A CSS3 property that does not have a vendor prefix, followed by properties that do have vendor prefixes

Question

A CSS3 property that does not have a vendor prefix, followed by properties that do have vendor prefixes

As discussed in a response on Stack Overflow, one reason for the necessity of vendor prefixes in CSS properties is to prevent web pages from breaking even if the final specification varies from the implementation by different browsers.

In a recent reading, it was suggested that a best practice is to include non-prefixed property declarations after their respective vendor-prefixed counterparts. This can be seen in the example below:

p {
    -webkit-hyphens: auto;
    -moz-hyphens: auto;
    -ms-hyphens: auto;
    -o-hyphens: auto;
    hyphens: auto;
}

However, if the finalized specification for a property differs significantly from how various vendors have implemented it, wouldn't this approach result in design issues on webpages relying on these prefixes? If the interpretations align with the final specs, then this coding style would be effective. So, why is placing non-prefixed properties after vendor-prefixed ones considered good practice?

css vendor-prefix

Answer 1

Answer №1

It is considered best practice to use the code snippet provided, as it aims to be forward and backward compatible...

In a non-standard implementation, each browser may interpret the property differently, hence the need for prefixes. The hope is that eventually, browsers will standardize the property leading to consistent rendering.

While the prefixed versions currently work, the goal is for the non-prefixed version to take over once the property is standardized and prefixes are no longer needed.

I acknowledge that seeing "hopefully" multiple times might not instill confidence, so for reliable CSS, it's advisable to either wait for standardization or ensure graceful degradation in your designs.

Certain CSS3 properties like border-radius have some level of standardization and can render properly without prefixes. However, considering not all users keep their browsers up to date, using prefixes for a while is still a prudent choice.

For instance, Firefox may render certain properties without prefixes that Chrome requires, such as animation and @keyframes. Utilizing both prefixed and non-prefixed versions in this scenario is a sensible approach.

.myClass {
  position: relative;
  -webkit-animation: myAnimation 3s; /* Chrome-specific */
  animation: myAnimation 3s; /*Firefox-compatible animation */
}
@-webkit-keyframes myAnimation { /* Chrome-specific keyframes */
  from {
    background: red;
    top: 10px;
  }
  to {
    background: blue;
    top: 100px;
  }
}
@keyframes myAnimation { /*Cross-browser keyframes for compatibility */
  from {
    background: red;
    top: 10px;
  }
  to {
    background: blue;
    top: 100px;
  }
}

<div class="myClass">Hello World</div>

Give the above code a try in both Firefox and Chrome to witness the differences mentioned.

Answer 2

It is considered best practice to use the code snippet provided, as it aims to be forward and backward compatible...

In a non-standard implementation, each browser may interpret the property differently, hence the need for prefixes. The hope is that eventually, browsers will standardize the property leading to consistent rendering.

While the prefixed versions currently work, the goal is for the non-prefixed version to take over once the property is standardized and prefixes are no longer needed.

I acknowledge that seeing "hopefully" multiple times might not instill confidence, so for reliable CSS, it's advisable to either wait for standardization or ensure graceful degradation in your designs.

Certain CSS3 properties like border-radius have some level of standardization and can render properly without prefixes. However, considering not all users keep their browsers up to date, using prefixes for a while is still a prudent choice.

For instance, Firefox may render certain properties without prefixes that Chrome requires, such as animation and @keyframes. Utilizing both prefixed and non-prefixed versions in this scenario is a sensible approach.

.myClass {
  position: relative;
  -webkit-animation: myAnimation 3s; /* Chrome-specific */
  animation: myAnimation 3s; /*Firefox-compatible animation */
}
@-webkit-keyframes myAnimation { /* Chrome-specific keyframes */
  from {
    background: red;
    top: 10px;
  }
  to {
    background: blue;
    top: 100px;
  }
}
@keyframes myAnimation { /*Cross-browser keyframes for compatibility */
  from {
    background: red;
    top: 10px;
  }
  to {
    background: blue;
    top: 100px;
  }
}

<div class="myClass">Hello World</div>

Give the above code a try in both Firefox and Chrome to witness the differences mentioned.

Answer 3

Answer №2

Implementing the code above is considered a best practice due to CSS's overriding feature.

By following this approach, you allow the browser to check for specific vendor prefixes (which are important for supporting older browser versions) before falling back to a general property that applies universally;

If the browser does not recognize any of the property types, it will simply ignore them...

Answer 4

Implementing the code above is considered a best practice due to CSS's overriding feature.

By following this approach, you allow the browser to check for specific vendor prefixes (which are important for supporting older browser versions) before falling back to a general property that applies universally;

If the browser does not recognize any of the property types, it will simply ignore them...

A CSS3 property that does not have a vendor prefix, followed by properties that do have vendor prefixes

Answer №1

Answer №2

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