Re: canvas <html> <body>

Ian Hickson <ian@hixie.ch> wrote:

> There is no practical difference. Using the concepts as described in
> 10.1 (root element in the initial containing block) is conceptually
> simpler to describe.

There *is* a practical difference, it *is* affecting people's layouts
today, and it *should* be cleared up. Mozilla, IE6/Win, IE5/Mac
and Opera 6 are all generating different results in a way that is
confusing web authors, most particularly when they try to
position/size a non-fixed-positioned element relative to the height
of the viewport, which is very commonly desired.

If the root element *generates* the ICB, then the ICB is as high
as its in-flow child content requires, and setting a %age height
on the root element gives unspecified results.

If the root element is *contained* by the ICB, then the ICB's
height is "chosen by the user agent" (does this mean "undefined"
or "as high as the viewport"?).

This affects all absolutely-positioned elements not nested in
another positioned element, when top, bottom or height is a
percentage. Lots of authors want to do this. Can we please
have a resolution?

--
Andrew Clover
mailto:and@doxdesk.com
http://and.doxdesk.com/

Received on Monday, 20 May 2002 10:29:35 UTC