Bug 339290 – Text paragraphs too wide on pages with wide listing blocks

• Product: [OLD] Docs on www.gentoo.org
• Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE

[Description Grant Edwards 2010-09-30 20:46:13 UTC]

The _minimum_ wrap width for normal text paragraphs appears to be
determined by the _maximum_ width of all listing blocks on the page.

On pages that have wide listing blocks, you can end up with text
widths that are so wide you have to scroll back-and-forth to read the
normal text paragraphs.

When I look at the install manual using Firefox on my desktop system,
the text wrap width is about 140 characters.  That's way too wide:

  http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/base/embedded/handbook/?part=1&chap=2

On particularly bad pages, the normal paragaphs are >160 characters
wide (that's wider than my 21" monitor):

  http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/base/embedded/handbook/?part=1&chap=2

[Of course, the actual wrap widths depend on the particular fonts
being used for the text and listing styles.]

Text paragraphs should be wrapped so that they fit within the browser
window regardles of how wide the listing blocks are on the page.

I'd also recommend setting a max-width for text paragraphs so that
even when you widen the browser to see those really wide listing
blocks you still end up with a reasonable maximum paragraph width.

For an example of both these things see:

  http://www.panix.com/~grante/wrapdemo.html













Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Browse to any doc page with wide listing blocks.
2.
3.

Actual Results:  
Normal text paragraphs have a minimum width that is the maximum width of the listing blocks on the page.  That results in text paragraph widths that are 
inconsistent from one page to the next and are too wide on many pages.

Expected Results:  
Normal text paragraphs should wrap to the width of the browser window regardless of the width of the listing blocks.

[Comment 1 nm (RETIRED) 2010-10-01 08:08:06 UTC]

Sorry. If we wrap code blocks, the commands become invalid as each line is supposed to be new input or display. There shouldn't be too much scrolling, as our official docs do their best to keep everything short and simple. We are not responsible for any pages in /proj/, so if you find something in gentoo.org/proj/ that requires too much scrolling, contact the authors of that page.

Anyway, this is a duplicate of an old issue; we won't change anything. Closing.

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 42825 ***

[Comment 2 Grant Edwards 2010-10-01 14:11:51 UTC]

(In reply to comment #1)

> Sorry. If we wrap code blocks, the commands become invalid as each line is
> supposed to be new input or display.

What??  I didn't suggest wrapping code blocks.  I suggesting wrapping
normal text paragraphs and _not_ wrapping code blocks.  The example page
I posted shows exactly that.

> There shouldn't be too much scrolling, as our official docs do their
> best to keep everything short and simple. We are not responsible for
> any pages in /proj/,

The pages under /doc are just as bad.  This one has paragraphos 140
characters wide:

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?full=1

> so if you find something in gentoo.org/proj/ that requires too much
> scrolling, contact the authors of that page.

Aren't they using the same formatting system/settings?.  It's the
formatting standard that's broken, not the article contents.

> Anyway, this is a duplicate of an old issue; we won't change
> anything.

Right.  Thanks anyway for the strawman.

> Closing.  *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 42825 ***