CSS for multi- column lists

[Andy Mabbett]

I have a page with a list, presented, by use of CSS, sequentially, in
this order:

1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12

in smaller windows, it reflows thus:

1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
10 11 12

and in larger windows:

1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10
11 12

and so on.

However, the person for whom I wrote the code complains that columns
should read vertically - on paper, the list might spread over three
pages, thus:

Page 1

1 4
2 5
3 6

Page 2

7 10
8 11
9 12

Page 3

13 16
14 17
15 18

but on screen, (bearing in mind each user may have a different set of
screen size, window size, resolution and font size), we would have

Screen 1

1 10
2 11
3 12

Screen 2

4 13
5 14
6 15

Screen 3

7 16
8 17
9 18

with the user required to scroll back to the top, after item 9 - I'm
sure you'll agree that this is not desirable.

Is it possible to use CSS to present a multi- column list in the "book"
style?

--
Andy Mabbett Reply to [my first name] [at] pigsonthewing.org.uk
USA imprisons children without trial, at Guantanamo Bay:
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2970279.stm>
<http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR510582003?open&of=ENG-USA>

[Jukka K. Korpela]

Andy Mabbett <usenet...@pigsonthewing.org.uk> wrote:

> I have a page with a list, presented, by use of CSS, sequentially,
> in this order:

Instead of lengthy explanations, why don't you post a URL?

> However, the person for whom I wrote the code complains that
> columns should read vertically

Did he say why? Sounds like a completely wrong idea in the Web context,
but maybe there's a reason I cannot see.

> Is it possible to use CSS to present a multi- column list in the
> "book" style?

No.

--
Yucca, http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/

[Andy Mabbett]

In message <Xns940960B4F14B...@193.229.0.31>, Jukka K.
Korpela <jkor...@cs.tut.fi> writes

>> I have a page with a list, presented, by use of CSS, sequentially,
>> in this order:
>
>Instead of lengthy explanations, why don't you post a URL?

It's not my site; its not been launched publicly yet, and it's not for
me to identify then discuss the (perceived) failings of the owners'
site, publicly.

>> However, the person for whom I wrote the code complains that
>> columns should read vertically
>
>Did he say why? Sounds like a completely wrong idea in the Web context,
>but maybe there's a reason I cannot see.

To mirror the arrangement of the content in print; in a style with which
the users are likely to be familiar.

>> Is it possible to use CSS to present a multi- column list in the
>> "book" style?
>
>No.

Thank you, anyway.