Removed paragraph about inheritance-blocking in element(); replaced it with two paragraphs in Paint Sources about this case, why it's difficult, and a recommendation.

Author: tabatkins

css3-images/Overview.html

@@ -16,15 +16,15 @@
 
    <h1>CSS Image Values and Replaced Content Module Level 3</h1>
 
-   <h2 class="no-num no-toc" id=longstatus-date>Editor's Draft 27 February
+   <h2 class="no-num no-toc" id=longstatus-date>Editor's Draft 28 February
     2012</h2>
 
    <dl>
     <dt>This Version:
 
     <dd><a
      href="http://dev.w3.org/csswg/css3-images/">http://dev.w3.org/csswg/css3-images/</a>
-     <!-- <dd><a href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2012/ED-css3-images-20120227/">http://www.w3.org/TR/2012/WD-css3-images-20120227/</a>-->
+     <!-- <dd><a href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2012/ED-css3-images-20120228/">http://www.w3.org/TR/2012/WD-css3-images-20120228/</a>-->
 
 
     <dt>Latest Version:
@@ -722,16 +722,6 @@ <h3 id=element-reference><span class=secno>3.3. </span> Using Elements as
      The host language defines the dimensions and appearance of paint
      sources.</p>
 
-    <p>If any properties on the element would inherit their value from the
-     element's parent, they must instead be set to their initial value.</p>
-
-    <p class=note>Note: even if the property that caused the element to not
-     be rendered was inherited, and switching off that inheritance would
-     cause the element to be rendered again, by this point we're not relying
-     on the rendered appearance of the element, but rather on the paint
-     source it provides, which is layout-independent. Thus, there is no
-     circular dependency created.</p>
-
     <div class=example>
      <p>For example, the &lsquo;<code class=css>element()</code>&rsquo;
       function can reference an SVG &lt;pattern> element in an HTML document:</p>
@@ -905,6 +895,26 @@ <h4 class=no-num id=paint-sources> Paint Sources</h4>
     are sized equivalently to the CSS &lsquo;<code class=css>px</code>&rsquo;
     unit.
   </dl>
+
+  <p>Because paint sources have an intrinsic appearance, it's not necessary
+   for the element providing them to be in a document - for example, one can
+   simply create an element with JavaScript and directly assign it to the
+   CSSElementMap in HTML. However, some paint sources (such as an SVG
+   <code>&lt;pattern></code>) depend on style information for their
+   appearance, and it's currently largely undefined how styling information
+   is assigned to an element fragment that's not part of a document. (For
+   example, does the fragment receive styles from the active document? What
+   if it has its own <code>&lt;style></code> or <code>&lt;link
+   rel=stylesheet></code> in it?) This specification explicitly does not
+   define how such a fragment is styled; it is expected that CSS will define
+   it in sufficient detail in the future.
+
+  <p>For now, it is recommended that such fragments be inserted into a
+   document before being referenced. For example, a <code>&lt;pattern></code>
+   element may be placed into a &lsquo;<code
+   class=css>display:none</code>&rsquo; <code>&lt;svg></code> element's
+   <code>&lt;defs></code> element within a document; this has no rendering or
+   layout effects on the document, but the style inheritance is well-defined.</p>
   <!-- ====================================================================== -->
 
   <h4 class=no-num id=element-cycles> Cycle Detection</h4>

css3-images/Overview.src.html

@@ -349,10 +349,6 @@ <h3 id='element-reference'>
 		<dd>
 			<p>The function represents an image with the dimensions and appearance of the <i title=paint-source>paint source</i>.  The host language defines the dimensions and appearance of paint sources.</p>
 
-			<p>If any properties on the element would inherit their value from the element's parent, they must instead be set to their initial value.</p>
-
-			<p class='note'>Note: even if the property that caused the element to not be rendered was inherited, and switching off that inheritance would cause the element to be rendered again, by this point we're not relying on the rendered appearance of the element, but rather on the paint source it provides, which is layout-independent.  Thus, there is no circular dependency created.</p>
-
 			<div class='example'>
 				<p>For example, the ''element()'' function can reference an SVG &lt;pattern> element in an HTML document:</p>
 
@@ -475,6 +471,10 @@ <h4 id='paint-sources' class='no-num'>
 		<dd>The coordinate system has its origin at the top left corner of the <i>concrete object size</i> it's being drawn into, and the same width and height as the <i>concrete object size</i>.  <a href="http://www.w3.org/TR/SVG/coords.html#Units">User coordinates</a> are sized equivalently to the CSS ''px'' unit.</dd>
 	</dl>
 
+	<p>Because paint sources have an intrinsic appearance, it's not necessary for the element providing them to be in a document - for example, one can simply create an element with JavaScript and directly assign it to the CSSElementMap in HTML.  However, some paint sources (such as an SVG <code>&lt;pattern></code>) depend on style information for their appearance, and it's currently largely undefined how styling information is assigned to an element fragment that's not part of a document.  (For example, does the fragment receive styles from the active document? What if it has its own <code>&lt;style></code> or <code>&lt;link rel=stylesheet></code> in it?)  This specification explicitly does not define how such a fragment is styled; it is expected that CSS will define it in sufficient detail in the future.</p>
+
+	<p>For now, it is recommended that such fragments be inserted into a document before being referenced.  For example, a <code>&lt;pattern></code> element may be placed into a ''display:none'' <code>&lt;svg></code> element's <code>&lt;defs></code> element within a document; this has no rendering or layout effects on the document, but the style inheritance is well-defined.</p>
+
 <!-- ====================================================================== -->
 
 <h4 class="no-num" id='element-cycles'>