Re: [css3-flexbox] miscellaneous comments on Chapter 4. Flex Items

On Jul 25, 2012, at 12:50 PM, fantasai <fantasai.lists@inkedblade.net> wrote:

> The CSSWG resolved to have 'order' not apply to absolutely-positioned
> elements. For the purpose of determining the static position, the
> placeholder has all properties set to their initial values, including
> 'order'. Let me know if this is satisfactory.

From the teleconference that I missed today:

> Next issue
>    http://dev.w3.org/csswg/css3-flexbox/issues-lc-2012#issue-17
>  fantasai: Question is, does 'order' affect the absolutely-positioned
>            child, either wrt painting order or wrt static position
>  Florian: If we went with A, I'd say no, but given we're not going with
>           A, I think 'order' is useful.
>  TabAtkins: The issue is, we literally do nothing for placeholders anywhere
>             else
>  TabAtkins: e.g. we don't honor 'float' or 'clear' when computing static
>             positions
>  No strong opinions
>  szilles: I would go for not honoring it
>  szilles: Best way to keep things consistent
>  <TabAtkins> Note that *not* ordering it makes "Rossen's principles" much
>              less coherent.
>  Florian: I can go with that
>  RESOLVED: 'order' does not apply to abspos children of a flexbox,
>            placeholders have all initial/inherited values for properties

I find this pretty weird. 'order' can move something around in one dimension, and then absolutely positioning it in the other direction gives it a completely different placement for the dimension that stayed 'auto'? That is completely counterintuitive. Even a 'float:left' in tlr text that becomes abspos (with auto positions) still maintains a pretty similar visual ordering with its apparent siblings. 'order' can change what the apparent siblings are, and I don't think 'position:absolute' should automatically change it back.

Doesn't 'margin-left' combine with the 'left' property to affect where a left edge ends up, even if it is 'left:auto'? So should 'order' affect where an absolutely positioned flex box item end up, even if the edge-positioning values are all 'auto'.