WD-CSS21-20020802 section 8, "Box model", substantive comments

Following are substantive comments on section 8, "Box model"
(<http://www.w3.org/TR/2002/WD-CSS21-20020802/box.html>), of the Cascading
Style Sheets level 2.1 draft
(<http://www.w3.org/TR/2002/WD-CSS21-20020802>).



8.2 Example of margins, padding, and borders


"color: white;                /* text color is black */"

Change "black" to "white" or eliminate the comment.



8.3 Margin properties: 'margin-top', 'margin-right', 'margin-bottom',
'margin-left', and 'margin'


"Conforming HTML user agents may ignore the margin properties on the HTML
element."

Why is this?  How is the burden of margins on 'HTML' greater than the
myriad other burdens of implementing CSS?


"These properties set the top, right, bottom, and left margin of a box.
h1 { margin-top: 2em }"

I am confused.  Is the sentence related to the rule set?


"If there is only one value, it applies to all sides. If there are two
values, the top and bottom margins are set to the first value and the right
and left margins are set to the second. If there are three values, the top
is set to the first value, the left and right are set to the second, and
the bottom is set to the third. If there are four values, they apply to the
top, right, bottom, and left, respectively."

Change each occurrence of "value" to "term".


"margin-left: 2em;        /* copied from opposite side (right) */"

The comment is neither accurate nor helpful; please eliminate it.



8.4 Padding properties: 'padding-top', 'padding-right', 'padding-bottom',
'padding-left', and 'padding'


"If there is only one value, it applies to all sides. If there are two
values, the top and bottom paddings are set to the first value and the
right and left paddings are set to the second. If there are three values,
the top is set to the first value, the left and right are set to the
second, and the bottom is set to the third. If there are four values, they
apply to the top, right, bottom, and left, respectively."

Change each occurrence of "value" to "term".



8.5 Border properties


"Conforming HTML user agents may ignore the border properties on the HTML
element."

Why is this?


"Notably for HTML, user agents may render borders for certain elements
(e.g., buttons, menus, etc.) differently than for "ordinary" elements."

Is this a grant of permission or a record of impermissible behavior?  The
word "may" is ambiguous.



8.5.1 Border width: 'border-top-width', 'border-right-width',
'border-bottom-width', 'border-left-width', and 'border-width'


"If there is only one value, it applies to all sides. If there are two
values, the top and bottom borders are set to the first value and the right
and left are set to the second. If there are three values, the top is set
to the first value, the left and right are set to the second, and the
bottom is set to the third. If there are four values, they apply to the
top, right, bottom, and left, respectively."

Change each occurrence of "value" to "term".



8.5.2 Border color: 'border-top-color', 'border-right-color',
'border-bottom-color', 'border-left-color', and 'border-color'


"The 'border-color' property can have from one to four values, and the
values are set on the different sides as for 'border-width'."

Change to "The 'border-color' property can have from one to four terms, and
the terms set values on the different sides as for 'border-width'."


"If an element's border color is not specified with a border property"

Change to "If an element's border color is not given in a declaration".



8.5.3 Border style: 'border-top-style', 'border-right-style',
'border-bottom-style', 'border-left-style', and 'border-style'


"It can have from one to four values, and the values are set on the
different sides as for 'border-width' above."

Change to "It can have from one to four terms, and the terms set values on
the different sides as for 'border-width' above."

Received on Thursday, 14 November 2002 07:12:20 UTC