Re: floating images flush bottom

Douglas Rand wrote:
> As a browser developer I'd like to give you some feedback on this. 
> Right now it is fairly simple to handle out of flow objects as they
only
> affect subsequent lines.  Your proposal creates a situation where I'd
> have to lay out the paragraph in an iterative manner.  Why?  Well
> consider that once the decision is made (because the image would
extend
> beyond the paragraph) I'll need to back up some number of lines and
> relayout.  How many?  Ah,  that's the trick,  it isn't a
deterministic
> number of lines,  it needs to be a best guess,  and depending on
where
> the paragraph now ends,  I might need to revise the guess.

Are you sure no algorithms already exist for this? Word allows frames
to be attached to paragraphs in such a way that the frame is positioned
at the bottom of the previous paragraph. Redraws when the column width
is changed is quite rapid.

It seems to me that the current spec will require this behavior anyway.
Consider that a floated element behaves just as the Word frame. Give a
floated element at the _top_ of its parent enough negative margin and
it will extent up into the previous element. Won't the text in the
previous element need to flow around the floated element while still
maintaining its vertical margin, just as is the case with the Word
frame?

David Perrell

Received on Thursday, 31 October 1996 11:55:50 UTC