RE: [css3-writing-modes] rename 'text-orientation' initial value to 'mixed-right'

While I agree that using "normal" works a good CSS default value name, since natural default orientation for vertical text varies by scripts, I have a fear that making it "normal" for this property can be controversial. "mixed-right" or "upright-right" at least try to describe what it does. For this specific property, I prefer value name describing what it does so that we don't have to discuss "normal for who."

We discussed on "upright" v.s. "stacked" too, fantasai had the same idea, but I felt it may or may not improve, depends on what their natural scripts are, and thought it's not worth to take the change.

Not very strong on either point or to even other candidates, but I guess I'd like to avoid "normal" here if possible.

If it's not an improvement at all, keeping the current name is also an option for me.


Regards,
Koji

-----Original Message-----
From: John Daggett [mailto:jdaggett@mozilla.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 11:32 AM
To: fantasai
Cc: www-style@w3.org
Subject: Re: [css3-writing-modes] rename 'text-orientation' initial value to 'mixed-right'

fantasai wrote:

> After reviewing Microsoft's proposal for UTR50, Koji and I thought the 
> name 'mixed-right' was better than 'upright-right' or the previous 
> 'vertical-right'. So I'm making this change, unless people object. :)
> 
> <del>text-orientation: vertical-right</del>
> <del>text-orientation: upright-right</del>
> <ins>text-orientation: mixed-right</ins>

Hmmm, 'mixed-right' doesn't seem like an improvement, it's equally opaque. ;)

The default value should convey the "natural" default for vertical text.  The more I think about this the more I think simply using 'normal' would be better, since it's going to be very hard to come up with a property value name that reflects the relatively complicated nature of the default orientation.

I also think 'upright' might be better named 'stacked', since Microsoft's proposal means that text isn't always actually upright in this case (e.g.
Arabic).

What was 'vertical-right'???  I don't see it anywhere in the previous draft.

Cheers,

John

Received on Wednesday, 15 February 2012 07:43:52 UTC