Re: [CSS21] stack level definitions in 9.9.1

Alan,
You're absolutely right that the source order will be used to determine
which to paint first, between a z-index:auto and a z-index:0 element that
are both the responsibility of the same stacking context. In your examples,
the container elements are non-positioned so they pass responsibility for
their child auto/0 elements, thus the stacking context that paints
everything is the one created for the root. It must paint all the page's
positioned elements using the ordering in Appendix E which largely uses the
z-index-deduced "stack level" as a determining factor. But when there's a
"tie" in stack level as between auto and 0 elements, it must use another
criteria so it uses document order as you pointed out. But this is our
point! Document order is needed precisely because auto and 0 elements "tie"
in stack level.
Where they differ only has to do with WHICH stacking context paints them,
defined in Appendix E step 8 as noted by Sylvain.

Justin Poirier
Classroom306.com

On Sun, May 23, 2010 at 5:42 AM, Alan Gresley <alan@css-class.com> wrote:

>  Justin Poirier wrote:
>
>>  *** Your proposal regarding auto and '0' is not included here. I found it
>>>
>>>> confusing as it could be read as conflicting with the description of
>>>> layer 8
>>>> in Appendix E which does make a difference between auto/0 positioned
>>>> descendants.
>>>>
>>>> Indeed, there /is/ a difference.  But that difference is not related to
>>> stack levels and painting layers, and hence there is no conflict.  (All
>>> such elements all lie on the same painting layer [#6 in the list] of
>>> whatever transpires to be their closest ancestor stacking context.)  The
>>> difference is in how the closest ancestor stacking context is determined.
>>>
>>> Sylvain, to complement what Anton is saying by rephrasing it: the
>> difference
>> between auto and 0 descendants that you note in layer 8 of E regards how
>> they paint (or don't paint) THEIR descendants, and not which comes first
>> between the two in the current stacking context (ie. stack level).
>>
>> Justin Poirier
>> Classroom306.com
>>
>
>
> Z-index auto and 0 are different if the painting order (source order) is
> different. The below examples are reduced from these test [1] [2].
>
>
> Example 1:
>
> <div class="np">
>  <div class="ap z-0">ap. z = 0</div>        <!-- painted lower -->
>  <div class="ap z-auto">ap. z = auto</div>  <!-- painted lower -->
> </div>
>
> <div class="rp z-auto">rp. z = auto</div>    <!-- painted higher -->
>
>
> Example 2:
>
> <div class="rp z-auto">rp. z = auto</div>    <!-- painted lower -->
>
> <div class="np">
>  <div class="ap z-0">ap. z = 0</div>        <!-- painted higher -->
>  <div class="ap z-auto">ap. z = auto</div>  <!-- painted higher -->
> </div>
>
>
>
> If I have this:
>
> <div>content</div>  <!-- painted lowest -->
> <div>content</div>
> <div>content</div>
> <div>content</div>
> <div>content</div>
> <div>content</div>
> <div>content</div>  <!-- painted highest -->
>
>
> Each div has a different painting layer. A negative top margin on each  div
> would show this clearly.
>
>
>
>
> 1. <
> http://css-class.com/test/css/visformatting/layers/pos-ab-and-pos-rel-layer1.htm
> >
> 2. <
> http://css-class.com/test/css/visformatting/layers/pos-ab-and-pos-rel-layer2.htm>
>
>
>
> --
> Alan http://css-class.com/
>
> Armies Cannot Stop An Idea Whose Time Has Come. - Victor Hugo
>