Re: [css3-mediaqueries][mediaqueries4] "never necessary to apply the style sheet in order to evaluate expressions."

On Saturday 2013-11-09 17:43 +0100, Florian Rivoal wrote:
> On Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:58:36 +0100, Simon Sapin
> <simon.sapin@exyr.org> wrote:
> 
> >Both levels have the same paragraph at the end of section 2:
> >
> >>To avoid circular dependencies, it is never necessary to apply the
> >>style sheet in order to evaluate expressions. For example, the aspect
> >>ratio of a printed document may be influenced by a style sheet, but
> >>expressions involving ‘device-aspect-ratio’ will be based on the
> >>default aspect ratio of the user agent.
> >
> >
> >This is not the case anymore. @viewport rules do influence MQs:
> >http://dev.w3.org/csswg/css-device-adapt/#media-queries
> >
> >
> >We’re discussing doing something similar in css3-page, which would
> >make even the example quoted above wrong.
> >
> >At least the word "never" needs to be changed in Level 4, but I
> >would be in favor of rewriting the whole paragraph and errata the
> >Level 3 REC.
> >Proposed wording:
> >
> >     Unless otherwise specified, it is not necessary to apply
> >     stylesheets in order to evaluate expressions.
> >
> >     <p class=note>Note: CSS Device Adaptation [[CSS-DEVICE-ADAPT]]]
> >     defines how '@viewport' rules interact with Media Queries.
> 
> Sorry for failing to respond when you sent that mail. I agree with
> your suggestion,
> and have updated MQ4.

As I pointed out in the working group meeting today, I'd prefer if
the exception said that the rules are overridden only if the
relevant spec explicitly says they're overridden.  This means that
provisions in specifications that aren't intended to override these
rules won't be interpreted to override them.  (I suspect there are
probably quite a few things that could be interpreted to override
this rule.)

I think there was general agreement in the meeting about this
proposal.

(This idea is modeled somewhat on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_Thirty-three_of_the_Canadian_Charter_of_Rights_and_Freedoms .)

-David

-- 
𝄞   L. David Baron                         http://dbaron.org/   𝄂
𝄢   Mozilla                          https://www.mozilla.org/   𝄂
             Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
             What I was walling in or walling out,
             And to whom I was like to give offense.
               - Robert Frost, Mending Wall (1914)