The CSS3 Colour module is one of the most implemented CSS3 modules. This was previously in the Candidate Recommendation stage, but has just recently been reverted to Last Call. While this sounds like a step backwards, it was done due to the specification being updated.
The new version of the CSS3 Colour Module has removed those features that were not widely implemented, such as the flavor system colour and the @color-profile at-rule. These dropped features are now in a request for implementation, which basically means the W3C wants browser or user agent vendors to implement the features or they will not be included in the final recommendation. If this is the case, then they will either be dropped completely or moved to CSS Colour level 4. The last call lasts until the 1st of September. If you’d like to give comments then send them to the www-style mailing list. The CSS Snapshot 2007 is waiting for this spec to go to Candidate Recommendation before it moves from Working Draft to Candidate Recommendation itself.
Now that the colour profile and flavor features have been removed, support is almost complete in three out of the four major browser engines. Firefox 3 supports the entire spec. Safari 3 has a bug with mixed values in RGB and RGBA, and does not support the the currentColor value, but the latest nightlies fixes both of these issues. Opera 9.5 does not support HSLA or RGBA, and doesn’t support the transparent value in CSS3 context (such as on the color property), but these are supported in the ACID3 build of Opera, and will be included in version of Opera that will use Core-2.2.
The beauty about working on a site that is specifically targeted for one the most popular mobile devices around (aka the iPhone) is that the vendor with the least CSS support (*cough* IE *cough*) doesn’t exist on it (purely because of its inadequate CSS support in this case).
Depending on the browser matrix you have to work with and the platforms you’re coding for, utilizing Level 3 (and some Level 2.1 in IE’s case) selectors simply isn’t realistic, although properties on the other hand can be used to progressively enhance an elements appearance in this particular context.
But what if a site was created to serve one specific handheld device in which Safari (along with its sufficient CSS3 support) was the default browser? Well, this is what Facebook has done with it’s iPhone-specifc UI. By peaking into their stylesheet you’ll notice that they’re implementing a number of Level 3 selectors, properties and property value additions. They include the:-
For comedy value, try viewing the site in IE.
Having this sort of free reign on selectors and properties is an interface developers dream in this day and age, and hopefully in a couple of years we’ll be able to structure a stylesheet with some similarly advanced features.
This is just a quick note, to inform CSS3.info readers that the release candidate for Opera Dragonfly alpha 2 has just been released. Check out the Opera Dragonfly web site for download instructions, and the Opera Dragonfly Blog for more information on the release. There will be a short RC phase then alpha 2 will be uploaded to the main Opera Dragonfly URL that is built into Opera 9.5, and existing alpha 1 users will be upgraded automatically. The web site will also be updated to highlight the new features.
One feature of note for readers of this blog is the auto-complete feature for CSS properties and values in the Styles sidebar. Using the up and down arrows will cycle through the valid properties that Opera supports. This (in theory) will give a good indication of all the CSS3 properties that Opera 9.5 (and subsequent versions) has implemented. As CSS editing is live and immediate, it is a great way to test new features and play with the values.
Please give feedback on Opera Dragonfly alpha 2 using the usual channels.
Dave Hyatt informs us that the latest Webkit nightlies now support an experimental implementation of CSS Variables.
The news comes only days after Daniel announced on his blog that he and Dave were in the process of finalizing a new version of the spec based on both feedback from readers and the Webkit implementation.
Nightlies can be downloaded from here and they’ve also provided a fair few test cases.
