This document summarizes upcoming CSS features like Box Alignment Level 3, CSS Grid Layout, CSS Shapes, CSS Feature Queries, and CSS Custom Properties. It explains what each feature does at a high level and provides example code snippets. The document also encourages developers to get involved by filing issues on browser bug trackers, requesting new features, and creating blog posts/demos to help drive adoption of these new CSS specifications.

1. The Near Future of CSS
Rachel Andrew

2. Rachel Andrew
» https://rachelandrew.co.uk
» https://grabaperch.com
» @rachelandrew
» Invited Expert to the CSS Working Group
» Google Developer Expert

3. Box Alignment Level 3
This is the vertical centering
module!

4. Centre the content of .box
.box {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
}
<div class="box">
<img alt="balloon" src="square-balloon.jpg">
</div>
http://codepen.io/rachelandrew/pen/XKaZWm

6. CSS Box Alignment Level 3
"The box alignment properties in CSS are a set of 6 properties that
control alignment of boxes within other boxes."
-- https://drafts.csswg.org/css-align/

7. CSS Box Alignment Level 3
Defines:
» justify-content
» align-content
» justify-self
» align-self
» justify-items
» align-items

9. .wrapper {
display: flex;
}
.wrapper li {
min-width: 1%;
flex: 1 0 25%;
}
.wrapper li:nth-child(2) {
align-self: center;
}
.wrapper li:nth-child(3) {
align-self: flex-start;
}
.wrapper li:nth-child(4) {
align-self: flex-end;
}
http://codepen.io/rachelandrew/pen/RavbmN

10. The Box Alignment spec defines
how these properties work in other
layout methods

11. .wrapper {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
}
.wrapper li {
min-width: 1%;
}
.wrapper li:nth-child(2) {
align-self: center;
}
.wrapper li:nth-child(3) {
align-self: start;
}
.wrapper li:nth-child(4) {
align-self: end;
}
http://codepen.io/rachelandrew/pen/jqdNoL

12. CSS Grid Layout
"Unlike Flexbox, however, which is single-axis–oriented, Grid Layout is
optimized for 2-dimensional layouts: those in which alignment of
content is desired in both dimensions."
-- https://drafts.csswg.org/css-grid/

13. Defining a simple grid
.cards {
display:grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr;
grid-gap: 10px;
}

14. The fr unit
Defines a fraction unit - a fraction of the available space.
Works in a similar way to using flex-grow with a positive value.

16. Wrapped Flexbox Layout
.cards {
display:flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
}
.card {
flex: 1 1 250px;
margin: 5px;
}
http://codepen.io/rachelandrew/pen/Gqvrwz

18. .cards {
display:grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(200px,1fr));
grid-gap: 10px;
}
http://codepen.io/rachelandrew/pen/VjzrgG

20. .cards {
display:grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(12,1fr);
grid-gap: 10px;
}
.card:nth-child(1) { grid-column: 1 / 4; }
.card:nth-child(2) { grid-column: 1 / 4; grid-row: 2; }
.card:nth-child(3) { grid-column: 9 / 13; grid-row: 2; }
.card:nth-child(4) { grid-column: 4 / 10; }
.card:nth-child(5) { grid-column: 10 / 13; }
http://codepen.io/rachelandrew/pen/XKaZwa

22. .card:nth-child(1) { grid-area: side1; }
.card:nth-child(2) { grid-area: side2; }
.card:nth-child(3) { grid-area: side3; }
.card:nth-child(4) { grid-area: middle1; }
.card:nth-child(5) { grid-area: side4; }

23. .cards {
display:grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr);
grid-gap: 10px;
grid-template-areas:
"side1 middle1 middle1 side3"
"side2 ....... ....... side4";
}

26. Lots of Grid Examples
http://gridbyexample.com

27. CSS Shapes
"CSS Shapes describe geometric shapes for use in CSS. For Level 1, CSS
Shapes can be applied to floats. A circle shape on a float will cause inline
content to wrap around the circle shape instead of the float’s bounding
box."
-- https://drafts.csswg.org/css-shapes/

29. A simple circle
.balloon {
float: left;
width: 429px;
shape-outside: circle(50%);
}
<div class="box">
<img class="balloon" src="round-balloon.png" alt="balloon">
<p>...</p>
</div>
http://codepen.io/rachelandrew/pen/KrvyQq

31. Floating generated content to use
Shapes
.box::before {
content: "";
display: block;
float: left;
width: 429px;
height: 409px;
shape-outside: circle(50%);
}
http://codepen.io/rachelandrew/pen/mErqxy

33. Shapes and clip-path
.balloon {
float: right;
width: 640px;
height: 427px;
shape-outside: ellipse(33% 50% at 460px);
-webkit-clip-path: ellipse(28% 50% at 460px);
clip-path: ellipse(28% 50% at 460px);
}
http://codepen.io/rachelandrew/pen/xOLPLa/

35. CSS Feature Queries with
@supports
Like Modernizr but in native CSS.
"The ‘@supports’ rule is a conditional group rule whose condition tests
whether the user agent supports CSS property:value pairs."
-- https://www.w3.org/TR/css3-conditional/#at-supports

37. Does my browser support
display: flex?
@supports (display: flex) {
.has-flex {
display: block;
background-color: #0084AD;
color: #fff;
}
}

38. Does my browser support
display: grid?
@supports (display: grid) {
.has-grid {
display: block;
background-color: #284C6D;
color: #fff;
}
}

39. Test more than 1 thing
@supports ((display: grid) and (shape-outside: circle())) {
.has-grid-shapes {
display: block;
background-color: #666;
color: #fff;
}
}
http://codepen.io/rachelandrew/pen/RRkWKX/

40. .balloon {
border: 1px solid #999;
padding: 2px;
}
@supports ((shape-outside: ellipse()) and ((clip-path: ellipse()) or (-webkit-clip-path:ellipse()))) {
.balloon {
border: none;
padding: 0;
float: right;
width: 640px;
min-width: 640px;
height: 427px;
shape-outside: ellipse(33% 50% at 460px);
-webkit-clip-path: ellipse(28% 50% at 460px);
clip-path: ellipse(28% 50% at 460px);
}
}

43. Using feature queries
» Write the css for older browsers
» Inside the feature query reset those properties
» Inside the feature query write your new CSS
http://codepen.io/rachelandrew/pen/vKJmXR

44. CSS Custom Properties
(CSS Variables!)

45. CSS Custom Properties
"This module introduces a family of custom author-defined properties
known collectively as custom properties, which allow an author to
assign arbitrary values to a property with an author-chosen name, and
the var() function, which allow an author to then use those values in
other properties elsewhere in the document."
-- https://drafts.csswg.org/css-variables/

46. :root {
--primary: blue;
--secondary: orange;
}
h1 {
color: var(--primary);
}
http://codepen.io/rachelandrew/pen/qNXpEZ

47. Testing for custom properties
:root {
--primary: blue;
--secondary: orange;
}
@supports (--primary: blue) {
h1 {
color: var(--primary);
}
h2 {
color: var(--secondary);
}
}
http://codepen.io/rachelandrew/pen/mErpZA

49. Getting Involved
CSS Specification discussion and
issues are on github
https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts

51. Raise issues with browsers
» Mozilla https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/
» Edge https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/
platform/issues/
» Chrome https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/list

52. Request features
Directly request features where browsers give you the means to
do so.
Writing blog posts, presentations and demos also helps.

53. If we don’t ask we
don’t get
Make some noise for the new shiny!

54. Thank you!
@rachelandrew
https://cssgrid.me/melbjs