[Bug 13502] Text run starting with composing character should be valid

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=13502

--- Comment #15 from Leif Halvard Silli <xn--mlform-iua@xn--mlform-iua.no> 2011-09-28 02:01:02 UTC ---
Created attachment 1032
  --> http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/attachment.cgi?id=1032
Effects when a text node begins with a combining character

For convenience, a data URI  of the attachment (doesn't work in IE):
  http://tinyurl.com/combining-char-in-text-node-st

The attachment file tests the CSS effects as well as the semantic effect of
beginning a text node with a combining character.

The test shows

*  That it *is* possible - even  in Firefox and IE - to *visually* get the
effect that Aryeh and Shai are after. However, in order to make it work, one
must apply display:inline-block on the 'base character', which in turn causes
the word to be treated as 2 or 3 words instead of as a single word. (This
affectgs word break and other things.)

* That the same effect that is seen in Firefox and IE (due to the application
of span{display:inline-block;}), can also be seen in Opera.

* That for Webkit, the test appears to be visually successful. However, if you
test it in VoiceOver, you hear much the same thing as you can see in Firefox,
IE and Opera: the word is split up.

* That very similar conceptual problems occurs if one tries to add the acute
accent via CSS generated content.

PS: I should say that I have tried exactly the same thing that Aryeh and Shai
describe in a Russian text where I wanted to add the accute to show word
stress. As it was important to me that users could search and find words
without having to type the accent, I ended up with some kind of :hover effect.
(Today, Webkit excels in this regard - if you search for 'accent', then you
will also find 'accént' and 'acce&#x0301;nt'.)

PPS: It can actually a bad idea to merely place a <span> in the middle of a
word even without any styling: acc<b>e</b>nt. Reason:this appears to have the
effect of making the word unfindable in IE (at least IE8). In other words, if
you search for 'accent' with IE's Find-in-window feature, you won't find the
word.

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Received on Wednesday, 28 September 2011 02:01:06 UTC