RE: [css3-page] Proposal: Making variable page area widths in a document optional

Back when we implemented this at HP for XHTML-print we did allow different page-area widths; but it did get us into a fair bit of trouble with things like tables.

For complex layout structures (e.g. tables) I believe we ended up using the page-area width of the page where the element started; but we also (briefly) explored using the minimum width of the pages the box would be on. But in general this gets you into tricky reflow/repagination issues.

I think the important thing to retain is a) flexible left/right borders [as long as the page-area width remains the same] and b) the ability to introduce a new page-area after a forced break (e.g. going from portrait to landscape to display a figure as some of Haakon's examples use [if I recall correctly]).

Kind regards,
- Jacob

-----Original Message-----
From: www-style-request@w3.org [mailto:www-style-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Andrew Fedoniouk
Sent: Monday, February 22, 2010 9:34 AM
To: Yuzo Fujishima; www-style@w3.org
Subject: Re: [css3-page] Proposal: Making variable page area widths in a document optional

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Yuzo Fujishima" <yuzo@google.com>
Sent: Monday, February 22, 2010 1:55 AM
To: <www-style@w3.org>
Subject: [css3-page] Proposal: Making variable page area widths in a 
document  	optional

> Hi,
>
> By using :left, :right, or :first pseudo-classes, it is currently possible
> to make
> left, right, or first pages have different page area widths.
>
> In the following example, right pages are 10cm narrower than left pages:
> @page :left {margin-left: 3cm;margin-right: 4cm;}
> @page :right {margin-left: 9cm;margin-right: 8cm;}
>

I do not think that it is even technically feasible to have a container with 
variable width in CSS.
At least there is no definition of blocks having "jagged" sides as e.g. tall 
<table width=100%> spanning multiple pages.

I believe that we should declare "behavior undefined" for variable page area 
boxes on different pages.
Or at least "vendor specific" if some printer smart enough will be able to 
come up with the idea of how to render jagged tables with correct pagination 
in the future.

-- 
Andrew Fedoniouk

http://terrainformatica.com

Received on Monday, 22 February 2010 22:12:23 UTC