Is it Ethical to Style Block Elements as Inline Elements Containing Other Block Elements with CSS?

Is it Ethical to Convert Block Elements to Inline Elements Using CSS When They Contain Other Block Elements?

In HTML, block elements naturally flow as individual units, occupying the entire width of their container. Inline elements, on the other hand, fit within the same line of text as other inline elements.

Consider the following valid HTML markup:

<div><p>This is a paragraph</p></div>

Applying the following CSS rule:

div {
  display: inline;
}

transforms the div into an inline element, while the enclosed p element remains a block element by default. This creates a situation where an inline element (the div) contains a block element (the p).

The question arises: does this violate HTML validity? To answer this, we must consider how HTML validity is assessed. Is it determined before CSS rules are applied, or afterward?

According to the CSS 2.1 specification:

When an inline box contains an in-flow block-level box, the inline box (...) is broken around the block-level box (...) splitting the inline box into two boxes.

In other words, CSS explicitly defines how inline elements should behave when containing block elements. In our example, the div is split into two anonymous block boxes to accommodate the p.

While the CSS specification clearly defines the behavior, it leaves open questions about consistency across browsers. However, given that CSS is a web standard, browsers are expected to adhere to its specifications.

Additionally, HTML5 has relaxed some of these restrictions, allowing block-level elements inside inline elements in certain contexts, such as within anchor tags. This is particularly useful when creating large blocks of linked content.

Ultimately, whether or not it is acceptable to convert block elements to inline elements containing block elements depends on the specific use case and browser compatibility concerns. If consistent behavior across browsers is crucial, it may be preferable to avoid such constructs.

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