CSS is the new javascript. Back when I started working with web based applications, we avoided javascript for fear of compatibility hell. I still tend to shy away from it for those same reasons though the world is slightly better these days. However, no sensible developer tries to build a web app without at least some CSS to help style the web page. For one recent contract, my colleague and I did very little actually design on the layout and instead just marked everything up because we knew the client had a web design guy working on the presentation. What we handed over wasn't pretty by any stretch, but the design guy had developed the CSS to make it look absolutely gorgeous. I didn't even recognize it when he was done.

But CSS has the same compatibilty problems. Not all browsers support all of the spec(s) and even then not necessarily the same way. And that's troublesome when you rely too much on CSS. But then I found this handy little tool. Seasickness aside, you can see at a glance (or two or three) the level of support these CSS elements have in which browsers and begin to make some informed decisions. It's a little sad to have to resort to such tools, but at least it's there for us to use while the browser makers figure out what spec compliance means. Kudos to the developers that put this chart together.