[Bug 10821] i18n comment 17 : setting input and textarea element direction through browser UI should set the dir attribute and trigger oninput event

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=10821

--- Comment #21 from Aharon Lanin <aharon.lists.lanin@gmail.com> 2010-11-03 23:49:48 UTC ---
(In reply to comment #18)
> The proposed solution for bug 10809 would expose the direction to script (it'd
> be the first character of the value), so that use case seems like it'd be
> handled.

1. As you can see in the comments on bug 10809, I strenuously object to that
proposed solution (wrapping the value in bidi formatting characters when the
user sets the direction on an input or textarea element that has the submitdir
attribute) on the grounds that bidi formatting characters are evil in an
abundant variety of ways. If this is how submitdir worked, I would be the first
to recommend not to use it.

2. As I keep pointing out in comments on bug 10809, you can't get the user-set
direction just by checking the first character of the value. If the first
character is indeed LRE or RLE, you would then still have to scan right through
the whole string to make sure that its balancing PDF is the last character of
the string. And no, you can't just look at the first and last character of the
string, because the last character might be a PDF, but might not be the
balancing PDF of the leading formatting character. Example: "[RLE]JOE[PDF]
would like to congratulate [RLE]SUSAN[PDF]". I think about one in five web
developers who attempt to do this will get it right, and that's being
optimistic.

3. The proposed solution does not address the current lack of interoperability,
where some browsers set the input's dir attribute, and some don't - unless you
are also proposing adding to the specification that the user's setting the
direction should not set the dir attribute (regardless of whether submitdir is
on). Is this something you really want to do?

4. All browsers change the effective alignment of the input when the user sets
its direction. This is important visual feedback, and users expect it. If you
propose to specify that the user setting the direction should not set the dir
attribute, what justification is there for changing the effective alignment?

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Received on Wednesday, 3 November 2010 23:49:50 UTC