[MathML3-PR] Alignment with display="block"

While looking into what a user agent such as WebKit should do by
default for when math elements have display="block", we've read
through Section 2.2.1 where it says:

"Moreover, when the math element is embedded in a larger document,
a block math element should be treated as a block element as
appropriate for the document type (typically as a new vertical block),
whereas an inline math element should be treated as inline (typically
exactly as if it were a sequence of words in normal text)."

The default user agent behavior for a block in XHTML/HTML5 is
to rendered a block left aligned (or writing start direction aligned).
As such, I would interpret the correct default behavior by a user agent
rendering a 'math' element with display="block" to be the same.

There is a great preference out there for block level Mathematics
to be centered.  The second preference would be for it to be
at least indented from the normal block flow.

Is it the intention of MathML3 for block level Mathematics to default
to left or writing direction start alignment?

If so, that would require users to add additional rules to their CSS
to change to centered or indented block Mathematics.

-- 
--Alex Milowski
"The excellence of grammar as a guide is proportional to the paucity of the
inflexions, i.e. to the degree of analysis effected by the language
considered."

Bertrand Russell in a footnote of Principles of Mathematics

Received on Thursday, 2 September 2010 14:30:44 UTC