Re: The obvious confusion of `edge'

On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:13:34 -0800, Tab Atkins Jr. wrote:

> On Tue, Nov 15, 2011 at 7:22 AM, Michael Witten <mfwitten@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> ...
>>
>> The uses of the words `perimeter', `edge', `width', and `box' are
>> completely unreasonable unless the following statements are
>> considered reasonable:
>>
>> ...
>>
>>    * The phrase `four content edges' means:
>>
>>          top content edge, right content edge,
>>          bottom content edge, and left content edge
>>
>>      which doesn't make sense until the next statement is discovered
>>      by reading further into the specification.
>>
>>      [Repeat this statement for each of `padding', `border', and
>>      `margin' in place of `content'.]
>
> I don't understand which statement you mean by "the next statement".
> In any case, this seems clear and obvious in the spec.

By next "the next statement", I mean the next statement in the list of
statements that must be taken as reasonable in order for the specification
to be reasonable.

Unfortunately, that statement got moved to the end of the list of my
statements, so I introduced some confusion (I apologize). Here is what
"the next statement" was supposed to be:

    * The phrase `top edge' is equivalent to the phrase `top of the edge'
      (or at least the `edge' in `top edge' has no meaning by itself).

      [Repeat this rule for each of `right', `bottom', and `left'
       in place of `top'].

To clarify further, it is confusing and unreasonable, because the word
`edge' is first introduced as a synonym for `perimeter', and now it is
also being used to refer to part of the perimeter (or, should I say `edge'?)

>>    * The phrase `top edge' is equivalent to the phrase `top of the edge'
>>      (or at least the `edge' in `top edge' has no meaning by itself).
>
> No, it refers to the top edge - that is, the top segment of the
> perimeter.  I think your trouble here is that you're stuck on the fact
> that the *entire* perimeter of the box is called an "edge", and then
> that edge is broken up into four sub-edges.  An edge can be made of
> edges!

Look at what you've just done.

You've had to clarify yourself by using `perimeter' and `sub-edge'.

You essentially admit that terms that the spec uses are completely
unreasonable and inadequate for expressing yourself precisely.

Received on Tuesday, 15 November 2011 19:28:11 UTC