Re: CSS 2.1 WD and non-CSS presentational hints

>      A "non-CSS presentational hint" is information which is derived
>      from the document and is translated into CSS properties by
>      the user agent through some mechanism other than CSS style rules.
> 
> Note that "CSS style rules" includes the user agent default style sheet.

This definition is, unfortunately, not acceptable in my mind.  To use
your own example, <p align="left"> could be implemented by putting

p[align="left"] { text-align: left }

in the UA stylesheet _if_ the UA supports attribute selectors.  It must
be implemented in some other way if the UA does not support these
selectors (eg IE/Win at present).  Does that mean that 'align="left"' on
a <p> is sometimes a "non-CSS presentational hint" and sometimes not,
depending on the UA?  Or does this mean that all UAs are not allowed to
use the p[align="left"] method because there is some UA that does not
support it?

> CSS is a means of specifying various details regarding presentation, so it
> makes sense that "presentational hints" would be things that affect CSS
> properties.

So as new CSS properties are added (in CSS3, eg) things would suddenly
stop being "non-CSS presentational hints"?

Boris
-- 
Windows 95:
   (noun): 32 bit extensions and a graphical shell for
a 16 bit patch to an 8 bit operating system originally
coded for a 4 bit microprocessor, written by a 2 bit
company, that can't stand 1 bit of competition.

Received on Monday, 26 August 2002 15:08:59 UTC