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Groups > comp.lang.javascript > #8217

Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions

From Matt McDonald <matt@fortybelow.ca>
Newsgroups comp.lang.javascript
Subject Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions
Date 2011-11-10 14:12 -0700
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <j9henl$ihs$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References <bd12b66f-33f5-43d2-8e22-6f81b42c3d8b@n14g2000vbn.googlegroups.com> <rYKdncJ8NIQbtyHTnZ2dnUVZ8rmdnZ2d@brightview.co.uk>

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On 11-11-10 12:47 PM, Ant wrote:
> Why would anyone do that? In my 30+ years of programming I've never
> heard of such a thing. Maybe it's a modern phenomenon like jQuery or
> "social networking" that the young 'uns like to engage in. Probably I
> should get out more (now that I've retired I can).

As a "young 'un", I can tell you that it's a phenomenon
propped up by the "best practices" methodology.

"best practices" (sounds terrible when you read it aloud)
is an arguably dogmatic set of beliefs and observations
pertaining to a particular programming topic. The crux of
"best practices" is that it's how "popular" programmers
(in that particular field) operate. For example,
"HTML 5 Boilerplate" is a massive set of server
configurations, CSS file(s) ("normalizing", they call it),
JavaScript files (including jQuery & modernizr, neither of which
have any particular use to me), and other assorted bits.

The belief is that when one is to build an "HTML 5" website
(fallacy alert: appeal to popularity) that one must utilize
"HTML 5 Boilerplate". Why? Simply because the "popular" developers
are using it. Supposedly, it also has countless hours of research
behind it. Anyone who has read this group for an extended period
of time knows that "research" isn't always indicative of code
quality (hat tip to jQuery, YUI, Dojo, et al).

Since HTML 5 *still* doesn't have sufficient support (hopes
are with IE 10) to be considered "implemented", one has to
wonder just how a massive amalgam of resources can make websites
"just work". At least in this case, users have a decision to trash
what they consider unnecessary (unlike jQuery).

For the majority of users, this is simply overkill.
Ritualistically including code hinders the learning process
involved with programming. There's little potential to improve
one's knowledge of a topic by slapping on a copy-pasted
solution, especially if it's poorly written (which is common).

The biggest blow is marketing. Take a gander at
"HTML 5 Boilerplate"'s website (won't link). It's chock full of 
over-the-top marketing speak. The first time I read it, I was
heavily offended by the textual content. I seriously pondered
if it was written by a prepubescent.

Web development is in vogue. People want to create "cool"
projects, but are dismayed by the amount of effort and research
required to create something meaningful. The solution? Abdicate
responsibility to those who have already "done the research".
That's why "frameworks" and "libraries" have sprung up like
weeds in the past half-decade or so.

It is by this type of behavior that "cargo cult programming"
is characterized. My opinion is that it's one of the prime evils
currently in web development (along with overconfidence).

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Thread

David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-11-10 06:09 -0800
  Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "J.R." <groups_jr-1@yahoo.com.br> - 2011-11-10 16:57 -0200
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-11-10 11:54 -0800
  Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Ant" <not@home.today> - 2011-11-10 19:47 +0000
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-11-10 13:07 -0800
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Matt McDonald <matt@fortybelow.ca> - 2011-11-10 14:12 -0700
      Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-11-11 07:26 -0800
      Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 -   How to Measure Element Dimensions Frobernik <nospam@nospam.com> - 2011-11-17 22:43 +0000
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 16:08 -0800
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How   to Measure Element Dimensions Frobernik <nospam@nospam.com> - 2011-12-06 21:18 +0000
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-06 14:13 -0800
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2011-11-10 13:17 -0800
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Evertjan." <exjxw.hannivoort@interxnl.net> - 2011-11-10 22:43 +0000
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Richard Cornford" <Richard@litotes.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-11 00:36 +0000
      Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2011-11-10 19:14 -0800
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Richard Cornford" <Richard@litotes.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-11 09:59 +0000
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2011-11-11 11:04 -0800
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2011-11-11 14:39 +0100
      Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2011-11-12 10:38 +0100
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Richard Cornford" <Richard@litotes.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-12 19:19 +0000
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Eric Bednarz <bednarz@fahr-zur-hoelle.org> - 2011-11-12 21:07 +0100
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2011-11-13 00:42 +0100
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Richard Cornford" <Richard@litotes.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-13 14:33 +0000
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Eric Bednarz <bednarz@fahr-zur-hoelle.org> - 2011-11-17 23:14 +0100
                Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Richard Cornford" <Richard@litotes.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-17 23:55 +0000
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2011-11-13 20:22 +0100
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions RobG <rgqld@iinet.net.au> - 2011-11-13 08:29 +1000
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2011-11-13 20:25 +0100
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions RobG <rgqld@iinet.net.au> - 2011-11-13 23:05 -0800
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Tim Down <timdown@gmail.com> - 2011-11-14 03:41 -0800
                Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions RobG <rgqld@iinet.net.au> - 2011-11-16 16:18 -0800
                Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 16:03 -0800
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2011-11-15 16:52 +0100
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 15:54 -0800
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Jukka K. Korpela" <jkorpela@cs.tut.fi> - 2011-11-13 10:38 +0200
  Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Dr J R Stockton <reply1145@merlyn.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-11 21:33 +0000
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 15:00 -0800
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 18:38 -0800
      Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "J.R." <groups_jr-1@yahoo.com.br> - 2011-12-03 19:50 -0200
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-03 15:50 -0800
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-03 16:38 -0800
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-03 17:14 -0800
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2011-12-04 11:07 +0100
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-04 02:45 -0800
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-04 13:37 -0800
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-04 16:01 -0800
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-04 16:28 -0800
                Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-04 18:56 -0800
                Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions John G Harris <john@nospam.demon.co.uk> - 2011-12-05 14:39 +0000
                Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-05 11:00 -0800
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-03 19:17 -0800
  Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "J.R." <groups_jr-1@yahoo.com.br> - 2011-11-13 00:06 -0200
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2011-11-13 04:31 +0100
      Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "J.R." <groups_jr-1@yahoo.com.br> - 2011-11-13 13:44 -0200
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2011-11-13 18:35 +0100
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "J.R." <groups_jr-1@yahoo.com.br> - 2011-11-13 22:00 -0200
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2011-11-14 12:40 +0100
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "J.R." <groups_jr-1@yahoo.com.br> - 2011-11-14 11:52 -0200
                Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2011-11-14 15:40 +0100
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Eric Bednarz <bednarz@fahr-zur-hoelle.org> - 2011-11-17 11:16 +0100
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2011-11-17 21:06 +0100
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Eric Bednarz <bednarz@fahr-zur-hoelle.org> - 2011-11-17 22:13 +0100
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 15:19 -0800
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 15:10 -0800
      Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 18:04 -0800

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