Re: Questions about SVG 1.1, 11.2 Specifying paint

Ian Hickson wrote:
> In SVG 1.1, section 11.2 Specifying paint [1], it says:
> 
> # <uri>
> #   [ none |
> #     currentColor |
> #     <color> [icc-color(<name>[,<icccolorvalue>]*)]
> 
> What is the syntax being used to describe the syntax of properties and
> attributes like here? I had assumed it was the CSS syntax [2], but in
> CSS square brackets denote grouping, not optionality, so it doesn't
> appear to be the case. However, I couldn't find the definition of the
> syntax used here anywhere.

I believe that it is the traditional Unix command-line options syntax 
that is being used, but it's true that it should be documented.

> Later in that section it says:
> 
> # ... The <uri> provides the ID of the paint server (e.g., a gradient,
> # pattern or solid color) to be used to paint the current object.
> 
> The link for "solid color" is broken, but I couldn't work out where it
> should be pointing. How does one specify a solid color?

I don't know how that link made it into the spec, the <solidColor> 
element is part of 1.2[0]. I can only assume that it was planned for in 
1.0 but somehow didn't make the cut.

> (I would have
> thought that one could just use the <color> syntax instead of a URI.)

It makes the whole model more coherent, in that one can now reference 
any paint server. More importantly, it provides a common definition of a 
colour that can be reused in several place, a bit like a CSS class could 
be except that it's animatable and can be used in SVG Tiny.


[0]http://www.w3.org/TR/SVG12/#solidColor-elem
-- 
Robin Berjon

Received on Tuesday, 20 July 2004 08:07:41 UTC