[i18n-activity] lspace/rspace have confusing names (#1837)

bert-github has just created a new issue for https://github.com/w3c/i18n-activity:

== lspace/rspace have confusing names ==
3.2.4 Operator, Fence, Separator or Accent <mo>
https://www.w3.org/TR/mathml-core/#operator-fence-separator-or-accent-mo

From the algorithm in [3.3.1.2 Layout of &lt;mrow&gt;](https://www.w3.org/TR/mathml-core/#layout-of-mrow) it follows that the lspace and rspace attributes of an element add space before, respectively after the element. In an rtl formula, that means lspace is on the right and rspace on the left. The names suggest otherwise and when the attributes were created, some 28 years ago, they actually did mean left and right. To avoid confusion, maybe the spec should explicitly say, in a note, that ‘l’ does *not* mean ‘left’. (There is an image, [figure 10](https://www.w3.org/TR/mathml-core/#figure-box-mrow) that contains the words ‘leading’ and ‘trailing’, but doesn't explicitly link them to lspace and rspace.)

Another way to avoid the confusion would be to make sure lspace is always added on the left and rspace on the right. But that is not what browsers implement…

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Received on Thursday, 28 March 2024 00:14:47 UTC