Re: The Spec: On the `edge' of despair

"Tab Atkins Jr." <jackalmage@gmail.com> a écrit :

> On Tue, Nov 15, 2011 at 7:22 AM, Michael Witten <mfwitten@gmail.com> wrote:
>> The CSS 2.1 specification uses some very confusing (if not erroneous)
>> terminology in describing the fundamental concepts of the Box Model:
>>
>>  http://www.w3.org/TR/2011/REC-CSS2-20110607/box.html#box-dimensions
> [snip]
>> The uses of the words `perimeter', `edge', `width', and `box' are
>> completely unreasonable unless the following statements are
>> considered reasonable:
>>
>>    * The `perimeter' of an area really means the `outer perimeter'
>>      of an area.
>>
>>      The word `edge' is a suitable synonym for the word `perimeter'.
>
> Yes, this seems reasonable.  The spec says exactly that.


I believe this is not correct, at least, geometrically speaking. When  
you put all 4 edges (top edge, right edge, bottom edge and left edge)  
together, then you get the perimeter of an object.

Unless the spec implies that an edge can be furthermore specified with  
4 sub-edges. Unless the spec implies that an edge is made of 4  
distinct segments.




>
>
>>    * 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.
>
>
>>    * The phrase `content box' means "the box's content area".
>>    * The phrase `padding box' means "the box's padding area".
>>    * The phrase `border box'  means "the box's border area".
>>    * The phrase `margin box'  means "the box's margin area".
>
> This equivalence isn't stated explicitly, but it appears obvious.

"box" is often misused, overused among CSS people and web authors  
whereas area does not create any sources of interpretation or possible  
confusion.

Here, I would give my preference to area. Whenever the word "box" is  
used in the CSS 2.1 spec, people should automatically think of a  
(possibly empty) content with 3 (possibly empty) areas surrounding it.


I think all those words, concepts {edge, content area, perimeter, etc}  
would be easier to understand if their definitions would be assisted  
by a judicious schema.

regards, Gérard

Received on Wednesday, 16 November 2011 19:56:23 UTC