Why not use CSS without the custom element? From this post I don't see the benefit of using <swim-lanes> over <section class="swim-lanes"> for example.
And since that would drive us to <div>, I don't see any value in <div class="swim-lanes"> over <swim-lanes>.
It’s more than just an aesthetic preference
But if you’re not really using web components it’s harmless but it’s a bit odd and pointless.
If the underlying premise of your point was entirely independent of web components you’ve done pretty poor job of communicating it.
So you actually do that? Use custom elements without web components instead of using classes? Are you using in something like react with custom elements foregoing type safety to avoid a div element? Or is this just in plain HTML? How many custom elements does your typical web project have?
Or are you fixating on an irrelevant technicality to make an irrelevant point?
The article is literally about not using web components. FTA:
> What would happen if we took the ideas of HTML Web Components and skipped all the JavaScript? [...] Okay great, we styled some HTML nested inside a custom element.
Let’s not pretend like your original point here was they were barely using features of web components correctly, like the parent of this thread was clearly implying.
Section-relative headings were briefly part of the spec but quickly got removed. As it stands, I would not consider any block of HTML with an <hX> element portable.
[0] https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Reference/...
1. Specificity - swim-line.buttons vs .swin-lines.buttons vs .buttons.swim-lanes. 2. Future pathing - Maybe you don't need a Web Component today, but you might need one tomorrow. 3. Cleaner - <swim-lane /> is just better than <div class="swim-lane" />
:where() gives you zero specificity.
> Future pathing
Sounds like premature optimization. And I say this as someone who has been using custom elements and web components in production since 2016. In fact one of my products offers WCs for our customers:
https://docs.wavekit.app/web-components-wavekit-audio/
> Cleaner
Debatable. Personally I find it cleaner to simply rely on CSS to solve something rather a combination of CSS, JS, and some custom markup.
2. One person's "premature optimization" is someone else's "this was literally something I dealt with this week."
3. This method relies on CSS and HTML, just as any other styling solution would.
Also by using a custom element instead of a class, you're saying this isn't anything else other than what I say it is.
It's not a <section class="swim-lanes">, it's not a <form class="swim-lanes">, it's not a <blockquote class="swim-lanes">, it's a <swim-lanes>.
If you make something only a class, people end up misusing it in odd places.