RE: Sloppiness of `box', `area', and `width'

On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:42:31 +0000, Brian Manthos wrote:

>>    * The sentence:
>>          The four padding edges define the box's padding box.
>>      really means:
>>          The content edge and the padding edge define the
>>          box's padding area.
>>
>>    * The sentence:
>>          The four border edges define the box's border box.
>>      really means:
>>          The padding edge and the border edge define the
>>          box's border area.
>>
>>    * The sentence:
>>          The four margin edges define the box's margin box.
>>      really means:
>>          The border edge and the margin edge define the
>>          box's margin area.
>
> Example:
> div {
>     height: 100px;
>     width: 200px;
>     padding: 10px;
> }
>
> 1. The "content area" is (width * height).
>    In the example,(200*100) = 20000.
>    [I'll exclude the units for now.]
>
> 2. The "area within the padding box" is
>
>       ((width + `padding-left' + `padding-right')
>     * (height + `padding-top'  + `padding-bottom'))
>
>    In the example, ((200+10+10) * (100+10+10)) = 26400.
>
> 3. The "area between the content edge and padding edge" is
>    (value2-value1).  In the example, (26400-20000) = 6400.
>
> Is the "padding area" defined as #2 or #3?

First, note that I haven't thought that the concept of, say, "padding area"
has been in dispute.

My contention has been that in this particular case, the term `box' is
reused for a different concept, and the concept of the padding area
seems to have been forgotten.

At any rate:

> For calculating printer ink costs, #3 can be useful.

It's also useful for describing the concept that has *actually*
been presented---keep in mind that this is my primary concern.

> For describing positioning and sizing of backgrounds for
> "background-origin : padding-box;", #2 is useful.

It is rather unfortunate that `box' is being used already in
that sense.

With regard to the section of the spec in question, though,
I would say it is not good that such a concept is introduced
only IMPLICITLY. If anything, the concept of a "padding box"
needs to be introduced EXPLICITLY with additional text on
top of, say, what I've proposed as an improved version.

Received on Tuesday, 15 November 2011 20:28:04 UTC