Deviation margin-left and margin-right from CSS

Hi,

The margin-left and margin-right properties are taken over from CSS. However, they
don't completely behave as in CSS. More specifically the value "auto" is treated
differently. Section 5.1.2 states that for auto values the formulas must be applied.
In this case it would be the last two formulas of section 5.3.2. As a consequence,
it is the same as if margin-left or margin-right were absent. The auto value is not
treated as an explicit value. In my opinion it should be and it should be computed
according to the CSS rules, from which the properties are taken over, even if that
implies an exception to the indentation rules. I see no point in being only partially
compatible with CSS properties.

A practical consequence, for example, is that a fixed-width block which is stacked
in another block can't be centered through setting the margin-left and margin-right
properties to "auto", such as it is the case in CSS. The same goes for aligning the
stacked block to the left or right.

Regards,

Werner.
-- 
Werner Donné  --  Re BVBA
Engelbeekstraat 8
B-3300 Tienen
tel: (+32) 486 425803	e-mail: werner.donne@re.be

Received on Saturday, 8 February 2003 11:02:40 UTC