CSS pre-procesÂsors like Sass and LESS extend CSS in many useÂful ways, not least by allowÂing you to use variÂables in your code either as sinÂgle valÂues or blocks of mulÂtiÂple property/value pairs, called MixÂins. So useÂful are these that develÂopÂer Tab Atkins proÂposed to the W3C that they be adoptÂed into CSS itself, but they were rejectÂed as no suitÂable use casÂes were seen.
I think I’ve found a sceÂnario in which, while the use of MixÂins aren’t vital, they’re cerÂtainÂly very useÂful, and it’s because of one of the core prinÂciÂples of codÂing: DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself).
Read the full article
The latÂest WorkÂing Draft of the CSS3 Image ValÂues and Replaced ConÂtent modÂule was released last month, and conÂtains some changes to the graÂdiÂent synÂtaxÂes — for what you’d hope would be the last time. The updatÂed synÂtaxÂes are a litÂtle more logÂiÂcal, but offer the same flexibility.
FireÂfox 10, which is due for release in a few weeks, will see an impleÂmenÂtaÂtion of the updatÂed linear-gradient
and repeating-linear-gradient
funcÂtions, so in this artiÂcle I’ll take a look at those, and write a folÂlow-up when the radiÂal graÂdiÂent updates are availÂable for use. Update: Here’s the comÂpanÂion artiÂcle on radiÂal graÂdiÂents.
Read the full article
One more post about things I’ve writÂten elseÂwhere, then I’ll be back to writÂing origÂiÂnal conÂtent here again…
AnothÂer pair of artiÂcles by me got pubÂlished today; they’re both introduction-level:
AdvenÂtures In The Third DimenÂsion, on SmashÂing MagÂaÂzine, is a beginÂners guide to CSS 3D TransÂforms, explainÂing the synÂtax with a few demos; and for UbelÂly I wrote The Five-Minute Guide to CSS AniÂmaÂtions, which does the same job for CSS Animations.
I’ve an artiÂcle comÂing up for .net MagÂaÂzine soon; it’s called 10 CSS TechÂniques for 2012, it’ll be the covÂer artiÂcle, and I’m very excitÂed about as I wrote it in colÂlabÂoÂraÂtion with Andreas JohansÂson, HarÂry Roberts, Lea VerÂou, NicoÂlas GalÂlagher, and Paul Adam Davis, all of whom do great work.
After that I have two more artiÂcles to write, should be tech editÂing a book on CSS3, then probÂaÂbly startÂing work on my own secÂond book. 2012 is going to be a very busy year.