Re: [css-counter-styles] emdash

On Wed, Mar 18, 2015 at 9:13 PM, Simon Sapin <simon.sapin@exyr.org> wrote:

> On 18/03/15 10:31, Daniel Glazman wrote:
>
>> I received a request from a french EPUB author about the addition
>> of emdash as a new value for the 'list-style-type' property without
>> having to wait for the implementation of extended counter styles
>> or rely on markers. That value is so trivial it could be implemented
>> and shipped really quickly.
>> That emdash list style type is the norm in french typography for
>> dialog quotes. It's also the case in several other languages (spanish
>> for instance) and it's used in millions of books.
>>
>>    — Comment t'appelles-tu ? dit Jean Valjean.
>>    — Petit-Gervais, monsieur.
>>    — Va-t'en, dit Jean Valjean.
>>    — Monsieur, reprit l'enfant, rendez-moi ma pièce.
>>
>>         in Les Misérables, Victor Hugo.
>>
>> That would be similar to
>>
>>     list-style: symbols(cyclic "—");
>>
>> but that one is only implemented by FF at this time I think and EPUB
>> authors are left in limbos here.
>>
>
> Lists level 3 already extends the list-style-type property to also accept
> a <string>, so you could write:
>
>     list-style: "—";
>
> This could also be implemented without full Counter Styles, and is much
> more general than a new emdash keyword.


This is easy to implement for us (Gecko). The questions are, is that spec
stable enough to be implemented? And even we implement this, will other UAs
follow? If they don't follow, whatever the spec says, Daniel's problem will
still be there.

- Xidorn