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CSS

Aurelian Spodarec
Aurelian Spodarec
10,801 Points
Posted by Aurelian Spodarec
Aurelian Spodarec
10,801 Points

Why CSS can't be fundamentally changed?

Why CSS can't be fundamentally changed?

2 Answers

Tim Knight
Tim Knight
28,888 Points
Tim Knight
Tim Knight
28,888 Points

Keep in mind that programming languages and CSS are actually very different. With new programming languages, like FB's Hack language which builds on PHP, there is a compilation process or a server application that constructs the routines within that language. In terms of CSS however that's not really changing any time soon. Even today new CSS modules are being added, but the fundamental structure and format of CSS is what it is unless there is a massive overhaul which I really don't see happening. Now there are things like Sass or other preprocessors that can modify a specialized syntax, but all that's going to do is compile it into CSS syntax that a browser is going to need to understand.

Aurelian Spodarec
Aurelian Spodarec
10,801 Points
Aurelian Spodarec
Aurelian Spodarec
10,801 Points

Yes, that's what I mean when I wrote programming language is always changeable xd but I see, my bad with the english.

Oh, so Hack is build on PHP? So, what if someone builds a programming languaged called ORS that will be another JS but different? build from Binary? or that's another topic i suppose.

So CSS can be fundamentally changed by the people that set the new standard right? So if they wanted, they could remove the Cascading function? and such? For example, most browsers read the CSS from right to left so if you have a class it will render it faster than .class li etc.. so again, that's a function that the creators set from reading from right? And the older this is, than the harder and more time consuming it will get for any big or major change in CSS I suppose as well?

Tim Knight
Tim Knight
28,888 Points
Tim Knight
Tim Knight
28,888 Points

Hack isn't built on PHP... it's a fork of the language essentially which runs on Facebook's HHVM virtual machine.

The thing you have to realize though is that CSS doesn't just have a few creators, there's a standards board that collectively make decisions about new features. And then once features have been accepted browser vendors have to actually implement them... and they do that at their own discretion. Major changes to standard formats like CSS or HTML take several years and it's incredibly unlikely that you'll see a vendor or standards board changing the way CSS renders styles because it could very well break existing sites.

That's why CSS is now broken up into modules... like the Flexible Layout Module (flexbox). This way modules can independently be worked on and developed without effecting the core standard that is CSS.

Aurelian Spodarec
Aurelian Spodarec
10,801 Points
Aurelian Spodarec
Aurelian Spodarec
10,801 Points

Ah, I get it. So, what I'm learning now basically, and what you know and other dev, about the CSS, will be basically useless because in 10-20years we will all use flex-box?

Tim Knight
Tim Knight
28,888 Points
Tim Knight
Tim Knight
28,888 Points

That's kind of taking it to an extreme. Here's the thing, 20 years ago we were all still using tables to build out layout. Also... flexbox is available now, not in 20 years. I used flexbox as an example as a module of CSS not something that would be displacing CSS.

Aurelian Spodarec
Aurelian Spodarec
10,801 Points
Aurelian Spodarec
Aurelian Spodarec
10,801 Points

Maybe I misunderstood something but if you watch like 30seconds of this video conference .

Or is it that the technology can't be changed or it's impossible to do? Or he means that me and you, can't change CSS? I mean, a programming langauge is alwasy changable, FB realeased new programming langauges.. so people obeviously can create and changed programming langauges, but what's so special about CSS or?