Bugzilla – Bug 401
<q>: now with UA-inserted quotes. Again.
Last modified: 2009-11-23 17:17:11 CET
Index: source =================================================================== --- source (revision 2485) +++ source (revision 2486) @@ -12547,16 +12547,28 @@ <p>The <code>q</code> element represents some <span title="phrasing content">phrasing content</span> quoted from another source.</p> - <p>Quotation punctuation (such as quotation marks), if any, must be - placed inside the <code>q</code> element.</p> + <p>Quotation punctuation (such as quotation marks) must not appear + immediately before, after, or inside <code>q</code> elements; they + will be inserted into the rendering by the user agent.</p> <p>Content inside a <code>q</code> element must be quoted from another source, whose address, if it has one, should be cited in the - <dfn title="attr-q-cite"><code>cite</code></dfn> attribute.</p> + <dfn title="attr-q-cite"><code>cite</code></dfn> attribute. The + source may be fictional, as when quoting characters in a novel or + screenplay.</p> <p>If the <code title="attr-q-cite">cite</code> attribute is - present, it must be a <span>valid URL</span>. User agents should allow - users to follow such citation links.</p> + present, it must be a <span>valid URL</span>. User agents should + allow users to follow such citation links.</p> + + <p>The <code>q</code> element must not be used in place of quotation + marks that do not represent quotes; for example, it is inappropriate + to use the <code>q</code> element for marking up sarcastic + statements.</p> + + <p>The use of <code>q</code> elements to mark up quotations is + entirely optional; using explicit quotation punctuation without + <code>q</code> elements is just as correct.</p> <p>If a <code>q</code> element is contained (directly or indirectly) in a <span>paragraph</span> that contains a single <code>cite</code> @@ -12570,8 +12582,8 @@ <p>Here is a simple example of the use of the <code>q</code> element:</p> - <pre><p>The man said <q>"Things that are impossible just take -longer"</q>. I disagreed with him.</p></pre> + <pre><p>The man said <q>Things that are impossible just take +longer</q>. I disagreed with him.</p></pre> </div> @@ -12581,9 +12593,9 @@ <code>q</code> element, and an explicit citation outside:</p> <pre><p>The W3C page <cite>About W3C</cite> says the W3C's -mission is <q cite="http://www.w3.org/Consortium/">"To lead the +mission is <q cite="http://www.w3.org/Consortium/">To lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and -guidelines that ensure long-term growth for the Web"</q>. I +guidelines that ensure long-term growth for the Web</q>. I disagree with this mission.</p></pre> </div> @@ -12593,17 +12605,30 @@ <p>In the following example, the quotation itself contains a quotation:</p> - <pre><p>In <cite>Example One</cite>, he writes <q>"The man -said <q>'Things that are impossible just take longer'</q>. I -disagreed with him"</q>. Well, I disagree even more!</p></pre> + <pre><p>In <cite>Example One</cite>, he writes <q>The man +said <q>Things that are impossible just take longer</q>. I +disagreed with him</q>. Well, I disagree even more!</p></pre> + + </div> + + <div class="example"> + + <p>In the following example, quotation marks are used instead of + the <code>q</code> element:</p> + + <pre><p>His best argument was ❝I disagree❞, which +I thought was laughable.</p></pre> </div> <div class="example"> - <p>In the following example, there are no quotation marks:</p> + <p>In the following example, there is no quote — the + quotation marks are used to name a word. Use of the <code>q</code> + element in this case would be inappropriate.</p> - <pre><p>His best argument: <q>I disagree!</q></p></pre> + <pre><p>The word "ineffable" could have been used to describe the disaster +resulting from the campaign's mismanagement.</p></pre> </div>