Read a child's report as a fraction of the containing widget

`rel(0.5)` is half the span whatever else is in it and wherever the child
sits among them (Bryan, 2026-09-17). It was half of what the span had left
at the point it asked, because a report came back composed through the box
it was offered and a span offers each child the room from its cursor -- so
a nested span taking half of what it was given took a quarter of a row
whose first half was already spoken for, where the same half written as a
rule on the child took half the row.

The offer stays the remainder: a text has to wrap at the width actually
there, and `a_text_in_a_span_wraps_at_the_room_left_rather_than_the_whole_row`
pins that. What separates from it is the base a report's fractions are of,
which the ask now carries. It is the box the child was given wherever that
box is the child's whole area -- a pad's inset, a stack child, a scroll's
content -- and a span passes its own extent along the row.

`widget_decided` becomes `widget_at`, which says both things about an ask
rather than one of them; `widget_within` is still the sugar for neither.

Two spans asking for half each now take the whole row between them and a
third overflows, which the rewritten
`a_span_reads_a_child_report_as_a_fraction_of_the_row` states outright.
The five reference renders are byte-identical at 1920x1200 and `random`
live-resized still matches a cold render, so nothing that exists reports a
fraction to a span today.

core/src/ui/painter.rs

@@ -139,29 +139,30 @@ impl<'a> Painter<'a> {
         id: &'s StrongWidget<W>,
         region: UiRegion,
     ) -> DrawResult<'s, 'a, W> {
-        self.widget_at(id, region, [false; 2])
+        self.widget_at(id, region, region.size(), [false; 2])
     }
 
-    /// Draws a widget in a box this widget chose from the widget's own
+    /// Draws a widget in `region`, saying what the answer means.
-    /// answer along the `decided` axes. On those the answer is not placed
+    ///
-    /// inside the box again: it already is the box, and a fraction the
+    /// `reports_of` is what a fraction the child reports is a fraction of, as
-    /// widget reported of its offer, taken of this box a second time, would
+    /// lengths of this widget's own box. It is the box the child was given
-    /// shrink it twice. A container uses this where it hands back exactly
+    /// wherever that box is the child's whole area -- a pad's inset, a stack
+    /// child, a scroll's content -- and a span passes its own extent along
+    /// the row instead: it offers each child the room left from its cursor,
+    /// because a text has to wrap at the width actually there, while
+    /// `rel(0.5)` still means half the span wherever the child sits in it.
+    ///
+    /// A `decided` axis is one where this box was chosen from the widget's
+    /// own answer. On those the answer is not placed inside the box again: it
+    /// already is the box, and a fraction taken of it a second time would
+    /// shrink it twice. A container uses that where it hands back exactly
     /// what a child asked for -- a span placing a child at the length it
     /// reported, a scroll giving its content the content's own length.
-    pub fn widget_decided<'s, W: ?Sized>(
+    pub fn widget_at<'s, W: ?Sized>(
-        &'s mut self,
-        id: &'s StrongWidget<W>,
-        region: UiRegion,
-        decided: [bool; 2],
-    ) -> DrawResult<'s, 'a, W> {
-        self.widget_at(id, region, decided)
-    }
-
-    fn widget_at<'s, W: ?Sized>(
         &'s mut self,
         id: &'s StrongWidget<W>,
         region: UiRegion,
+        reports_of: UiVec2,
         decided: [bool; 2],
     ) -> DrawResult<'s, 'a, W> {
         let region_node = self.rsc.widgets().is_region_node(id.id());
@@ -234,7 +235,7 @@ impl<'a> Painter<'a> {
         DrawResult {
             child: id,
             painter: self,
-            size: in_parent_frame(size, local, declared),
+            size: in_parent_frame(size, reports_of, declared),
         }
     }
 
@@ -268,12 +269,14 @@ impl<'a> Painter<'a> {
 
     /// A child's length in the box it is about to be offered, if it can be
     /// had without drawing it: from its hint, or from a drawing it already
-    /// has that holds for that box.
+    /// has that holds for that box. `reports_of` is what a fraction in the
+    /// answer is a fraction of, as it is for [`Self::widget_at`].
     pub fn known_len<W: ?Sized>(
         &mut self,
         child: &StrongWidget<W>,
         axis: Axis,
         region: UiRegion,
+        reports_of: UiVec2,
     ) -> Option<LayoutLen> {
         let declared = self.declared_lens(child);
         let align = self.rsc.widgets().alignment(child.id());
@@ -299,7 +302,7 @@ impl<'a> Painter<'a> {
         for (axis, under) in AXES.into_iter().zip(self.under.iter_mut()) {
             *under = under.and(holds[axis as usize].through(local.axis(axis).len()));
         }
-        Some(in_parent_frame(size, local, declared).axis(axis))
+        Some(in_parent_frame(size, reports_of, declared).axis(axis))
     }
 
     /// Whether this is the first box a child is asked about in during a draw
@@ -518,18 +521,19 @@ impl PrimitiveLike for &TextureHandle {
     }
 }
 
