CSS3

As well as all the new CSS features we mentioned previously, Firefox 3.6* is gaining a brand new property value: image-rect. This allows you to clip an area of a background image to display only part of the whole.

It uses Mozilla’s proprietary prefix, and takes two values: a URI for the image, and the boundaries of the clipped area (as four comma separated values, like the clip property):

Just a flying update, to provide some links of interest (with little-to-no comment):

• Firefox 3.1’s release date has been pushed back a little; I understand that, CSS-wise, Transforms and Web Fonts are the current blockers.
• John Resig takes a look at the implementation of border-image in FF 3.1 (with examples supplied by us)
• The CSS Marquee module has made it to Working Draft status. And now, with the rise of the mobile web and limited screen size, it actually has a practical implementation.

A first Alpha of Mozilla’s new browser is due for release shortly (probably tomorrow). Firefox 3 saw a lot of work go into speed, stability and the interface, but was slightly disappointing for front-end developers and saw CSS implementation overtaken by Safari and Opera.

3.1 will make up for that with a whole raft of features on their way. Implemented in the current nightlies (and therefore, most likely, in the Alpha) are:

• All remaining Selectors
• Text Shadow
• Box Shadow
• Border Image
• Column Rule

Planned for implementation but not yet landed features include:

• Media Queries
• Transforms

For the stat-hungry amongst us, 3.1 currently scores 84 on the Acid 3 test, and the implementation of Media Queries should take that up to 85.

There’s no indication of it, but I personally would like to see their border-radius syntax brought into line with the standard, and Transitions implemented to complement Transforms. I’ve been playing with Transitions recently, and they’re very cool.

What new CSS features would you like to see in Firefox 3.1?

Firefox 3 isn’t quite out yet, but already there are some exciting plans for CSS implementation in future versions.

FF3.1 should see all the selectors (test them here), @media queries, text-shadow, font-stretch, and downloadable web fonts with @font-face; FF4 should add calc() and attr() values, along with the Animation and Transitions modules proposed by the Webkit team.

You can see a list of other planned implementations on the Mozilla Wiki.

I’ve just put a pre-Alpha build of Firefox 3.1 through its paces, and can confirm (following David Baron’s announcement) that it gets a score of 578/578 in our CSS3 Selectors Test, which means not only support for the new selectors, but some bugs fixed in existing ones. To put that score in perspective, Firefox 3 scores only 357/578.

There is an almost perfect score on Daniel Glazman’s Selectors Test too, with only one discrepancy showing up.

So Safari, Opera and now Firefox all pass the test; of the major browsers, that only leaves one Inevitable Exception…

Those brave enough to try pre-Alpha can download builds from Mozilla’s FTP server. The usual warnings and disclaimers apply!