[TYPO3-content-rendering] CSS Styled Imgtext

[JoH]

>> Well - I always wanted to start a discussion about that, but I never
>> did because I'm pretty sure this will lead to a flame war.
> Since when have you been afraid of a flame war? :-)
>
>>> I dont like it if there are divs floating everywhere...
> +1
>
>> Of course there is a way - and the name is <table>. :-P
>> The only thing that made the original "oldschool" IMGTEXT
>> "inaccessible" was the use of clear.gif for spacing.
>
> I think one of the basic problems is due to historical reasons: At the
> time the classic IMAGE Content Elements were developped, tables were
> the prime technique. Therefore, the IMGTEXT and its backend forms were
> implemented with all the easy functionality that tables can provide:
> several columns, borders, "frames", positioning by just aligning the
> table-imageblock etc.

You are mistaking two things here: The content elements in the BE called
"Image" and "Text with Image" and the two TS-Objects IMAGE and IMGTEXT.
You can use "Text with Image" without ever using IMGTEXT simply by changing
the TypoScript code of CSS-styled-content and/or content(default).
This will give you the chance to completely remove the "bad tables" of
IMGTEXT and replace them with "good tables" in simple wraps.

> Now css_styled_imgtext desperately tries to implement all this
> functionality 1:1 but has to use compeletely different technology:
> floating, clearing etc. And this is a WRONG concept in my opinion for
> three reasons:
>
> 1. Have you ever seen a website that features images/image-alignment
> in lots of rows and columns, just floated/positioned with pure css?

Yes - but seldomly ... ;-)

> 2. The concept of imitating table-layout with pure CSS it's very hard
> to achieve and very probably might never work in a crossbrowser
> environment.

Well - in this case it doesn't. Neither with div nor with span tags.
Tested and proved to be almost impossible.

> 3. Chances are that new posibilities, concepts, ideas for image
> Content Elements in TYPO3 that come through the usage of pure CSS
> might get lost because everybody expects all the old functionality.
>
> I think we would fare far better if we didn't try any longer merging
> two different concept into one. A "third way" should be taken:
>
> - The old IMGTEXT clearly needs polishing concerning techniques and
> accessibility (out with the spacers and <div><p> for captions, in with
> alt+title etc.)
>
> - css_styled_imgtext should be a SEPERATE concept of using images in
> TYPO3 - therefore it should have its own specific backend forms for
> the images and the specific functionality that comes along by using
> pure CSS.
>
> This might mean less flexibility with layouting text/images but could
> as well provide new IMAGE/TEXT Elements (like single images left AND
> right of text etc).
>
> These two concept could come along as static templates, very much like
> it's done in tt_news where you can choose between table-based and css
> layout techniques in your template. Then admins/editors can choose:
> use images in an accessible table for a page where they need a
> gallery-like look, whereas on other pages where just a single image
> (left or right in text) is needed they can get clean css-divs.

As I told you above, there is no need to change BE behaviour.
Simply don't use the TS-Object IMGTEXT but stay with the "Text with image"
Element in the Backend.
No additional elements needed and still backwards compatible.

Joey

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