Update: Thereâs a more pracÂtiÂcal look at this subÂject in a latÂer post, Using SVG in backÂground-image.
If adoptÂed wideÂly, the use of SVG in <img />
and background-image
could be responÂsiÂble for some big changes in webÂsite design.
Take a look at this examÂple of images in SVG (youâll need an SVG-capaÂble browsÂer), which disÂplays four phoÂtos at ranÂdom posiÂtions and sizes on the page. Images could be pulled at ranÂdom from Flickr (or wherÂevÂer) and rotatÂed, resized, and placed in the page as a backÂground. ComÂbined with mulÂtiÂple images, you could creÂate layÂers of effect, almost like colÂlages⌠pretÂty revolutionary.
div { background-image:
url('layer1.svg') left top,
url('layer2.svg') left top,
url('layer3.svg') left top;
}
It looks like Opera will be first to impleÂment this feaÂture with their 9.5 release, preÂviews of which should be availÂable soon. No definÂiÂtive word on whether theyâll impleÂment mulÂtiÂple backÂgrounds, but Iâm hopeful.
KHTML and WebKit look set to unfork, and WebKit have recentÂly announced a set of project goals (and non-goals), which include the statement:
WebKit is an engine, not a browser.
Which does beg the quesÂtion: why is their blog called Surfinâ Safari, and promiÂnentÂly feaÂture the Safari logo?
The W3Câs announceÂment that CSS2.1 has moved to âCanÂdiÂdate RecÂomÂmenÂdaÂtionâ staÂtus has been met with a mutÂed response from the comÂmuÂniÂty â preÂsumÂably because most peoÂple think theyâre using it already.
As itâs inchÂing closÂer to becomÂing a full recÂomÂmenÂdaÂtion, there are no new feaÂtures introÂduced; a few, howÂevÂer, are in danÂger of being dropped when the CR process is over as they arenât in comÂmon use. These include:
- âarmenÂianâ, âgeorÂgianâ and âlowÂer-greekâ valÂues for the âlist-style-typeâ property;
- supÂport for mulÂtiÂple id attribÂutÂes; and
- the âquotesâ property
Iâve nevÂer used any of those feaÂtures, and nevÂer seen the need for mulÂtiÂple id attribÂutÂes, so from my point of view none of them will be a loss.
As the majorÂiÂty of CSS 2.1 rules have been in comÂmon use for a long time, Iâd hope that this becomes a full recÂomÂmenÂdaÂtion as soon as posÂsiÂble, and that we can look forÂward to seeÂing CSS 3 become the sole focus of attention.
Last week, we delivÂered some designs to a client who had asked us to refresh the conÂtent areas of their webÂsite. We worked hard on getÂting the typogÂraÂphy clearÂer & more readÂable, and when they saw the printÂed designs they declared themÂselves âthrilledâ and couldÂnât wait to see the styles applied to the website.
Today we went back to the client and showed them the codÂed pages; to say they were disÂapÂpointÂed would be an underÂstateÂment. Iâd worked hard on the typogÂraÂphy and was very deflatÂed by their reacÂtion; the fonts appeared too jagged to them; the printÂed designs weâd shown had aliased fonts, and when Iâd testÂed them on my Mac they looked fine; even on WinÂdows, with its difÂferÂent aliasÂing, theyâd still looked good to me. ObviÂousÂly weâd comÂmentÂed beforeÂhand that the fonts wouldÂnât look the same on screen as they did on paper, but it was still a shock to our client.
Read the full article
If you use FireÂfox and Chris PedrickÂâs invaluÂable Web DevelÂopÂer extenÂsion, this should be very useÂful to you: 10 Things You May Not Know About the Web DevelÂopÂer ToolÂbar. I hadÂnât seen the âView ColÂor InforÂmaÂtionâ option before; itâs amazing!
After what seems like an eterÂniÂty, the latÂest verÂsion of the Flock browsÂer has been released. It feaÂtures a new user interÂface, and inteÂgraÂtion with a wider numÂber of media serÂvices, YouTube being a notable examÂple, as well as a new feaÂture called My World, which disÂplays your feeds, news and media on one page.
I think theyâve made a tremenÂdous effort to harÂness the enerÂgy of the social web, but I think this release just reinÂforces that this is not a browsÂer for me. I blog, I use flickr and del.icio.us, I read lots of feeds, so on paper this should be perÂfect for me. In fact, the reaÂson I use these serÂvices is because theyâre web-based, and havÂing their funcÂtionÂalÂiÂty impleÂmentÂed into the browsÂer just doesÂnât proÂvide an advanÂtage for me.
It also feels like thereâs been an extra levÂel of comÂplexÂiÂty added; when you first load up, there are a bewilÂderÂing array of options availÂable to you. Again, Iâm not sayÂing thatâs a bad thing, it just doesÂnât proÂvide any incenÂtive for me to use it.
If youâre heavÂiÂly investÂed in the social web or web-based media, youâll probÂaÂbly find lots to like in Flock. While I admire the planÂning and thought processÂes that have gone into makÂing it, I canât find a sinÂgle outÂstandÂing reaÂson for me to quit FireÂfox just yet.