[CSS21] list-item box generation - editorial issues

Issue 1.

9.2.1 (Block-level elements and block boxes) says:[1]

   # Some block-level elements generate additional boxes outside of the
   # principal box: 'list-item' elements. These additional boxes are
   # placed with respect to the principal box.

s/generate/may generate/ assuming that the additional box in question is
the marker box, which may or may not exist, and may or may not be
outside the principal block box.


Issue 2.

9.2.4 (The 'display' property)[2] says of the 'list-item' value:

   # This value causes an element (e.g., LI in HTML) to generate a
   # principal block box and a list-item inline box.

12.5 (Lists) says:[3]

   # An element with 'display: list-item' generates a principal box for
   # the element's content and an optional marker box as a visual
   # indication that the element is a list item.

12.5 doesn't actually say how the element's content flows (eg box
generation), so one assumes it participates in an inline formatting
context within the list-item's principal block box.  This is supported
by the description of the 'inside' value of the list-style-position
property:

   # The marker box is the first inline box in the principal block box,
   # after which the element's content flows.

But then, what is the "list-item inline box" of which 9.2.4 talks?  This
should probably be reworded.

Also, why doesn't that sentence in 9.2.4 mention the marker box?  OK,
the sentence is followed by "consult the section on lists", but it would
hardly hurt to mention the marker box at that point, and would be more
coherent and useful.


[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS2/visuren.html#block-boxes
[2] http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS2/visuren.html#display-prop
[3] http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS2/generate.html#lists


Cheers,
Anton Prowse
http://dev.moonhenge.net

Received on Sunday, 25 July 2010 12:23:29 UTC