Re: CSS Parsed Unambiguously

Johannes  wrote:
> I just saw that 
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/conform.html#valid-style-sheet> defines "Valid 
> style sheet".
>
OK. So we know for sure what valid is. But is valid the same as "parsed 
unambiguously"?

Björn wrote:
> Your question is basically whether it is possible for a resource that is
> not considered conforming / valid / whatever to be "parsed into only one
> data structure" and the answer is "yes" and, in consequence, stylesheets
> do not have to be "valid" with respect to this requirement.
> -- 

I think that the stylesheet can be broken in some ways and still be parsed 
properly as Björn suggested but it can also be so poorly written that it 
can't be parsed properly. Browsers will have to guess at what it means and 
different browsers will guess differently. So invalid CSS may, or may not, 
be "parsed unambiguously".

This is getting back to the same problem with the meaning of "parsed 
unambiguously" regarding XHTML pages. My feeling is that validity is a good 
thing but a burden on the author that should be imposed only when there is a 
benefit to accessibility.

Has there been any progress on clarifying what "parsed unambiguously" means 
to your XHTML page?

Chris

Received on Friday, 9 June 2006 20:49:09 UTC