[csswg-drafts] [meta] Drop `Canonical order` property definition field? (#13326)

cdoublev has just created a new issue for https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts:

== [meta] Drop `Canonical order` property definition field? ==
Based on `w3c/webref` data, the `Canonical order` of a property can be:

  - `per grammar`, for a large majority of properties
  - `n/a`, for some properties
  - `the horizontal component of the <position>, followed by the vertical component` for `object-position`

Properties in SVG are not defined a `Canonical order`.

Given that:

  - the `Canonical order` for `object-position` is equivalent to `per grammar`
  - `n/a` seems used when the property can only be declared with a single component value
  - [serialization principles](https://drafts.csswg.org/cssom-1/#serialize-a-css-value) already require serializing component values in canonical order

... the `Canonical order` field seems pretty much... useless?

Some CSS tool authors expressed the need to identify shorthands in `w3c/webref` data (https://github.com/w3c/webref/issues/1766), and the canonical order for its expansion. The grammar does not always allow to determine a canonical order. So an alternative could be to:

  1. only use `Canonical order` for shorthands
  2. use `per grammar` when appropriate, otherwise either an ordered list of property names, or some prose to define the canonical order (eg. for `all`)

Cc @tidoust 

Please view or discuss this issue at https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/13326 using your GitHub account


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Received on Saturday, 10 January 2026 07:49:16 UTC