RE: [widgets] dir and span elements

> 
> Thanks Addison - and yes, I think this makes a lot of sense for a
> "content"-style spec like HTML, however as the Widgets P&C is a
> configuration document most of which is IRIs, integers and so on
> rather than text content its less of a clear case.
> 

No, I understand and don't disagree. However, there is something to be said for making it an attribute of <widget>, for example. Then you could have an override of directionality only when a given element has a different base direction. In the example in the spec [1], consider how this might be cleaner:

<widget dir="rtl">

<name short="hard to make Arabic rtl here without changing enclosing element" dir="ltr">
    But ltr override here works fine.
</name>

<description>
   Some rtl text.
</description>

<author href="" email="">bidi authors name</author>

<license>
...
</license>

</widget>

Compared to:

<widget> <!-- no base direction -->

<name short="can't be rtl?" dir="rtl">
   Some RTL.
</name>

<description dir="rtl">
   Have to include dir a lot.
</description>

<author dir="rtl">
   ...
</author>

<license dir="rtl">
...
</license>
</widget>

I'm not suggesting that 'dir' makes sense everywhere, but there is some utility in allowing direction (and maybe language/locale??) in at the outermost element?


> If dir conformance is tested in relation to the Rule For Obtaining
> Text Content then this already scopes its use to the four elements
> mentioned as these are the only elements that the rule applies to.
> 

I agree, but there is one more potential case. The <content> element could have a default base directionality set (each <content> target or localized equivalent might also override it).

I agree that a scoped 'dir' attribute is a pain to deal with implementation-wise, so I personally would be open to not doing this. But I think it worth considering.

Addison

[1] http://dev.w3.org/2006/waf/widgets/#example-configuration-document

Received on Monday, 1 March 2010 22:48:38 UTC