:
> 
> (width < 400px)
> (device-height > 1000px)
> etc
> 
> The meaning is the obvious one.  Spaces aren't required around the
> characters. You can use "<", ">", "<=", or ">=".
> 
> Possibly extensions are to allow values on either side, like:
> 
> (400px < width < 800px)
> 
> ...similar to how Python does, for easier statements of ranges.  This
> would make some common practices less fragile and order-dependent.
> 
> This idea was independently suggested by the IndieUI group, for
> similar usability reasons.
> 
> Thoughts?

If this would work with browsers (also older IEs) I think this is a great proposal.
As an additional notation this can ease writing MQ for many developers.

I only would add the `not` argument with the common ! notation, too.

-Anselm