The CSS Podcast

In this closing episode, we do a whirlwind recap of our entire first season! We go over every episode, from the box model to z-index to animations and functions and color. Listen as we recount our favorite tips and tricks and discuss what we learned in the process of making this podcast.

Today we are talking about CSS blend modes! Blend modes are super fun and allow you to specify how you want elements to interact in terms of their overlapping pixel values on the page. Links: mix-blend-mode → https://goo.gle/3m5L9mP   Isolation: Cascading Style Sheets → https://goo.gle/2GIDjiX  

In this episode, we're talking about CSS filters! We can alter the pixels of our web apps in similar ways to our favorite design tools. From recreating Instagram filter effects, to blurring background for better legibility, we dive deep into what CSS and filters can do. Links: Filter Effects Module Level 1 → https://goo.gle/34SPJ1D   Backdrop Filter → https://goo.gle/3hJTMRz   CSSGram → https://go...

In this episode, we're talking about CSS animations. With CSS animations a developer creates a set of keyframes, and then uses a variety of animation properties to describe how the element moves through each of the possible keyframes.  Links: Animations Level 1 Spec → https://goo.gle/2DhV0V2   Easing Level 1 Spec → https://goo.gle/3kWoWap   Scroll-Linked Animations Draft Spec → https://goo.gle/39V...

In this episode gradients take the stage as we share syntax secrets, tips and tricks, and probably teach you about repeating-conic-gradient. By the end, you'll be savvy with color stops, transition hints, and all the ways to interpolate color in your design. Links: Spec Level 3 → https://goo.gle/3h8cRN7   Spec Draft Level 4 → https://goo.gle/3iPmDUE   Lea's Pattern Gallery → https://goo.gle/3j4XEw...

In this episode we talk about the runtime dynamic side of CSS, commonly recognized as a CSS function. Today, in similar fashion to other episodes, we'll be doing a massive overview of all the CSS functions, to be later deep dived.  Links: CSS Tricks Guide to CSS Functions → https://goo.gle/2XRb7Ah   CSS Variables → https://goo.gle/2XRb2fX   Functional Notations Spec → https://goo.gle/3gJwavQ   Cub...

In today's episode, we're talking about z-index and stacking context. This is a pretty in-depth topic, but it's something that we see all the time and it can definitely bite if you aren't aware of what's going on. Links: CSS Animations Level 1 → https://goo.gle/2DhV0V2   Scroll-linked Animations 1 → https://goo.gle/39VQV4N   15 thoughts on What's the Maximum Z-Index? → https://goo.gle/31ipKxh   Wh...

Today we discuss: focus! Focus  is something we regularly deal with when writing styles and is also very tied to markup and attributes like tabindex, so we'll be discussing all of those things in this episode! Links: User Action Pseudo-classes → https://goo.gle/3jNSHcL   HTML Standard → https://goo.gle/3g7FzNr   Keyboard control → https://goo.gle/2X1rNEE    Roving tabindex -- A11 → https://goo.gle...

Today we're talking about shadows! Box shadows, drop shadows, text shadows, and everything in between. Shadows can exist all over our UIs without us even realizing it because sometimes, they just look like borders.   box-shadow spec →  https://goo.gle/32JVdL4   text-shadow spec → https://goo.gle/2ZMdiGo   Sass pixel art → https://goo.gle/3hsjQjp   Any image to CSS → https://goo.gle/2WKnm0L   Easin...

Today we're talking about borders! And while this sounds relatively simplistic, borders in CSS can actually get pretty complex very quickly. It's not just color and style that you can adjust, but also also border images, where you control how the image repeats itself and what slice of the image you want to show. Links: CSS backgrounds and borders → https://goo.gle/3hbosdZ CSS logical properties an...

In this episode we break down functional and regular pseudo selectors, CSS's special hook into encapsulated element states. We can't control them, but we can leverage them to provide rich interactive feedback from our interfaces.   Links: Selectors Level 4 → https://goo.gle/2ZiJLmt   a:link vs. a styling demo → https://goo.gle/2NGwWgd   Hacking Visited for Una's Blog → https://goo.gle/3eIo0TC   :f...

::after and ::before? Pssh, do you know about ::first-letter, ::spelling-error, and ::backdrop? In this episode, we dive into the world of pseudo-elements and discuss how to use these unique declarations that enable styling specific parts of some selected HTML.  Links CSS Pseudo-Elements Module Level 4 → https://goo.gle/2BxRB3q   CSS Shadow Parts → https://goo.gle/2NqjYmM   CSS Text Decoration Mod...

