Writing Modes

Wr iting Modes

“ — Bruce Lawson It ’s

the World Wide Web, not the Wealthy Western Web.

drafts.csswg.org/css-writing-modes

direction / dir writing-mode text-orientation

Display Level 3

drafts.csswg.org/css-display

div {
display: block; }

<div > <div > <div > <div >

div {
display: inline; }

<div > <div > <div > <div >

div {
display: inline-block; }

<div > <div > <div > <div >

display: block; display: inline; display: inline-block; display: none;

display: table; display: flex; display: grid;

display: <value>;

display: <outside> <inside>;

The outer display type dictates   how the box participates in its   parent’s formatting context. <display-outside> = block inline
run-in

The outer display type dictates   how the box participates in its   parent’s formatting context. <display-outside> = block inline
run-in

The inner display type defines
the kind of formatting context   it generates, dictating how its descendant boxes are laid out. <display-inside> = flow flex flow-root grid table ruby

Short display Full display Generated box block block flow block-level block container flow-root block flow-root block-level block container w/ new Block Formatting Context inline inline flow inline box inline-block inline flow-root inline-level block container flex block flex block-level flex container inline-flex inline flex inline-level flex container grid block grid block-level grid container inline-grid inline grid inline-level grid container table block table block-level table wrapper box inline-table inline table inline-level table wrapper box

Short display Full display Generated box none subtree omitted from box tree contents element replaced by contents in box tree run-in run-in flow run-in box (inline box with special box-tree munging rules) list-item list-item block flow block box with additional marker box inline-list-item list-item inline flow inline box with additional marker box ruby inline ruby inline-level ruby container block ruby block ruby block box containing ruby container <display-internal> layout-specific internal box (a bunch more table & ruby stuff) (like table-row-group, table-column, ruby-base-container…)

Wr iting Modes

inline direction When I’m writing or reading this is the way the characters flow

<p > <p > <p > <p > block flow direction

A character orientation

block
direction inline direction A character orientation

SYSTEMS LIKE LATIN block
direction inline direction A character orientation

SYSTEMS LIKE ARABIC inline direction block
direction A character orientation

direction

.foo { direction: ltr; }

.foo { direction: rtl; }

“ — The Writing Modes Spec Authors should not

use direction.

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en-US" dir="ltr" > <head> … </head> <body> … </body> </html>

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="ar" dir="rtl" > <head> … </head> <body> … </body> </html>

SYSTEMS LIKE LATIN SYSTEMS LIKE ARABIC block
direction inline direction block
direction inline direction

<html dir="ltr" > <html dir="rtl" >

< p>English words</p>

<p><bdo dir=" rtl"> . ﺔﯿﺑﺮﻌﻟا

تﺎﻤﻠﻜﻟا

</bdo></p>

<p>English words in this paragraph. <bdi dir="rtl">. تﺎﻤﻠﻜﻟ

</bdi> Some

more LTR words, same paragraph.</p>

SYSTEMS LIKE LATIN SYSTEMS LIKE ARABIC block
direction inline direction block
direction inline direction

<html dir="ltr" > <bdo dir="ltr" > <bdi dir="ltr" > <html dir="rtl" > <bdo dir="rtl" > <bdi dir="rtl" >

<section><bdo dir="rtl" > ... </bdo></section> Example: Writing Mode 1A

unicode-bidi

“ — The Writing Modes Spec Authors should not

use unicode-bidi.

youtube.com/watch?v=XgqP0qogg6U

fantasai.inkedblade.net/style/talks/bidi/

SYSTEMS LIKE LATIN SYSTEMS LIKE ARABIC block
direction inline direction block
direction inline direction

<html dir="ltr" > <bdo dir="ltr" > <bdi dir="ltr" > <html dir="rtl" > <bdo dir="rtl" > <bdi dir="rtl" >

SYSTEMS LIKE MONGOLIAN block
direction inline direction

SYSTEMS LIKE MONGOLIAN block
direction inline direction

HAN-BASED SYSTEMS block
direction inline direction *Chinese, Japanese, Korean & more

HAN-BASED SYSTEMS block
direction inline direction block
direction inline direction *Chinese, Japanese, Korean & more

HAN-BASED SYSTEMS block
direction inline direction block
direction inline direction *Chinese, Japanese, Korean & more

writing-mode

THREE OPTIONS FOR WRITING-MODE writing-mode:
vertical-lr; writing-mode:
vertical-rl; toggle w/
dir writing-mode:
horizontal-tb;

HAN-BASED SYSTEMS *Chinese, Japanese, Korean & more writing-mode:
horizontal-tb; writing-mode:
vertical-rl;

chenhuijing.com/zh-type

chenhuijing.com/blog/chinese-web-typography

HAN-BASED SYSTEMS *Chinese, Japanese, Korean & more writing-mode:
horizontal-tb; writing-mode:
vertical-rl;

h1:nth-child(2) { writing-mode: vertical-rl; }

h1:nth-child(2) { writing-mode: ???; }

text flowing
like this writing-mode: vertical-rl;

NOPE!

text flowing
like this writing-mode: vertical-lr;
text flowing
like this writing-mode: vertical-rl;

like this
text flowing
text flowing
like this SYSTEMS LIKE MONGOLIAN HAN-BASED SYSTEMS

SYSTEMS LIKE MONGOLIAN

SYSTEMS LIKE MONGOLIAN

Block
Start Top of
Horizontal scripts hello A

like this
text flowing
text flowing
like this SYSTEMS LIKE MONGOLIAN HAN-BASED SYSTEMS

section { writing-mode: vertical-rl;

} (This triggers
text-orientation: mixed
as the default.) Example: Writing Mode 1A

section { writing-mode: vertical-lr;

