Some months ago, I wrote a 2023 CSS wishlist for things I’d like to see in the spec. Among them was the desire to be able to add to existing CSS values. This would be particularly useful for multi-value properties like transition and transform, although it would also be cool to be able to add to existing numeric values, like 2em more padding than this would otherwise have. There would be difficulties implementing this as described in that post though. I’ve thought of some other possible options that may be less problematic.
ideas posts
Ideas: Cascading Behavior Sheets, a declarative alternative to JS
I have had the idea for some time that the web ought to have a declarative format to define behavior on elements like it does for styles (CSS). It would be an alternative to JavaScript (JS) that would be as robust as CSS, simplifying adding and defining common behaviors. There are a lot of things sites do frequently that can take a fair amount of work for a new person to implement, as well as require a payload sent over the wire. For people who don’t need complications beyond standard, this could be provided by the browser with some configuration in a simple sheet. I think there should be a Cascading Behavior Sheet (CBS) standard for the web.
Potential advantages:
- robust forward and backward compatibility like CSS
- simpler, easier to learn format than JS
- little to write or think about for common functionality
- little to send over wire for common functionality
- more performant native implementation possible
- declarative
- familiar syntax to CSS devs
- simple to connect behavior broadly to chosen selectors
- cascade,
@media,@support, etc to limit which and when behaviors apply - automatic handling of attaching and removing behaviors when they apply / don’t, including new DOM elements
- maintain separation of concerns that keeping JS and CSS separate provides
Ideas: Hybrid energy storage for electric vehicles
I would like to see electric cars adopt hybrid energy storage / generation systems. An advanced controller would direct electricity to and from each system based on which is considered best at handling the current situation. If one has failed, it would simply be cut out of usage. It might include batteries, a generator, capacitors, compressed air systems, etc. A system like this would:
- allow for characteristics that any one system doesn’t provide
- provide an alternative / backup for if any one system fails / degrades
- retain the simple, low maintenance drive system that an electric vehicle has
Ideas: Waste material as shade structures
I saw an article about cities doing various things to reduce heat, including lighter road surfaces and planting trees. Trees provide good shade and reduce temperatures, and are generally good for the environment, but can require quite a bit of water for dry areas. I got to thinking that we could build artificial tree-like structures to provide shade. But it would require a lot of material, and it would be undesirable cost-wise and environmentally to dig up new materials for this purpose. So I wondered about building them from waste materials.
Continue reading post "Ideas: Waste material as shade structures"Ideas: Vanlife parking garage
A parking garage would be built catering to vanlife visitors. It would have amenities for them and both short and long term parking pricing. The price would probably have to be kept a good bit lower than campgrounds, as their natural settings and added space offer added value.
Continue reading post "Ideas: Vanlife parking garage"Idea: A lodging establishment called Linked Inn. It would likely cater to business travelers and have some nice common spaces for meeting others as well as conference rooms.
Ideas: compute furnace
Furnace with a powerful computer system providing the heat. Will use compute cycles for scientific research or other social or personal purposes, running things like BOINC, Folding at Home, crypto mining, or rented “cloud” usage. Fans or liquid cooling systems will carry heat to a traditional forced air or water boiler system to distribute the heat throughout the home / building. System will increase or decrease CPU usage based on thermostatic control.
Continue reading post "Ideas: compute furnace"Idea: layered E-ink plus transparent LCD screen
A fully transparent LCD screen would be layered over an E-ink screen. The LCD would provide a color display that can change rapidly for animations, video, games, etc. The E-ink would provide a low power, eye friendly display for text and other visuals not needing the LCD capabilities. The best of both worlds.
Continue reading post "Idea: layered E-ink plus transparent LCD screen"Idea: A mobile shoe seller called Shoeffeur.
Today at work, I came up with the word “æffect” as a solution to the common confusion of two similar but different words.
Continue reading post "#2435"