RE: [css21] (Section 9.5, Floats) Empty floated element with a set width but height:0

Thank you for your feedback. The CSSWG resolved not to make any changes to the CSS 2.1 specification[1] for this. We will be reevaluating this issue for errata and future versions of CSS. 

Please respond before 18 March, 2011 if you do not accept the current resolution.

[1] http://w3.org/TR/CSS


> -----Original Message-----
> From: www-style-request@w3.org [mailto:www-style-request@w3.org] On
> Behalf Of Sylvain Galineau
> Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2010 12:38 PM
> To: www-style@w3.org
> Subject: [css21] (Section 9.5, Floats) Empty floated element with a set width
> but height:0
> 
> This is a follow-up on the issue raised by Gérard Talbot back in July [1]. It
> turned into ISSUE-185 [2] and was resolved per David's proposal [3] the
> following month.
> 
> I'd like to clarify this resolution, however, as I am not sure I understand how
> one establishes where the margin edges of a zero-height float are for the
> purpose of deciding whether or not it is next to a linebox.
> 
> Quick summary: first, per 9.5 [4]:
> 
>    ...line boxes created next to the float are shortened to make room for
>    the margin box of the float.
> 
> We also know that margin box height depends on content-height + top and
> bottom padding, borders and margins.
> 
> Thus a float with height:0px should be equivalent for linebox shortening
> purposes to any other float with a margin box height of 0px e.g. :
> 
>    <div>
> 	The Test
> 	<div style="float:left; width:50px; height:25px; margin-top:-
> 25px;background-color:blue"></div>
>    </div>
> 
> In this case the float's margin box height is zero and the line box does not
> need to get shortened as result; all browsers agree and the 'The Test' ends
> up below the blue float i.e. we get something like this (A):
> 
>    #####
>    The Test
> 
> But clearly not this (B):
> 
>    #####
>         The Test
> 
> It can also be argued that A is what authors expect.
> 
> Thus :
> 
>    <div>
> 	The Test
> 	<div style="float:left;width:50px; height:0px;"></div>
>    </div>
> 
> ...also results in a margin box height of 0px for the float and would thus
> resolve the length and position of the line box as in A.
> 
> Is this correct ?
> 
> [1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-style/2010Jul/0527.html
> [2] http://wiki.csswg.org/spec/css2.1#issue-185
> [3] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-style/2010Aug/0178.html
> [4] http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/visuren.html#floats
> 
>

Received on Tuesday, 15 March 2011 16:45:19 UTC