Re: [csswg-drafts] Questions: what does block-level element versus just block element mean? and other formatting context related questions. (#13634)

Thank you.

> Hard to tell what the arrows represent

 It means the logical sequence, so it goes from the first step into to the next one below like a mental map

> See https://drafts.csswg.org/css-display-3/#block

Thank you, reading:

> a [block box](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-display-3/#block-box) (i.e. a [block-level](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-display-3/#block-level) block container) that establishes a [block formatting context](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-display-3/#block-formatting-context) for its contents (as distinguished from a block box which does not)

If I understood correctly:  a "block level" is a block that is children of a block container (that sets the inner and outer values I guess thats the principal box?) and inside a "block formatting context" like:

Block Formatting Context
│
├── block-level box (div)
├── block-level box (p)
└── block-level box (section)

> inline-level:  Content that participates in inline layout. Specifically, inline-level boxes and text sequences. 
> block-level: Content that participates in block layout. Specifically, block-level boxes. 

I'm trying to grasp what exactly means to participate... I guess participate means that the formatting context is responsible for positioning that box?

> See https://drafts.csswg.org/css-display-3/#block-container

> If the inner display type is flow, the element uses flow layout internally.
> Flow layout contains two possible formatting contexts:
> Block Formatting Context (BFC)
> Inline Formatting Context (IFC)

In order words whether is BFC or IFC depends on the contents of the children.


-- 
GitHub Notification of comment by tomasts248
Please view or discuss this issue at https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/13634#issuecomment-4048095080 using your GitHub account


-- 
Sent via github-notify-ml as configured in https://github.com/w3c/github-notify-ml-config

Received on Thursday, 12 March 2026 16:21:13 UTC