Re: What is the set of allowed characters in identifiers?

Eli Friedman wrote:
> My question: Are the code points from 128 to 160 valid identifier
> characters?
> 
> The CSS2.1 draft doesn't give a clear answer.  The prose in 4.1.3 says
> that they are not allowed in identifiers, but the definition of the
> IDENT token in 4.1.1 says that they are allowed.
> 
> IMO, it seems simpler to allow them instead of making an exception for
> an arbitrary set of control characters.  It should definitely be
> decided one way or the other, though.

In general, the formal grammar is more permissive than the prose.
The normative definition of valid CSS syntax is in the prose. As
explained in 4.1.1, the core grammar is a grammar to which all
future additions to CSS are expecteded to comply, but many things
that would be allowed in the core grammar are nonetheless invalid
CSS and must be ignored by the parser are specified in chapter 4.

~fantasai

Received on Friday, 24 August 2007 04:55:50 UTC