Benjamin Hawkes-Lewis wrote:
> Neither using experimental vendor-specific CSS properties or using
> unprefixed proposed CSS3 properties (they're not "standardized"!) is
> safe. But I'd have thought the former is safer, since vendors try not
> to implement two experimental versions and the proposed property is
> subject to change based on the experience of those implementations.
Vendor-specific CSS properties are for the most part safe to use in that
they don't end up disturbing other browsers - although I have seen that
happen too.
Used on client-projects vendor-specific CSS properties may backfire on
the one responsible for putting them in. Partly because each one will
only affect one browser, and partly because the standardized version may
deviate quite a bit from the experimental ones. Better explain how they
work and don't work before they're put in, as explaining may become more
difficult when a site has been up a while.
-----
Note that *nothing in CSS gets standardized* until there are at least
two interoperable implementations - at least two browsers must have
pretty identical and flawless support for what's only a suggestion. This
means we have to use the proposed properties/values if we want them to
become recommended parts of standards.
We must test to see what browsers make out of experimental and proposed
CSS properties, as otherwise we can't catch implementation flaws. Our
testing-ground should also be as "real world" as possible - not just
some minimal test-pages, since only real world tests will reveal all
weaknesses in a flawed implementation.
-----
So, what I'm saying is that we need "pretty wide and challenging"
sandboxes for testing - I use my entire site, and we need lots of them.
Personal sites, blogs etc. are excellent testing-grounds, if we dare see
things break/change slightly once in a while.
Just do not sell experimental and/or proposed solutions to clients
without having "cleared it" with them beforehand. They may not be quite
so relaxed/happy if something changes or starts breaking when a new
browser-version with upgraded standards-support arrives on the scene.
regards
Georg
--
http://www.gunlaug.no
______________________________________________________________________
css-discuss [cs...@lists.css-discuss.org]
http://www.css-discuss.org/mailman/listinfo/css-d
List wiki/FAQ -- http://css-discuss.incutio.com/
List policies -- http://css-discuss.org/policies.html
Supported by evolt.org -- http://www.evolt.org/help_support_evolt/
