Re: [CSS21] Style sheet definition

On Mon, 29 Aug 2005, Chris Lilley wrote:
> 
> Existing text
> 
> Style sheet
>     A set of statements that specify presentation of a document.
> 
> (OK, but very general. Covers CSS, DSSL, XSL, sXBL and indeed Java, Python
> pretty much any 'set of statements' that produce presentation)

What isn't clear to me is why you would even consider looking in the CSS 
spec when you are considering non-CSS languages.


> Suggested text:
> 
> Style sheet
>     A set of statements that specify presentation of a document.

I don't understand why this definition (without more text as it currently 
has) is in any way useful.

If you consider XSL to be a stylesheet, note that it doesn't match the 
definition above anyway.


> CSS style sheet
>     A set of statements, expressed in CSS, that specify
>     presentation of a document.

The rest of the specification refers to "style sheets", not "CSS style 
sheets", throughout. Certainly we won't agree to putting "CSS" in front of 
every occurance of the word "style sheet", that would make it unreadable.


These proposals do not seem to be intended to make the spec clearer. There 
aren't actually any ambiguities here unless you specifically are trying to 
misread the spec.

If you would like us to mark this issue as unresolved in the disposition 
of comments, let us know. However, as it currently stands, we reject this 
proposed change on the grounds that it would merely make the specification 
more confusing.

-- 
Ian Hickson               U+1047E                )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
http://ln.hixie.ch/       U+263A                /,   _.. \   _\  ;`._ ,.
Things that are impossible just take longer.   `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'

Received on Tuesday, 30 August 2005 20:13:41 UTC