} Example: Writing Mode 1A

THREE OPTIONS FOR WRITING-MODE direction block inline direction writing-mode:
vertical-lr; block
direction inline direction writing-mode:
vertical-rl; block
direction inline direction toggle w/
dir writing-mode:
horizontal-tb; creates a vertical

typographic mode

TWO MORE (FUTURE) OPTIONS FOR WRITING-MODE block direction inline direction writing-mode:
sideways-lr; block
direction inline direction writing-mode:
sideways-rl; creates a horizontal

typographic mode only A A

section { writing-mode: sideways-rl;

} Example: Writing Mode 1A

section { writing-mode: sideways-lr;

} Example: Writing Mode 1A

block
direction inline direction writing-mode:
sideways-rl; block
direction inline direction writing-mode:
vertical-rl; A

È

direction block inline direction writing-mode:
vertical-lr; block direction inline direction writing-mode:
sideways-lr; A

creates a vertical

typographic mode THREE OPTIONS FOR WRITING-MODE direction block inline direction writing-mode:
vertical-lr; block
direction inline direction writing-mode:
vertical-rl; block
direction inline direction toggle w/
dir writing-mode:
horizontal-tb;

My Cool Website

My Cool Website how?

My Cool Website writing-mode: vertical-rl; transform: rotate(180deg) ; text-orientation: sideways; (needed to fix punctuation / underlining) text-align: right;

text-orientation

HAN-LIKE SYSTEMS

È

options for vertical writing modes text-orientation:
mixed; text-orientation:
upright; text-orientation:
sideways; THREE OPTIONS FOR TEXT-ORIENTATION

section { writing-mode: vertical-rl;

text-orientation: upright;

} Example: Writing Mode 1A

section { writing-mode: vertical-lr;

text-orientation: upright;

} Example: Writing Mode 1A

block
direction inline direction writing-mode:
sideways-rl; block
direction inline direction writing-mode:
vertical-rl; text-orientation: mixed; creates a horizontal

typographic mode creates a vertical

typographic mode

My Cool Website writing-mode: vertical-rl; transform: rotate(180deg) ; text-orientation: sideways; (needed to fix punctuation / underlining) text-align: right;

h1 { writing-mode: vertical-rl; } Example: Writing Mode 4A

h1 { writing-mode: vertical-rl; transform: rotate(180deg); text-align: right;

text-orientation: sideways;

} Example: Writing Mode 4B

h1 { writing-mode: vertical-rl; text-orientation: upright; text-transform: uppercase; } Example: Writing Mode 4C

h1 { writing-mode: vertical-rl;

text-orientation: upright; text-transform: uppercase; transform: rotate(180deg); } Example: Writing Mode 4D

<main> <h1>

<span>Made</span>

<span>by</span> 

<span>Few</span>

</h1> </main> Example: Writing Mode 3 A

h1 span:nth-child(2) {

writing-mode: vertical-rl;

text-orientation: upright; font-size: 45%; }
Example: Writing Mode 3 A

h1 { display: grid; } h1 span:nth-child(1) {
grid-column: 1 / 3; grid-row: 1 / 2; } h1 span:nth-child(2) {
grid-column: 1 / 2; grid-row: 2 / 3;

}

h1 span:nth-child(3) {
grid-column: 2 / 3; grid-row: 2 / 3; } Example: Writing Mode 3 A

SUMMARY

block
direction inline direction A character orientation

SYSTEMS LIKE LATIN A

SYSTEMS LIKE ARABIC A

HAN-LIKE SYSTEMS *Chinese, Japanese, Korean & more

È

È

MONGOLIAN-LIKE SYSTEMS

dir writing-mode text-orientation

SYSTEMS LIKE LATIN SYSTEMS LIKE ARABIC block
direction inline direction block
direction inline direction A A

<html dir="ltr" > <bdo dir="ltr" > <bdi dir="ltr" > <html dir="rtl" > <bdo dir="rtl" > <bdi dir="rtl" >

THREE OPTIONS FOR WRITING-MODE direction block inline direction writing-mode:
vertical-lr; block
direction inline direction writing-mode:
vertical-rl; block
direction inline direction toggle w/
direction writing-mode:
horizontal-tb; creates a vertical

typographic mode

È

È A

TWO MORE (FUTURE) OPTIONS FOR WRITING-MODE block direction inline direction writing-mode:
sideways-lr; block
direction inline direction writing-mode:
sideways-rl; creates a horizontal

typographic mode only A A

options for vertical writing modes text-orientation:
mixed; text-orientation:
upright; text-orientation:
sideways; THREE OPTIONS FOR TEXT-ORIENTATION

Start & End

block inline

block end inline
start inline
end block start

block end inline start inline end block start

block start inline end inline start block end

end start end start

Logical Properties

margin-block-start: 1rem; padding-inline-end: 1rem; border-block-end: 1px solid black; text-align: start; float: inline-start;

drafts.csswg.org/css-logical

Alignment

w3.org/TR/css-align-3

from CSS Tricks’ Complete Guide to Flexbox

Justify vs. Align

block inline

start center end s t r e t c h Align

Align

start center end s t r e t c
h Justify

Justify

cross axis main axis flex-direction: row;

cross axis main axis Justify Align flex-direction: row;

main axis Justify cross axis Align flex-direction: column;

Grid Justify 1 4 5 2 3 6 8 7 9 Align writing-mode: horizontal-tb; grid-auto-flow: row;

Grid Justify 1 4 5 2 3 6 8 7 9 writing-mode: horizontal-tb; grid-auto-flow: column;
Align

Align Justify

THANKS! jensimmons.com

@jensimmons layout.land labs.jensimmons.com

Wr iting Modes