Re: [css-color] Exposing browser color parsing to JS

On 7/7/14, Tab Atkins Jr. <jackalmage@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Jul 7, 2014 at 5:48 PM, Simon Sapin <simon.sapin@exyr.org> wrote:
>> On 08/07/14 00:27, Tab Atkins Jr. wrote:
>>> One of my coworkers brought my attention to
>>>
>>> <http://code.stephenmorley.org/javascript/colour-handling-and-processing/>,
>>> a library that does basic color manipulation and
>>> parsing/serialization.  I've seen this sort of thing multiple times,
>>> and even wrote my own (<http://www.xanthir.com/etc/color.js>).  I've
>>> also had to write a fairly complete color parser in PHP in the past.
>>>
>>> Given that most/all of this machinery already exists in the browser,
>>> it's kinda sad that people have to keep reinventing it.  What would
>>> y'all think about introducing a bit of a helper for this kind of
>>> thing, that exposes all of the parsing and serialization the browser
>>> does, and is easily extensible so authors can use it as the basis for
>>> their own color-using code?
>>
>> A trick I've seen in stuff made by Lea Verou to use the browser's color
>> parsing code is to set e.g. someElement.style.color to the string to
>> parse,
>> then get getComputedStyle(someElement).color, which is in rgb() or rgba()
>> format and much easier to hand-parse.
>
> Yup, but that's a pretty dumb trick.  It also means you still have to
> do conversions yourself if you want it in some other format.
>

It is not dumb if it does what is wanted. If the functions input is
expected to be #RGB, #RRGGBB, or a web color name, that would work.

But that would exclude commonly used versions of IE.



>
> Ultimately, lots of unit conversions are done in the same way, via
> some off-screen element.  But I think color parsing/manipulation is
> sufficiently common and sufficiently more complex to possibly justify
> this kind of helper, while other things might not get one until the
> real OM comes along.
>
> (That said, I could probably go for a good length converter, with the
> ability to provide element and property context, ahead of the real OM
> as well.)
>

THere's a few threads on that on www-style. Search the archives. Anne,
Boris, and I. And maybe ROC.
-- 
Garrett
@xkit
ChordCycles.com
garretts.github.io

Received on Wednesday, 9 July 2014 04:07:35 UTC