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Minding the gaps: A new way to draw separators in CSS

blogs.windows.com

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Re: Minding the gaps: A new way to draw separators in CSS

#21

Post by hcfman »

oneeyedpigeon wrote: post #11
hcfman wrote: post #7

If it doesn't go through, what then? Do we see a return to people using special flags and having code to see if you are on an edge server or not? I sure as hell hope not. It would be groundhog day.

There's no suggestion that Microsoft will add this to Edge if it doesn't go through, is there? Hopefully, even if it did, it will do so progressively — designers have learnt to let go of pixel-perfect web styling by now, surely...

No of course there's no suggestion. I'm just referring to historical precedences.

If we don't remember the past we are doomed to repeat it as they say.

Re: Minding the gaps: A new way to draw separators in CSS

#22

Post by moomin »

Telemakhos wrote: post #20
bung wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Was just wondering that myself.. why they went with "rule" in `column-rule` and now `row-rule`

It’s the correct term from the technical vocabulary of book layout and printing. A rule is a line separating things on a page, while a border is a box.[0]. While the term originates in book printing shops, native English speakers would recognize it most easily from the terms “standard ruled” and “college ruled” as applied to loose-leaf notebook paper, describing the faint blue, printed horizontal lines providing guid…

I remember this argument from the 90s where large numbers of people were upset at having to learn the world "Font". What it came down to was, either you use the correct existing term, or you create a new term and end up with constant conflict between the two.

These days everyone knows what a font is.

Re: Minding the gaps: A new way to draw separators in CSS

#23

Post by andrewingram »

silvestrov wrote: post #15

I would create new pseudo elements: .container:gap { background-color: red; } This will allow for more fancy backgrounds (e.g. dotted or gradients) and using { padding: 2px } to set whitespace at ends of the seperator. Possible with a :gap-horz and :gap-vert (or whatever css like to name it) to get seperate vertical and horizontal gaps. Also: .container:gap:nth-gap(2n) { color: blue; } to get alternating colors.

Came here to make the exact same comment, just being able to specify a border feels a little shortsighted.

Re: Minding the gaps: A new way to draw separators in CSS

#24

Post by Sharlin »

moomin wrote: post #22
Telemakhos wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s the correct term from the technical vocabulary of book layout and printing. A rule is a line separating things on a page, while a border is a box.[0]. While the term originates in book printing shops, native English speakers would recognize it most easily from the terms “standard ruled” and “college ruled” as applied to loose-leaf notebook paper, describing the faint blue, printed horizontal lines providing guid…

I remember this argument from the 90s where large numbers of people were upset at having to learn the world "Font". What it came down to was, either you use the correct existing term, or you create a new term and end up with constant conflict between the two. These days everyone knows what a font is.

Funnily the word "font" is in fact now used in digital publishing for what is more properly called "typeface". In traditional typesetting "font" refers to one specific size, weight and style of a typeface. That is, Helvetica is a typeface, Helvetica Light Oblique 12pt is a font.

Re: Minding the gaps: A new way to draw separators in CSS

#25

Post by Sharlin »

Joker_vD wrote: post #13
krispyfi wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> From Middle English reule, rewle, rule, borrowed from Old French riule, reule, from Latin regula (“straight stick, bar, ruler, pattern”), from regō (“to keep straight, direct, govern, rule”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃réǵeti (“to straighten; right”), from the root h₃reǵ-; see regent. Doublet of rail, regal, regula and rigol. https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/rule#English

Couldn't they have at least used the word "ruler" then?

No, because a ruler is completely different from a rule.

Re: Minding the gaps: A new way to draw separators in CSS

#26

Post by hnlmorg »

pacifika wrote: post #12
krispyfi wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> From Middle English reule, rewle, rule, borrowed from Old French riule, reule, from Latin regula (“straight stick, bar, ruler, pattern”), from regō (“to keep straight, direct, govern, rule”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃réǵeti (“to straighten; right”), from the root h₃reǵ-; see regent. Doublet of rail, regal, regula and rigol. https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/rule#English

Thanks that's helpful to know they picked a valid term, but if I'd hold a no-context poll (unless I mention ruler) a significant number of people wouldn't know this.

How many of those people would know what CSS is though? Or understand the distinction between "internet" and "web"? Heck, a lot of people don't even understand the distinction between "wifi" and "internet" let alone anything actually technical.

I do get your point and can honestly relate to it. But I wouldn't argue that a no-context poll is the right way to define specialist jargon.

Re: Minding the gaps: A new way to draw separators in CSS

#27

Post by Joker_vD »

Sharlin wrote: post #25
Joker_vD wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Couldn't they have at least used the word "ruler" then?

No, because a ruler is completely different from a rule.

No? Both "rule" and "ruler" can denote this thing also called straightedge; but the word "ruler" is more commonly used in this sense, while "rule" generally means an instruction.

Re: Minding the gaps: A new way to draw separators in CSS

#28

Post by 9dev »

Joker_vD wrote: post #27
Sharlin wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, because a ruler is completely different from a rule.

No? Both "rule" and "ruler" can denote this thing also called straightedge; but the word "ruler" is more commonly used in this sense, while "rule" generally means an instruction.

Isn't a ruler a measuring device to measure a rule?

Re: Minding the gaps: A new way to draw separators in CSS

#29

Post by Sharlin »

Joker_vD wrote: post #27
Sharlin wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, because a ruler is completely different from a rule.

No? Both "rule" and "ruler" can denote this thing also called straightedge; but the word "ruler" is more commonly used in this sense, while "rule" generally means an instruction.

But here the meaning of "rule" is not "straightedge", but rather the derived meaning "a thin printed line or dash". So "ruler" would be improper because that word doesn't have the typographical meaning.

Re: Minding the gaps: A new way to draw separators in CSS

#30

Post by Permik »

silvestrov wrote: post #15

I would create new pseudo elements: .container:gap { background-color: red; } This will allow for more fancy backgrounds (e.g. dotted or gradients) and using { padding: 2px } to set whitespace at ends of the seperator. Possible with a :gap-horz and :gap-vert (or whatever css like to name it) to get seperate vertical and horizontal gaps. Also: .container:gap:nth-gap(2n) { color: blue; } to get alternating colors.

Knowing how CSS tries to support direction agnostic layouts the pseudo elements would be:

:gap ( -[inline\block] ( -[start/end] ) )

You know how the shorthands work elsewhere, so this just replicates that.

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