Margin collapsing and floats

I have a question about margin collapsing and floats.  Currently the
CSS2.1 specification says:

* Vertical margins between a floated box and any other box do not
  collapse.

Is this really the intent?  If I have:

<div style="float: right; border: 1px solid black">
  <div style="margin: 1em">Some text</div>
</div>

Should the border really be 1em from the text of the inner div (unlike
the non-floated case, when it would be next to the text in the inner
div)?

Consider using a <p> (which has default margins in most browsers) inside
a border-less floater that has a margin because you don't want the text
flowing around it.  In this case one would think margin-collapsing would
be desirable, no?

It seems that what's really meant here is that floated boxes' margins do
not collapse except with descendant boxes...

Boris
-- 
The typewriting machine, when played with expression, 
is no more annoying than the piano when played by a 
sister or near relation.
                             -- Oscar Wilde

Received on Friday, 13 September 2002 19:06:31 UTC