CSS challenge, username/password dialog

[Dave Winer]

I've been working on a new modal dialog to plug into all the places
where we prompt for a username and password.

http://worknotes.scripting.com/march2012/31812ByDw/usernamepasswordDialog/

Dave

[Dan MacTough]

Here's one way to do it. Note changes to both the markup and the CSS.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1665/blorkmark/usernamepassworddialog.html

[Dave Winer]

Thanks Dan!

However -- it's not exactly what I had. It feels like it;s too far to
the right. I'd really like no left margin on it, or a much smaller
one.

Also if you look at it in Firebug, it depends on the label being fixed
width at 140px. But what if we changed the font, or a label had a long
name? That would screw up the layout.

Tables really are better, and easier. Much easier.

But I'll stick with this approach as a way of avoiding grief.

But it is sad to see the punchline after all the michegas over so many
years. We switched the way we do layout and got something not as good
as what we replaced it with.

I say this in case I'm missing something, and there's an advantage
lurking somewhere out of my sight.

Dave

[Dan MacTough]

Ha! I went back to see the difference in alignment and was toggling A/B between windows, thinking, "What?! I can't see any difference at all!" Then, I noticed that you updated the example. Doh!

I did tweak it a bit, though:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1665/blorkmark/usernamepassworddialog02.html

But you're absolutely right about the regression in precise layout when you can't use tables.

One "advantage" to not using tables is that you if you can come up with a layout you can live with, it's easier to make it more flexible for different browser/screen sizes. You are not the only person to decry this canard.

[Dave Winer]

I'm doing a podcast with Adam in a few minutes where I'll talk about a
project we had at Living Videotext called Boxes and Arrows which is
how all this stuff should be working.

Dave

[Dave Winer]

Glad to have this confirmed.

Now I don't have to worry about missing something.

Despite how wrong it is, I'm actually kind of liking it.

Stockholm Syndrome?

Dave