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Chapter 15

Chapter 15: CSS Moves into the Future ......................................................................

In This Chapter

Comparing CSS2 and CSS3

Handling pseudo-classes and pseudo-elements

Considering dubious descendants

T

echnology marches on. The beavers are busy again, so watch out!

Although slow by technology standards (indeed by any standards), the

committees that define CSS rules and features are still at work, after four years

of effort, trying to come up with CSS3. CSS programmers are still governed by

the set of specs in CSS2, and most browsers have adopted most of the CSS2

rules. Some browsers — notably Mozilla and Firefox — have gone so far as

to adopt some of the more interesting styles and modes of selection in CSS3

drafts.

The CSS committees start out with drafts, which are suggestions. After a few

years of bickering and mulling things over, CSS committees come out with

recommendations, which are also like suggested ideas but stronger.

Nobody actually uses the impolite and, face it, politically incorrect word “rule.”

Well, I do, but my job doesn’t rely on politik jargon or academic doubletalk.

I’m supposed to go for clarity, which I generally try to do. (The concept of the

“rule” does exist in CSS, but it means styles that you impose on your docu-

ments, not rules handed down by The Committee.)

In this chapter, you get to peek under the curtain at some of the more inter-

esting (or in some cases baffling) new regulations being proposed and con-

templated for CSS3. You also discover the unique way that some academics

use the word pseudo. (And you thought it meant false.)

Getting to Know CSS3 .................................................................................

CSS3 is the name for the next wave of changes and additions to the CSS

“core.” The core is most of the features described in this book, which are

available in Internet Explorer 6 and many of the minor browsers as well.