CSS is poised for a significant upgrade with the introduction of custom functions, offering a way to encapsulate and reuse complex logic within stylesheets. Similar to functions in programming languages, these allow developers to define reusable blocks of CSS with parameters, enabling dynamic theming, responsive design adjustments, and streamlined maintenance. This functionality will bring enhanced flexibility and maintainability to CSS, potentially simplifying intricate styles and reducing code duplication. The introduction of custom functions signals a move toward more programmatic and powerful styling capabilities.
GitHub's UI evolution has been a journey from its initial Ruby on Rails monolithic architecture to a more modern, component-based approach. Historically, the "primer" design system helped create a unified experience, but limitations arose due to its tight coupling with Rails and evolving product needs. The present focuses on ViewComponent, promoting reusability and isolation, and adopting TypeScript for frontend development to improve maintainability and developer experience. Looking ahead, GitHub aims to streamline workflows, simplify the developer experience, and expand ViewComponent's scope for broader usage within the platform, ultimately aiming for a faster, more performant, and more accessible UI.
HN commenters largely focused on GitHub's UI regressions and perceived shift towards catering to non-developers. Several lament the removal of features and increased complexity, citing specific examples like the cluttered code review experience and the proliferation of non-coding-related UI elements. Some express nostalgia for the simpler, developer-centric design of the past, arguing the current direction prioritizes marketing and project management over core coding functionality. The discussion also touches on the transition to View.js and perceived performance issues, with some suggesting these changes contributed to the decline in user experience. A few commenters offer counterpoints, suggesting the changes benefit larger organizations and complex projects. Others point to the inherent challenge of balancing diverse user needs on a platform as large as GitHub.
Summary of Comments ( 15 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43236126
Hacker News users generally express excitement about the potential of CSS custom functions (also known as CSS variables). Several commenters highlight the benefits for theming and dynamic styling, particularly the ability to easily switch themes or adjust styles based on user preferences or context. Some anticipate improved code organization and maintainability through reduced redundancy. A few express caution, noting potential performance implications and the need for careful planning to avoid overly complex or difficult-to-debug stylesheets. One commenter suggests the feature could make CSS preprocessors like Sass less necessary, while another points out that preprocessors still offer additional functionality beyond custom functions. There's also discussion around the naming conventions and best practices for using custom functions effectively.
The Hacker News post "CSS Custom Functions are coming and they are going to be a game changer" linking to an article about upcoming CSS custom function features sparked a discussion with several interesting comments.
Many commenters express enthusiasm for the potential of CSS custom functions, particularly highlighting the ability to encapsulate and reuse complex logic, leading to more maintainable and DRY CSS. One commenter points out how this feature could simplify responsive design, allowing developers to define custom functions for calculations related to screen size or other dynamic properties. The example given is defining a function to calculate font size based on viewport width, eliminating the need for repetitive media queries.
Several commenters discuss the potential performance implications. Some express concern that overuse of custom functions might negatively impact rendering performance. Others argue that, if implemented efficiently by browsers, custom functions could actually improve performance by reducing the amount of CSS code that needs to be parsed. This leads to a discussion of how browsers currently optimize CSS and how custom functions might fit into that optimization process.
One compelling thread explores the possibility of using custom functions for theming and design systems. The idea is that variables alone are insufficient for complex theming logic, whereas custom functions would allow for more sophisticated calculations and manipulations of design tokens. This resonates with several other commenters who see the potential for creating truly dynamic and adaptable design systems using this feature.
Some skepticism is also present. One commenter questions whether the complexity introduced by custom functions might outweigh the benefits for simpler projects. Another points out the existing limitations of CSS preprocessors and wonders if custom functions would suffer from similar constraints. The discussion around preprocessors leads to comparisons between using preprocessors and native CSS solutions, with some arguing that native features are generally preferable due to better integration and performance.
Finally, a few comments touch upon the broader implications of this feature for the evolution of CSS and front-end development in general. Some see it as a significant step towards making CSS more powerful and expressive, while others remain cautious, preferring to wait and see how the feature is adopted and implemented in practice. The overall sentiment, however, is one of cautious optimism and excitement for the potential of CSS custom functions.