I have no idea why Smashing Magazine asks me to host these things, but they're fun and this latest one on Modern CSS was a real hoot with @mia, @argyleink, and Julia Miocene.

https://geoffgraham.me/smashing-meets-modern-css/

Hey y'all, I have a new workshop at the end of April - deepdive into modern CSS Layout techniques. Level up your team with a systemic understanding.

The intro video has a demo of #CSS grid areas. I’ll post more tips in the lead up. Early-bird pricing til April 12!

https://www.oddbird.net/workshops/cascading-layouts/

style() is designed to work with property names, which is why we can use bare variables without var(). Some day maybe browsers will also let us access non-custom properties there.

but also! var() is in the category of other values we can use. So if you like it, or want fallbacks, that works too!

CSS Working Group resolved to allow range syntax in style queries. We can compare with a container variable:

@ container style(--var < 5em)

But can also compare normal values:

style(1em < 20px)
style(sibling-count() > 3)

This style function can also be used for conditions of inline if()

#css

The web needs independent contributors like @mia. That’s why I sent some money to this CSS Logical Shorthands page.

☞ https://opencollective.com/oddbird-open-source/contribute/css-logical-shorthands-86141

Please standardise `far-right-block-end: right-now;`

Thanks so much the many contributors this week supporting our open-source work, and the logical shorthands goal: Mark, LL, Dylan, Dan Ryan, @vasilis & @kizu !

To help keep progress on logical shorthands going, check out the OddBird Open Source collective:

https://opencollective.com/oddbird-open-source/contribute/css-logical-shorthands-86141

Huge thanks to Zach Jensz & @Jeremiah for supporting
@mia's funding goal to make progress on CSS Logical Shorthands!

There are several proposals, but they've been stalled for years waiting on funding for background research.

If you’d like to help:
https://opencollective.com/oddbird-open-source/contribute/css-logical-shorthands-86141

Since custom properties expand before a function is called, we can store that list in a variable:

--rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, etc;
color: nth-item(sibling-index(), var(--rainbow));

CSS Working Group resolved to add an nth-item() function, for selecting a value from multiple options. That could be useful in a lot of situations, but i'm excited to combine with sibling-index():

nth-item(sibling-index(), red, orange, yellow, green, …)

#css

"The Jedi use the cascade for knowledge and defense, never for attack."
— @mia

#smashingConf #css

See the problem with this joke is that it doesn't waste enough of your time in the lead-up, before you realize how bad the payoff will be

Can you expand on that point you made earlier? I believe your quote was, uh… Let's see, I wrote it down here… "the cutlery is the point"

As a cook myself, I'm curious to hear more about your research on the butter knives of fascism. Thanks.

I can't wait to talk about declarative interaction with Invoker Commands with @mia and special guest @Lukew on April 17. https://www.youtube.com/live/waip3s52BEA

My work’s full of mistakes, but at least you can be damn sure that I put every one of them there.

I watched a debate between Emily Bender and Some OpenAI Guy, and I just…

- Bender: As an expert in linguistics, we have a pretty good grasp on "meaning" vs "form". LLMs are just putting words together. People will read meaning into it, but that's a lie. People will get hurt.
- OpenAI Guy: If people read meaning into it, there's meaning in it *for them*. If things go wrong, that's a user problem. Capitalism, baby.

Check mate, humanities and also sciences. Horoscopes are AGI now.

Trimmed the bowls this evening. Probably the most consistent set of anything I've done.

Used a rubber bat for trimming, which was a first for me. Worked great - no wads of clay or giffin grip arms to deal with.

Thanks to @sundress & everyone else who has supported OddBird’s open source work this week!

We’re about 15% of the way toward our goal on logical shorthands. That will get me started researching the list of impacted properties.

If you’d still like to help:
https://opencollective.com/oddbird-open-source/contribute/css-logical-shorthands-86141

#css

Roller Skating… floppy kid in the practice area, maybe 8ish:

(scream)
(pause)

- Mama, I skated!!

(pause)
(to another kid…)

- I can teach you to skate!!

Thanks to @ashur for supporting OddBird’s open source work!

This week we launched a funding goal to make progress on shorthand syntax for CSS logical properties. But the path forward depends on where we hope to be a decade from now. Today I cover some of the options, and the issue blocking any of them. #CSS

https://www.oddbird.net/2025/03/27/logical-options/

Some bisqueware out of the kiln today, including this slab-built trinket tray. This is for a friend, and the glazing plan is more intricate than my usual. We'll see!