Advanced CSS we CAN use today

Posted on 20 December 2009 by Clive Walker in CSS CSS3

I wrote this post a while back. The content can still be relevant but the information I've linked to may not be available.

There have been several articles recently that describe advanced CSS methods, usually part of the CSS3 specification (CSS3 Info), and how these push the boundaries of what we can do with CSS. There are some great examples including:

Many of these new CSS properties and methods work in some browsers but not others and this can often give rise to comments like “I’m not using this until it is supported by a wider range of browsers” or “we cannot use this until we drop support for IE6”. I’ve thought about this recently because I know these are arguments that I have sometimes advocated myself (!). However, I am now coming round to a different opinion which leads me to believe that we can use these advanced CSS properties today. Why do I say this?

Christmas presents with different colours

Well, what’s the worse that can happen if we use these properties? Some web users will not be able to see them. You may feel that your work is wasted if the majority of users cannot see some CSS3 properties or methods. However, as long as the usability of your website is not compromised by the use of CSS3 properties, I would say that this is not so bad. If the CSS3 methods provide the cake decoration, the cake is still eatable, right?!

There are also advantages to using these methods now. As a web designer or front-end developer you will learn some new stuff by using these methods/properties. This will put you ahead of the game when the newer methods are more widely supported.

Plus, you will have tried some really cool stuff! What’s not to like?! I hope to do more with some of the newer CSS3 methods myself during the next few months.

Thanks to Smashing Magazine for the Free Christmas Stock Photo

Comments

Stephen Webb:

21 Dec 2009 09:39:55

This is an interesting article considering the development of CSS techniques and how fast they are progressing. I particularly liked the article on CSS animations, as this really pushes the usage of CSS to the next level, although it does encounter multiple problems with different browsers.

CSS 3 properties are exciting, things such as shadow effects, opacity and rounded corners could really allow better design and easier development, opening up new possibilities for websites.

It will be interesting to see how fast CSS 3 is implemented once released publically, with the permanent issue of older browsers not being able to handle the new CSS. Maybe we will see a push for the downloading of new web browsers, as this is the only major obstacle for rolling out the new technology.

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