New W3C modules for CSS 3

A few weeks ago (20^th March 2009) the W3C released Working Drafts for new modules in CSS3, the modules are for animations, transitions, 2d-transforms and 3d-transforms. These new modules extend CSS in new ways and add some really sweet functionality that previously would have required JavaScript.

I am undecided on whether I think this is a good thing or not. On the face of it JavaScript is the right place for adding functionality to a webpage, visual elements should be handled with CSS. True making a block animate from right to left doesn’t actually add any functionality, nor does fading a div in and out and in that sense these modules are all about design and being able to use these effects without loading the page up with JavaScript is a good thing.

Why though are the W3C trying to incorporate these modules? Actually I have to say I think they’ve got better and more important things to be concentrating on right now such as getting CSS3 finalised and accepted and implemented by all the major browsers. I’m really pleased that there is innovation and awareness of what people want, these modules are based on proposals from Apple’s WebKit team, but I want to be using CSS3 now and the more bits that are added to it the less likely it is that IE9 will support everything and I’ll have to develop for the lowest common denominator again.