List item and marker box layout

When a list-style-position is set to outside and the list item element contains no content does the marker box change the size of the principal box?

<div>
        <div style="display:list-item;">Text</div>
        <div style="display:list-item;"></div>
        <div style="display:list-item;">Text</div>
</div>

Since the second list item has no content it should have no height. Does the marker now determine the height for the second div? I don't believe it should since the marker is not part of the principal block box. If it does not expand the height of the div then it is also possible for makers to overlap in some scenarios.

Note that there are contradictory statements in the CSS 2.1 spec where it says that the marker is in the principal box and outside the principal box.

The section http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/generate.html#propdef-list-style-position states that "This property specifies the position of the marker box in the principal block box." The word 'in' implies that the marker is contained in the principal box in all cases. Though the description for 'outside' says differently as well as section http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/visuren.html#block-boxes the last paragraph; "Some block-level elements generate additional boxes outside of the principal box: 'list-item' elements."

--
Thanks,
Arron Eicholz

Received on Friday, 14 March 2008 02:58:23 UTC