RE: [css3-multicol] page-break-inside and columns

Melind Grant wrote:

 > HP's understanding is that there are currently two high-level
 > options on the table to add column breaking to CSS:
 > 
 > 1. Add additional keywords to the existing page-break-* properties
 > to address the major use cases. Specific values TBD, but an
 > 'avoid'-based value set seems to be preferred.
 > 
 > 2. Add three new column-breaking properties ('column-break-before',
 > 'column-break-after', 'column-break-inside') and define their
 > interactions with the existing page-breaking properties; also
 > define three shorthands ('break-before', 'break-after',
 > 'break-inside') that would set both page- and column-breaking
 > values. Consider deprecating both page- and column-breaking
 > properties in the future.
 > 
 > We think a third possible option could be:
 > 
 > 3. Define 'break-before', 'break-after', and 'break-inside' as
 > aliases to 'page-break-before', 'page-break-after', and
 > 'page-break-inside'.
 > 
 > In general, we favor options (2) and (3) because we think they
 > provide superior usability. Authors will most easily understand the
 > 'break-*' syntax, and will therefore make better use of breaking
 > properties.

I support your assessment of the situation, and your proposed solution.
(3) would be preferable from an implementation point of view as we
would need three fewer properties.

Do you have a preferred list of the values on the break-* properties
that would (a) provide a direct mapping from the page-* properties and
(b) introduce values to influence column behavior?

-h&kon
              Håkon Wium Lie                          CTO °þe®ª
howcome@opera.com                  http://people.opera.com/howcome

Received on Wednesday, 15 April 2009 15:43:28 UTC