In this episode we do our best to cover the many ways to create space on the web. From techniques like HTML entities nbsp; to gap, we cover the clever, hacky and clean ways you can create spatial relationships on the web.  Links CSS Logical Properties and Values Level 1 → https://goo.gle/3gw7FTp   HTML Entities → https://goo.gle/36Soqnd   Everything You Should Know About Collapsing Margins → https...

The days of  euro-centric spacing like `margin-top` are limited: instead, say hello to `margin-block-start` to define space that works within any linguistic context based on your layout needs. In this episode we shake the physical and lean into the logical as we break down CSS logical properties. Links: https://goo.gle/3gw7FTp   Flow-relative syntax for margin - like shorthands - https://goo.gle/2...

Tracks, gaps, areas and flow are hot topics in this full coverage episode on CSS grid. We don't leave anything out, so you're bound to pick up something new. We talk about functions like min, max, and minmax, and how to combine all of the powers of CSS Grid to create explicit and auto layouts. This episode will set you up to reach for the right parts of grid at the right time. Links Grid Spec → ht...

In this episode we flex our flexbox knowledge and dive deep into CSS layout using the flexible box model. We talk about content axis', flex flow, wrapping, order, justification, alignment, and more! Links Flexbox Spec - https://www.w3.org/TR/css-flexbox-1/ Flow-flow with writing mode - https://codepen.io/argyleink/pen/mdeedye Grid to Flex: https://gridtoflex.com

In this episode we provide an overview and slight history of laying things out on the web, starting from blocks and framesets, ending with Grid and Houdini.  Links A History of CSS through 15 years of 24 ways → https://goo.gle/3fnrBXI   Holy Grail Layout → https://goo.gle/2ynld2l   Complete Guide to Flexbox → https://goo.gle/2A2Wtg9   Grid Guide → https://goo.gle/2SEldBM

We're sizing up sizing in CSS in this episode as we break down all the different lengths and measurements in CSS. CSS makes using these things seamless, it's great, but let's study some of the intricacies here; how it works and what that means for your day to day usage.   Links CSS Spec Values and Units Level 4 → https://goo.gle/2KKdttw   Sizing and Units on MDC → https://goo.gle/2VMkros   Speech...

Explore perceptual, human-centered, color in this episode as we review latest specs, latest syntaxes, theories and strategies for color on the web in 2020.   Links: Spec CSS color level-4 → https://goo.gle/3cFCaDr   Draft Spec CSS color level-5  → https://goo.gle/3cL4CUF   How Color Gamut & Display Technology Can Affect Your Content → https://goo.gle/3eIH5p3   WICG Contrast Ratio → https://goo.gle...

In this part 1 episode, we dive deep into using CSS color. We discuss ways to write and code colors, places they can go, functions you can use on them, and then we top it off with a hex color challenge. As always, you'll learn new jargon, pick up a trick or two, and learn something new.  #C55 is #ace not #5ad Links The Evolution of Color - Chris Lilley Read color hex codes - Dave DeSandro CSS colo...

Inheritance and its effects in CSS are found all over your styles, almost invisibly, until further investigation through devtools or docs. In today's episode, we illuminate the aspects of inheritance, how they're useful, things to watch out for, and of course tips, tricks and vocabulary.    Links Spec: css-cascade-3 → https://goo.gle/39KZPR6   List of inherits or not → https://goo.gle/2wn0yKF  

The "C" in CSS stands for the cascade! And that's what today's show is all about. Learn how the styles you write are affected by other styles, and how it all boils down to what the user sees. 4 Phases Of The Cascade: › Position › Specificity › Origin › Importance Links MDN on the Cascade and Inheritance → https://goo.gle/39jAEES   CSS Cascade Interactive Article → https://goo.gle/2UhqIHV   Una's D...

In this episode we talk about how the browser resolves multiple selectors targeting the same subjects and how it determines which style to actually apply. Turns out, lots of code from many different locations is trying to style your elements, learning about specificity will help you debug and understand why or why not certain styles are winning over others.    Links Diagram by Estelle Weyl → http:...

Get ready to learn some new CSS vocabulary! In this episode we talk about selectors, a syntax used to find elements (subjects) in a tree. CSS uses selectors to bind styles to subjects, and it's quite powerful. We go over universal selectors, type selectors, class selectors, ID selectors, attribute selectors, pseudo selectors, complex and compound selectors, and various combinators. A lot of things...

Where do scrollbars go, inside or outside the box? In this episode Una and Adam answer that and much more in their discussion of the CSS box model. Everything in CSS starts as a box, and while that's a straight forward concept to initially think about, it can get complex quite quickly. Not only do boxes surround elements, but letters in a sentence each have a box too. How many boxes are there!? Lo...