Re: <q>

Hi Philip,

On Oct 29, 2008, at 12:24 PM, Philip TAYLOR (Ret'd) wrote:

>
>
> Robert J Burns wrote:
>
>> The p element DOES add punctuation in the same way that the q  
>> elements adds punctuation. The following HTML:
>> <p>here is a paragraph.</p><p>And that paragraph is followed by  
>> another paragraph.</p>
>> will be rendered
>> here is a paragraph.
>> And that paragraph is followed by another paragraph.
>> With new lines inserted between the paragraphs.
>
> Is this presentation mandated by HTML, or simply
> a de facto standard ?

I don't think it is a MUST norm, but certainly it is a de facto  
standard. I also don't understand this conversation to be about making  
the wrapping of Q element in quotation marks as a MUST requirement  
either. Rather I think we should include a sample default UA  
stylesheet that provides some appropriate presentation for the Q  
element (likely language appropriate quotation marks using ::before  
and ::after). UAs would of course be permitted to use their own  
default UA stylesheet or to provide equivalent functionality to a  
default UA stylesheet using a mechanism entirely. We may, however,  
want to have a MUST requirement that the default presentation of a Q  
element provides some distinguishing presentation.

>> The major difference is that a paragraph is almost universally  
>> presented with new lines between them,
>
> With respect, not.  Paragraphs are, equally often, indented
> (we are talking here about modern Western norms, rather
> than a more general universe of discourse).  Most printed
> books (same Uni.) use indentation; most web documents use
> blank lines.  Computer-generated printed documents
> probably use blank lines more often than indentation, but
> this is by no means a universal or near-universal.

I think you misunderstood what I was referring to as universal (and  
I'm afraid my example created that ambiguity). When I said a newline  
between paragraphs is nearly a universal I meant a single (at least  
one) new line. That is paragraphs do not run-on from one to the next  
without a new line between them (though not necessarily two new lines  
as my example depicted).

>
>
>> whereas a quotation has many different possible presentations
>
> And paragraphs have at least two !

Paragraphs have many presentation options, yes. But my point was that  
unlike a quotation which may be presented wrapped in new lines or  
wrapped in quotations, paragraphs always (nearly universally) have a  
new line separating them (at least one).

Take care,
Rob

Received on Wednesday, 29 October 2008 19:15:57 UTC