Re: HTML text direction

The current implementation and support in email clients allows for use of this attribute to be used in certain cases to enable control of display order in responsive column layouts.

The CSS property of float is not supported. The HTML attribute of align is inconsistent and creates unintended inheritance issues. The HTML attribute of dir allows a case like this:

Small screen:

B
A
C
D

Large screen:

A  B  C  D

I understand completely what you are suggesting, and somewhat agree (although I have not gone back to re-read the spec). However, I believe that additional cases like this should be considered if any changes are pursued.
Additionally, I believe the lang attribute and the language set in the browser should help determine the string direction.
If you simply want to reverse the display of a string, CSS transform may be an option.

Cheers,

Charles Hall
UX Architect, Technology

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[cid:0C939248-A40F-4690-8918-6930DD674865]
Creativity. Technology. Performance.

From: Richard Dunne <richarddunnebsc@gmail.com<mailto:richarddunnebsc@gmail.com>>
Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 8:40 AM
To: "public-wicg@w3.org<mailto:public-wicg@w3.org>" <public-wicg@w3.org<mailto:public-wicg@w3.org>>
Subject: HTML text direction
Resent-From: <public-wicg@w3.org<mailto:public-wicg@w3.org>>
Resent-Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 8:41 AM

Everyone, I hope understands the difference between left to right and right to left.  They are directional opposites.  Yet, this does not hold true with the HTML text direction attribute rtl.  Any string or characters entered into a text box on a webpage, regardless of directional attribute used, will appear exactly the same, the only difference is the string alignment within the text box.
>From the www.w3.org<http://www.w3.org> website, https://www.w3.org/International/questions/qa-html-dir, the dir attribute is used to set the base direction of text for display.  If right to left, in the literal sense is the exact opposite of left to right, should any text controlled by the rtl text direction attribute not appear right to left, i.e. sdrawkcab?  The only visual/display difference is alignment, not directional as is intended.  I don't know which group within HTML oversees this, but I would like to propose/suggest a re-definition of the rtl text direction attribute, and possibly a new feature that actually allows right to left character input.

Sincerely,

Richard Dunne B.Sc.