CSS Multi-Columns

Qu'est-ce que c'est ?

Le module CSS multi-colums permet de diviser un long flux de texte en plusieurs colonnes de manière automatique. Et donc nous n'avons pas besoin, par exemple, pour 3 colonnes de créer 3 conteneurs. Cette technique est beaucoup utilisée dans les journaux ou les magazines mais encore très peu sur le web.

Ainsi de larges blocs de texte peuvent être divisés facilement en sous-colonnes pour offrir une meilleure lecture et améliorer l'esthétisme d'un site. C'est un avantage aussi d'un point de vue sémantique, car on se passe de balises supplémentaires nécessaires pour avoir le même rendu sans CSS3.

D'un autre côté la lisibilité d'un site peut être complètement ruinée avec une mauvaise utilisation de ce module. Un site web n'étant pas forcément statique comme le serait la page d'un magazine. Par exemple l'utilisateur ne doit pas avoir à scroller quand il lit la fin de la colonne et passe à la suivante.

Compatibilité des navigateurs

  • Opera 11.10+, Opera Mobile 11.10+
  • IE 10+
  • Firefox 3.6+
  • Safari 3.2+
  • Chrome 10+

Utilisation

Il y a deux façons de créer des colonnes, on peut d'une part spécifier un nombre fixe de colonnes à l'aide de la propriété column-count ou alors spécifier la largeur des colonnes à l'aide de column-width (pixels ou ems, mais pas de pourcentage…). Les deux propriétés peuvent être cumulées, mais le navigateur choisira l'une ou l'autre suivant les cas. Il existe bien sur d'autre propriétés :

  • column-gap pour gérer l'espacement entres les colonnes
  • column-rule, column-rule-width, column-rule-style, column-rule-color pour gérer l'apparence de la séparation des colonnes
  • break-before, break-after, break-inside permet par exemple de forcer le passage d'un élément sur la colonne suivante. Plus d'infos sur le site du w3c.

Exemples

Séparation en deux colonnes

Now that we know who you are, I know who I am. I'm not a mistake! It all makes sense! In a comic, you know how you can tell who the arch-villain's going to be? He's the exact opposite of the hero. And most times they're friends, like you and me! I should've known way back when... You know why, David? Because of the kids. They called me Mr Glass.

Do you see any Teletubbies in here? Do you see a slender plastic tag clipped to my shirt with my name printed on it? Do you see a little Asian child with a blank expression on his face sitting outside on a mechanical helicopter that shakes when you put quarters in it? No? Well, that's what you see at a toy store. And you must think you're in a toy store, because you're here shopping for an infant named Jeb.

Now that there is the Tec-9, a crappy spray gun from South Miami. This gun is advertised as the most popular gun in American crime. Do you believe that shit? It actually says that in the little book that comes with it: the most popular gun in American crime. Like they're actually proud of that shit.

Now that we know who you are, I know who I am. I'm not a mistake! It all makes sense! In a comic, you know how you can tell who the arch-villain's going to be? He's the exact opposite of the hero. And most times they're friends, like you and me! I should've known way back when... You know why, David? Because of the kids. They called me Mr Glass.

Look, just because I don't be givin' no man a foot massage don't make it right for Marsellus to throw Antwone into a glass motherfuckin' house, fuckin' up the way the nigger talks. Motherfucker do that shit to me, he better paralyze my ass, 'cause I'll kill the motherfucker, know what I'm sayin'?

Well, the way they make shows is, they make one show. That show's called a pilot. Then they show that show to the people who make shows, and on the strength of that one show they decide if they're going to make more shows. Some pilots get picked and become television programs. Some don't, become nothing. She starred in one of the ones that became nothing.

Code

div.twocol {
  column-count: 2;
  column-gap: 20px;
  -moz-column-count: 2;
  -moz-column-gap: 20px;
  -o-column-count: 2;
  -o-column-gap: 20px;
  -webkit-column-count: 2;
  -webkit-column-gap: 20px;
}

Séparation en trois colonnes + style

The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon thee.

Look, just because I don't be givin' no man a foot massage don't make it right for Marsellus to throw Antwone into a glass motherfuckin' house, fuckin' up the way the nigger talks. Motherfucker do that shit to me, he better paralyze my ass, 'cause I'll kill the motherfucker, know what I'm sayin'?

Your bones don't break, mine do. That's clear. Your cells react to bacteria and viruses differently than mine. You don't get sick, I do. That's also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We're on the same curve, just on opposite ends.

Now that we know who you are, I know who I am. I'm not a mistake! It all makes sense! In a comic, you know how you can tell who the arch-villain's going to be? He's the exact opposite of the hero. And most times they're friends, like you and me! I should've known way back when... You know why, David? Because of the kids. They called me Mr Glass.

Well, the way they make shows is, they make one show. That show's called a pilot. Then they show that show to the people who make shows, and on the strength of that one show they decide if they're going to make more shows. Some pilots get picked and become television programs. Some don't, become nothing. She starred in one of the ones that became nothing.

Normally, both your asses would be dead as fucking fried chicken, but you happen to pull this shit while I'm in a transitional period so I don't wanna kill you, I wanna help you. But I can't give you this case, it don't belong to me. Besides, I've already been through too much shit this morning over this case to hand it over to your dumb ass.

 

Code

div.threecol {
	column-count: 3;
	column-gap: 10px;
	column-rule-color: #ccc;
	column-rule-style: dotted;
	column-rule-width: 2px;
	-moz-column-count: 3;
	-moz-column-gap: 10px;
	-moz-column-rule-color: #ccc;
	-moz-column-rule-style: dotted;
	-moz-column-rule-width: 2px;
	-o-column-count: 3;
	-o-column-gap: 10px;
	-o-column-rule-color: #ccc;
	-o-column-rule-style: dotted;
	-o-column-rule-width: 2px;
	-webkit-column-count: 3;
	-webkit-column-gap: 10px;
	-webkit-column-rule-color: #ccc;
	-webkit-column-rule-style: dotted;
	-webkit-column-rule-width: 2px;
}

Conclusion

La propriété CSS multi-columns se dégrade assez naturellement sur les navigateurs qui ne supporte pas encore la spécification. On voit simplement qu'une seule colonne. Pouvoir gérer ce genre de layout sans avoir recours à des scripts quelconque est vraiment pratique. À l'heure où les designers donnent de plus en plus d'importance à la lisibilité du contenu, je pense qu'on en verra un peu plus d'ici quelques temps.

P.S. : Vous avez reconnu les citations des exemples ?

Réf. : Spécifications

Vus : 538
Publié par Rydgel : 137