Re: [csswg-drafts] [css-inline-3] initial-letters; feedback from implementation (#4171)

I want to sum up where we got to at the last F2F with this unwieldily hydra-issue, close it, and raise new, manageable bite-size issues for the aspects that are still relevant.

**1. Allow shape-margin**
Resolved, we agreed to add `shape-margin` to initial letters when shape-outside is none and initial-letters-wrap: all` (https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/4171#issuecomment-578112818)

**2. Auto-sizing of element and effect on linebox**
This was already covered in https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/719, which I'd missed.

**3. Alignment and font-sizing**
I need to further demonstrate my case, with some convincing examples, which I will do in a followup issue.

**4. Atomic inlines**
This is still unresolved. There are two aspects to this
1. Is an atomic inline used as an initial letter scaled to fit? If so, scaled to what exactly?
2. How is that atomic inline aligned?
I think resolving the first without resolving the second won't be terribly useful, and the second is really the [same issue (#4116)](https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/4116) already raised and referenced by @litherum - we need proper control over the baselines in an image used as a character substitution. Once that's resolved, we can revisit this.

**5. More flexibility in initial-letters values**
This will follow on from point 3 above, which I'm going to cover elsewhere. 

**6. Non-replaced inlines as part of the initial-letter (the "computed font size" issue)**
This was discussed at length, but no resolution. Emilio has considerable concerns over this change, but - as specified - changing the _used_ but not _computed_ font-size will lead to nonsensical results in some cases. I'll migrate this to a new issue and leave open.

**7. Width or height set explicitly on the initial-letters element.**
Initial letters are only element with `display:inline` that can take a width and height. This seems odd to me, but it's needed apparently and was asked for specifically by Tantek, so it stays.

**8. font-size (allowing it to be specified)**
Was not discussed, but it's not really significant. I don't see why `font-size` cannot be specified on initial-letters, but until someone can make a case why its a useful thing to do it's not necessary.


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@zed-vector - I edited your comment to add a link to the example you reference.

That example shows an initial-letter big enough for 2.51 lines, but dropped 3 lines. I think if you wanted it top-aligned, you'd make it 2.51 lines high and dropped 2.51 lines. This isn't possible with the current syntax, no, but I'll migrate this comment to my followup.



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Received on Wednesday, 22 April 2020 14:22:14 UTC