[css-cascade] Clarification in initial value section

Hi, all. I thought there was a typo in the Cascade spec (in the Editors
Draft and all other versions I could find), but on a second look (or
actually fifth look) I think it's correct, but misleadingly worded. In
7.3.1 of the Candidate Recommendation and the Editors Draft, it states "the
property’s initial value becomes its specified value". This is misleading,
because it could be read to mean that the initial value *is set to* the
specified value, rather than the other way around (certainly this is how I
read it, even though it makes no sense). The next paragraph states "the
inherited value becomes the property’s specified and computed values",
which is similarly hard to parse.

I suggest the following replacement wording (although I'm sure it can be
improved):
7.3.1. Resetting a Property: the initial keyword
If the cascaded value of a property is the initial keyword, the property's
specified value is the initial value.
7.3.2. Explicit Inheritance: the inherit keyword
If the cascaded value of a property is the inherit keyword, the property's
specified and computed values are the inherited value.

Thanks,
Tom

Received on Monday, 1 June 2015 09:26:15 UTC