What are CSS Vendor Prefixes like -webkit- and -moz-, and How Should I Use Them?

Vendor Prefixes in CSS: A Guide to -moz- and -webkit-

In the realm of CSS, you might encounter lines of code like these:

-webkit-column-count: 3;
-webkit-column-gap: 10px;
-webkit-column-fill: auto;
-moz-column-count: 3;
-moz-column-gap: 10px;
-moz-column-fill: auto;

These are known as vendor-prefixed properties, introduced by browser vendors to test experimental or proprietary CSS features before their official standardization.

What's the Purpose of Vendor Prefixes?

Vendor prefixes serve primarily as placeholders for upcoming features. They allow browsers to support innovative ideas and test them with real-world users before fully integrating them into the CSS specification.

Common Vendor Prefixes:

• -webkit- (Chrome, Safari)
• -moz- (Firefox)
• -o- (Opera)
• -ms- (Internet Explorer)

Best Practices for Using Vendor Prefixes:

To ensure maximum compatibility, it's generally advisable to start by defining the vendor-prefixed version of a property, followed by the standardized version, e.g.:

.elementClass {
    -moz-border-radius: 2em;
    -ms-border-radius: 2em;
    -o-border-radius: 2em;
    -webkit-border-radius: 2em;
    border-radius: 2em;
}

This method allows browsers that support the standard version of the property (border-radius) to override the vendor-prefixed versions.

Example: Column Properties

The code you mentioned defines the column properties (column-count, column-gap, column-fill) for both Webkit (Chrome, Safari) and Firefox browsers. These properties control the appearance and layout of multi-column text.

References:

• CSS Multi-column layout module: https://www.w3.org/TR/css3-multicol/
• 'In defence of Vendor Prefixes' (Meyerweb.com): https://meyerweb.com/eric/thoughts/2008/08/13/in-defense-of-vendor-prefixes/
• Vendor prefix lists (Meyerweb.com): https://meyerweb.com/eric/thoughts/2007/09/03/vendor-prefixes-2/

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