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by xnx 722 days ago
We might have pushed CSS further than it should go, but using gradient for the connector lines is pretty clever.
5 comments
llama_drama 722 days ago
I don't think we pushed CSS too far; the complexity of CSS is inherently tied to the complexity of the UI requirements. Even now CSS can't handle everything.
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the_other 722 days ago
I think it's "cute" but a hack that abuses the spirit of what HTML and CSS are for, and what they do well. It's inaccessible and lossy.
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lukan 722 days ago
It is pretty nice, but my thirst thoughts were also, how this will make new browser engines more hard to make.
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zarzavat 722 days ago
We passed that threshold in 2019 when Microsoft gave up trying to make a browser engine because it was too difficult.
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worldsayshi 722 days ago
Or they don't know what they gain from maintaining their own.
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lukan 722 days ago
Well, they had a dominating browser for many years, so they know the benefit. Apparently they decided it is cheaper to just focus on the "user experience".

Now they can still control what buttons there are and whatbis shown on the home screen by default, but do not have to bother so much with all the expensive technical details.

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clan 722 days ago
Yet, Ladybird.dev is happening.
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Izkata 722 days ago
"The Shapes of CSS" was 6 years ago: https://css-tricks.com/the-shapes-of-css/

I remember various triangles using "border" and 0 width/height being pretty common even in the decade before that.

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robertlagrant 722 days ago
Yeah - very smart.

I suppose the lines won't be interactive (e.g. "double click on this line to add a text label") because the line isn't there in any sense Javascript would be aware of. Unless Javascript computes the same gradient, which is then a pointless duplication. But it's very clever.

Makes me wonder if there's a missing format out there that should be built into browsers that describes shapes and connections.

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allendoerfer 722 days ago
> Makes me wonder if there's a missing format out there that should be built into browsers that describes shapes and connections.

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/SVG

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robertlagrant 722 days ago
Where's the bit with connectors, though?
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