Re: W3C spec syntax

Aha, I think the syntax guide (link [2]) is exactly what I was looking for,
I just couldn't find it.
I'll take it from here. Thanks!
d.



On Fri, Oct 4, 2013 at 12:07 PM, Doug Schepers <schepers@w3.org> wrote:

> Hi, Tab, Brian, Dirk–
>
> Can you please help Dave on this issue around the syntax for the
> ‘mask-box-image’ property [1]?
>
> The syntax here may be correct, but it's hard to understand, even with the
> syntax guide [2]. Is there some resource that could unpack that a bit?
>
>
> [1] https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/**raw-file/default/masking/**
> index.html#mask-box-image<https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/raw-file/default/masking/index.html#mask-box-image>
> [2] http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/**about.html#property-defs<http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/about.html#property-defs>
>
> Regards-
> -Doug
>
>
> On 10/4/13 2:38 PM, David Gash wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> As part of my continuing WPD articles work, I use W3C specs to get
>> information about objects, methods, and properties. These specs include
>> details that are laid out in a specific but somewhat obtuse syntax. For
>> example, in the masking spec
>> https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/**raw-file/default/masking/**index.html<https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/raw-file/default/masking/index.html>
>> there's this
>>
>> <basic-shape>
>> <https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/**raw-file/default/masking/**
>> index.html#ltbasic-shapegt<https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/raw-file/default/masking/index.html#ltbasic-shapegt>>
>> |
>> <clip-source>
>> <https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/**raw-file/default/masking/**
>> index.html#ltclip-sourcegt<https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/raw-file/default/masking/index.html#ltclip-sourcegt>>
>> |
>>
>> none
>>
>> which is clear enough: use one of the three values. And there's this
>>
>> [ stretch | repeat | round | space ]{1,2}
>>
>> which is still fairly clear: use either one or two of the grouped words,
>> all optional. But then there's this
>>
>> <‘|mask-box-image-source|
>> <https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/**raw-file/default/masking/**
>> index.html#mask-box-image-**source<https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/raw-file/default/masking/index.html#mask-box-image-source>>’>
>> ||
>> <‘|mask-box-image-slice|
>> <https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/**raw-file/default/masking/**
>> index.html#mask-box-image-**slice<https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/raw-file/default/masking/index.html#mask-box-image-slice>>’>
>> [
>> /<‘|mask-box-image-width|
>> <https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/**raw-file/default/masking/**
>> index.html#mask-box-image-**width<https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/raw-file/default/masking/index.html#mask-box-image-width>>’>
>> |
>> / <‘|mask-box-image-width|
>> <https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/**raw-file/default/masking/**
>> index.html#mask-box-image-**width<https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/raw-file/default/masking/index.html#mask-box-image-width>
>> >’>?
>> /<‘|mask-box-image-outset|
>> <https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/**raw-file/default/masking/**
>> index.html#mask-box-image-**outset<https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/raw-file/default/masking/index.html#mask-box-image-outset>>’>
>> ]?
>> || <‘|mask-box-image-repeat|
>> <https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/**raw-file/default/masking/**
>> index.html#mask-box-image-**repeat<https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/raw-file/default/masking/index.html#mask-box-image-repeat>
>> >’>
>>
>>
>> which is... not so much: there's one vertical bar, two vertical bars,
>> question marks, etc. It's kind of hard to interpret. This is just one
>> example; I often run into similarly complex syntax in W3C specs.
>>
>> I've poked about the web but haven't found a "syntax syntax" guide. Does
>> anyone know if there is such a thing, either from the W3C or within the
>> WPD community?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Dave Gash
>>
>>
>>
>