Re: The Spec: On the `edge' of despair

Michael Witten <mfwitten@gmail.com> a écrit :

> The CSS 2.1 specification uses some very confusing (if not erroneous)
> terminology in describing the fundamental concepts of the Box Model:
>
>   http://www.w3.org/TR/2011/REC-CSS2-20110607/box.html#box-dimensions

[snipped]

Michael,

if you want your post to be useful and helpful for everyone, then next  
time use a meaningful and descriptive subject line and prefix it with  
the spec within squared brackets and optionally with the section.  
Something like this:


[CSS21][section 8.1] Questions on box model, edges

Also, try to quote only relevant sentences. We can all go read the  
rest of sections, you know..



>
>     * The padding edge surrounds the box padding... The four
>       padding edges define the box's padding box.

[snipped]

One thing here. In section 17.6.1
http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/tables.html#separated-borders
the spec mentions
"left inner padding edge to the right inner padding edge"
which I think is an exception.

1st Proposal: create a diagram, a colored schema which would indicate  
where is padding area versus border-spacing and which would show that  
border-spacing is part of content area of a table.


> The uses of the words `perimeter', `edge', `width', and `box' are
> completely unreasonable unless the following statements are
> considered reasonable:
>
>     * The `perimeter' of an area really means the `outer perimeter'
>       of an area.

[snipped]

Personally, I believe that one way to eliminate sources of  
interpretation and possible confusion would be to identify with a  
color each area described in the spec. And the diagram at the start of  
section 8.1 does not do that. The diagram at the start of section 8.1  
identifies the outer edge of each area though.
Years ago, MSDN did that in a CSS article. (Eg.
http://www.gtalbot.org/BugzillaSection/DocumentAllDHTMLproperties.html
identifies with yellow-ish color and black the margin area and the  
border area but it does not clearly identify the edges of those areas)

2nd Proposal: create another diagram where padding area and content  
area would be identify with a color.

3rd Proposal: then try to reuse as consistently as possible such  
colors in all examples of the whole spec


>
>       The word `edge' is a suitable synonym for the word `perimeter'.

[snipped]

It depends on the sentence involved.



>
>     * The word `width' is a suitable synonym for the word `area'.


No, it's not.



>     * The sentence:
>           The four padding edges define the box's padding box.
>       really means:
>           The content edge and the padding edge define the
>           box's padding area.

[snipped]

A judicious schema focusing on areas would clarify all this, I'd say.

regards, Gérard

Received on Wednesday, 16 November 2011 19:33:12 UTC