230616 - <noscript> should be inline when displayed

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Core :: Layout, defect)

Description

[Bamm Gabriana]

When JavaScript is turned off, the text inside the <noscript> tags are 
displayed as block instead of inline. Here is a test case:

  <script type="text/javascript">
    var name="Bamm Gabriana";
  </script>
  Hello
  <script type="text/javascript">
    document.write(name);
  </script>
  <noscript>New Visitor</noscript>
  and welcome to our homepage!

In this test case, "New Visitor" should be inline with the text just as 
the "Bamm Gabriana" had been.

Here are the reasons why I believe the current behavior is incorrect:

1) The output of <script> is inline. Since <noscript> is intended to show 
alternate text for users who do not (or cannot) use JavaScript, it should be in 
the same place as the script's output.

2) Netscape 4.8, Internet Explorer, Opera and Konqueror all display the 
noscript text inline.

3) Non-JavaScript browsers such as Lynx simply ignore the <noscript> tag and 
display the text inline. Desired behavior would emulate non-recognition of the 
noscript tag.

Comment 1

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

See bug 52744 and bug 77296

That said, I think it would make sense to use display:inline for compat reasons.
dbaron, hixie, what do you think?

Comment 2

[Mats Palmgren (inactive)]

See bug 218767 comment 2.

Comment 3

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

That has to do with how it's parsed, not necessarily with how it's laid out...

Comment 4

[David Leverton]

Re comment 1, that seems pretty reasonable, since <noscript> is supposed to
contain a block-level element anyway, so making it inline shouldn't break
anything that's written to the spec.

Comment 5

[Bamm Gabriana]

It looks like Mats Palmgren is right. This bug may be invalid. Personally 
though, this is one case where I believe the de jure standard may not be 
desirable. It breaks a large body of existing code and is inconsistent with 
what noscript is designed for, as alternate text. It is like having the ALT 
attribute of an image made block, even if an image is inline.

It looks like a choice between compatibility with the written spec and 
compatibility with existing pages.

Furthermore, I don't think it is a practical solution to ask all webmasters to 
add the code <noscript><style>noscript{display:inline}</style></noscript> to 
their pages. Most simply won't and will leave it to the readers to bear with it.

We should ensure that pages look as intended for end-users who choose to turn 
off scripts for whatever their reasons may be (low-end computers?). Perhaps we 
should even work to have the existing standard changed.

Comment 6

[Brendan Eich [:brendan]]

I agree, we should be compatible with existing pages.

/be

Comment 7

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

Attachment: So like this

Comment 8

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

Checked in last night.

Comment 9

[Jesse Ruderman]

*** Bug 52744 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***