Re: [css-backgrounds][css-grid][css-logical] 2-axis positions vs. 4-direction shorthands

Brad Kemper
> On Oct 24, 2015, at 7:48 PM, fantasai <fantasai.lists@inkedblade.net> wrote:
> 
> But this gets us to the very confusing situation of
> 
>  grid-template: <grid-template-columns>/<grid-template-rows>
>  grid-area: <grid-row>/<grid-column>

Given my previous experience with the order of directions vs. the order of sides (or corners) when the inline direction is horizontal, this is what I would expect. I would be confused if it was different. With grid-template, horizontal comes first (sizing columns horizontally), and vertical second. With grid-area, there can be up to four sides, so the top side should come first. 

> We're also working on a 2-axis alignment property (and logical bgpos)
> which take (simplified)
>  [ start | end | center ]{1,2}
> and it seems more natural to expect the block axis first.

That would break with everything I learned previously about directions vs. sides. That exception would make it harder for me to remember, and I would think harder on new learners. We can in general tell new learners that horizontal direction comes first when there are two opossible axes, but top comes first when there are four possible sides. It is easier to then remember, and sensible, that 'block-start' is on a side when the writing direction is 90deg from the default Western  standard, than it is to say that logical directions/sides break the learned rule regardless.

Received on Sunday, 25 October 2015 23:08:47 UTC