[css-display-4] Is reading-order-items the best name for this property?

[rachelandrew]

Working on spec edits for reading order. @bradkemper proposes that the property be named reading-order or reading-flow not reading-order-items.

Summary of discussion so far:

1. The name reading-order-items (on the flex or grid container to indicate reading order behavior of direct children) was used as we initially had reading-order as a property for the children (with a value of auto or <integer>.
2. The current edits do not include a reading-order property as it was resolved in 8589 that we did not need it.
3. We do intend to leave the possibility of bringing back a property for the children in future, so any naming should keep sensible possibilities for that in mind.
4. Brad's argument for reading-flow is that it makes sure there is no link with the order property, which could be confusing.

Question for the group is should we keep reading-order-items as the name for the property on the parent, drop the suffix and use reading-order or move completely away from mention of order and use reading-flow?

[JoshuaLindquist]

I agree with Brad about the confusion.

Seeing reading-order-items: normal implies that this reading mode works with order, but it actually ignores it.

I think removing the word "order" and using reading-flow is a better solution.

[SaraSoueidan]

As a CSS author, the part of the property name that confused me was the -items suffix. reading-order is a more understandable alternative. I also vote for reading-order over reading-flow because we usually discuss "DOM order" (not "DOM flow") versus "Visual display order" (not "visual display flow"), and the visual order is changed using the order property, so "reading order" makes sense and is easier to relate back to the former two concepts.