[css-layout-api] Should display: layout(x) work on any element?

[zcorpan]

See whatwg/html#3915 where I wonder if layout() should work on fieldset

[zcorpan]

cc @bfgeek

[AmeliaBR]

Alternative question:

Can display: layout(-browser-internal-function) be used to finally specify fieldset and legend behavior in standard CSS syntax?

[zcorpan]

@AmeliaBR no, web compat requires magic if author CSS changes 'display'. But I have a different proposal at whatwg/html#3912

[css-meeting-bot]

The Houdini Task Force just discussed Should layout() apply to every element?, and agreed to the following:

• RESOLVED: display:layout() works on fieldset, same as display:grid or display:flexbox do. (It applies to the inner box, and does not lay out the rendered legend.)
• RESOLVED: Publish a new version of the WD

The full IRC log of that discussion

<emilio> Topic: Should layout() apply to every element?
<emilio> Github: https://github.com//issues/796
<emilio> TabAtkins: If display works on an element it display: layout() should work
<emilio> cbiesinger: There's a bunch of requests to make display work on fieldsets
<emilio> TabAtkins: at which point layout() should work
<emilio> emilio: fieldset display is weird because it only affects the display of the anonymous block inside it, at least on Gecko
<TabAtkins> TabAtkins: So the "inner" display values work, just not the outer ones. (no block/inline, but flex/grid is fine)
<TabAtkins> layout() is an "inner" display value.
<TabAtkins> So it should work.
<emilio> emilio: should you call layout() on the legend?
<emilio> TabAtkins: I'm happy to say legend is outside of your rendering, and that layout() is called for the contents of your inner box
<emilio> Rossen: so is the resolution that display layout() should work on any element that accepts a display value?
<emilio> emilio: what about replaced?
<rego> JFYI, "display: grid" on <fieldset> works in Firefox, Safari, Edge but not in Chromium
<TabAtkins> (Because that's consistent with the behavior of dipslay:grid on it; it only lays out the inner box, which doesn't include the <legend>)
<emilio> TabAtkins: it only honors the outer display value, like setting display: grid on an image you just get a block
<emilio> emilio: what outer display does layout() have? block?
<emilio> TabAtkins: yeah, thought we may want to add inline-layout() to handle that
<emilio> heycam: so display: layout() for an svg doesn't apply right?
<emilio> TabAtkins: hmm, so svg elements do honor display none... needs a bit better definition
<emilio> iank_: so it's not a layout-api issue right?
<emilio> TabAtkins: no, css-display
<TabAtkins> (or the theoretical svg-layout spec I've been threatening to write for a few years)
<emilio> Rossen: so... We have a resolution?
<emilio> TabAtkins: proposal: should work on fieldset
<emilio> Rossen: the title seemed a bit more general
<emilio> TabAtkins: I think except svg, fieldset is the only really special thing
<TabAtkins> Proposed resolution: display:layout() works on fieldset, same as display:grid or display:flexbox do. (It applies to the inner box, and does not lay out the rendered legend.)
<emilio> RESOLVED: display:layout() works on fieldset, same as display:grid or display:flexbox do. (It applies to the inner box, and does not lay out the rendered legend.)
<emilio> Rossen: other issues?
<emilio> iank_: nope
<emilio> RESOLVED: Publish a new version of the WD
<emilio> bkardell_: I'm wondering how much effort we're spending into throttled network stuff, or other way the developer could apply layout when loads are slow and such?
<bkardell_> s/bkardell_/philipwalton
<emilio> iank_: The promise return from the module load... You can use that when all the JS stuff loaded there is done
<emilio> iank_: But it'd be interesting to have something like font loading works
<emilio> iank_: I think we need to be able to load worklets declaratively
<emilio> iank_: there has been talk in the past of a top level promise to the document
<emilio> iank_: which it may be useful to allow people to wait for critical parts of the UI and such
<emilio> iank_: but that's a separate discussion
<emilio> philipwalton: is there an issue for that?
<emilio> iank_: if you could file it'd be great
<emilio> TabAtkins: we definitely need to talk to the preload people to be able to load modules
<emilio> iank_: and the TAG should probably be involved yeah
<TabAtkins> <br dur=20min>
<emilio> Rossen: So that's all for layout, let's take a break and do typed OM when back