Re: [csswg-drafts] [css-anchor-position-1] inset-inline-start: anchor(start) is confusing (#13734)

The issue is just that we definitely want to allow both references (the anchoring element and the containing block), and we already have a pretty well-established precedent of how to name the two values in that pair, which AnchorPos uses.

I know it's a tradeoff of understandability, but I lean toward the current spec where we rely on the existing pattern, even if it can cause some confusion if you're not careful. I think that's a better potential-confusion than having to learn that in *some* properties you distinguish between the element and its CB with `start` and `self-start`, and in *other* properties you distinguish between them with `start` and `cb-start` or whatever.

@argyleink All logical *property names* interpret their directions on the element itself. But logical property *values* can vary, and *often* instead refer to the containing block (so multiple children can act the same, even if they have different writing modes from each other), with `self-start`/etc used to specifically opt into using the element's own direction.

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Received on Friday, 27 March 2026 18:18:36 UTC