-/// A child's answer as lengths of the box it was asked from. A widget reports
+/// A child's answer as lengths of the parent's own box. A widget reports a
-/// a fraction of the box it was given, and the widget that gave it wants the
+/// fraction, and `reports_of` is the length that fraction is of: the box the
-/// same length as a fraction of its own: one composition apart wherever the
+/// child was given wherever that is the child's whole area, and the parent's
-/// offer was not the whole of the parent's extent, as a span's is after a
+/// own extent wherever the box is a positional remainder, as a span's is
-/// relative child. A declared axis is already the parent's: it resolved the
+/// after an earlier child. Pixels come through untouched either way, being
-/// rule in its own box, and the rule is what the report says.
+/// that many pixels wherever they end up. A declared axis is already the
-fn in_parent_frame(size: Size, local: UiRegion, declared: [Option<LayoutLen>; 2]) -> Size {
+/// parent's: it resolved the rule in its own box, and the rule is what the
+/// report says.
+fn in_parent_frame(size: Size, reports_of: UiVec2, declared: [Option<LayoutLen>; 2]) -> Size {
     let mut size = size;
     for (axis, declared) in AXES.into_iter().zip(declared) {
         if declared.is_none() {
-            let len = local.axis(axis).len();
+            *size.axis_mut(axis) = size.axis(axis).within_len(reports_of.axis(axis));
-            *size.axis_mut(axis) = size.axis(axis).within_len(len);
         }
     }
     size

core/src/ui/render_state.rs

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ pub(super) struct DrawInfo {
     pub offered_px: PxVec2,
     /// The axes along which the parent chose this box from the widget's own
     /// answer, so the answer is not placed inside it again. See
-    /// [`Painter::widget_decided`].
+    /// [`Painter::widget_at`].
     pub decided: [bool; 2],
 }
 

src/widget/position/scroll.rs

@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ impl Widget for Scroll {
         let container_len = painter.px_len(self.axis);
         // Draw in the whole container only when its scrolling-axis length is
         // not already known, then draw it at the scrolled offset.
-        let answer_len = match painter.known_len(&self.inner, self.axis, UiRegion::FULL) {
+        let whole = UiRegion::FULL;
+        let answer_len = match painter.known_len(&self.inner, self.axis, whole, whole.size()) {
             Some(len) => len,
             None => painter.widget(&self.inner).size().axis(self.axis),
         };
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ impl Widget for Scroll {
             region = region.offset(offset);
             region.axis_mut(self.axis).end = region.axis(self.axis).start.offset(self.content_len);
         }
-        painter.widget_decided(&self.inner, region, [true; 2]);
+        painter.widget_at(&self.inner, region, region.size(), [true; 2]);
         // What it occupies is its box, on both axes: it clips its content to
         // that box, so it can neither take less of one nor honestly ask for
         // more. The content's length is what it scrolls through, not what it

src/widget/position/span.rs

@@ -20,9 +20,15 @@ impl Widget for Span {
                 span.flip();
             }
             let region = UiRegion::from_axis(axis, span, UiSpan::FULL);
-            let len = match painter.known_len(child, axis, region) {
+            // Offered the room left from the cursor, because a text has to
+            // wrap at the width actually there, but reporting a fraction of
+            // the whole row: `rel(0.5)` is half the span whatever else is in
+            // it and wherever this child sits among them.
+            let len = match painter.known_len(child, axis, region, UiVec2::FULL_SIZE) {
                 Some(len) => len,
-                None => painter.widget_within(child, region).len(axis),
+                None => painter
+                    .widget_at(child, region, UiVec2::FULL_SIZE, [false; 2])
+                    .len(axis),
             };
             cursor.px += len.px + self.gap;
             cursor.rel += len.rel;
@@ -122,7 +128,12 @@ impl Widget for Span {
             // Along the row this box is the child's own answer, so the answer
             // is not placed in it again; across it the child sits where its
             // alignment says.
-            let placed = painter.widget_decided(child, region, [axis == Axis::X, axis == Axis::Y]);
+            let placed = painter.widget_at(
+                child,
+                region,
+                UiVec2::FULL_SIZE,
+                [axis == Axis::X, axis == Axis::Y],
+            );
             if shrinks {
                 let used = placed.len(!axis);
                 // Choosing between a fixed and a relative length from the

src/widget/position/stack.rs

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ impl Widget for Stack {
             // child is handed a box that owes nothing to its own answer, and
             // where it sits in one bigger than itself is its own business.
             match sizing == Some(i) {
-                true => painter.widget_decided(child, region, [true; 2]),
+                true => painter.widget_at(child, region, region.size(), [true; 2]),
                 false => painter.widget_within(child, region),
             };
         }

tests/cases/layout.rs

@@ -20,13 +20,13 @@ fn a_span_gives_each_child_the_width_it_asked_for() {
     assert_corners!(h, right, (100, 0), (400, 200));
 }
 
-/// A drawn child reports a fraction of the box it was given, and a span
+/// A span offers each child the room left after the one before, because a
-/// offers each child what is left after the one before. So a nested span
+/// text has to wrap at the width actually there, but reads what the child
-/// that takes half of the half it was offered has taken a quarter of the row,
+/// reports as a fraction of the whole row. So two children asking for half
-/// and what follows starts three quarters along -- not at the end, which is
+/// each take the whole row between them, however much of it was left when
-/// where adding its report straight into the cursor put it.
+/// each was asked, and a third overflows.
 #[test]
-fn a_span_reads_a_child_report_as_a_fraction_of_what_it_offered() {
+fn a_span_reads_a_child_report_as_a_fraction_of_the_row() {
     let mut h = Harness::new((400, 100));
     let half = rect(Color::RED).width(rel(0.5)).add(&mut h.rsc);
     let inner = rect(Color::GREEN).width(rel(0.5)).add(&mut h.rsc);
@@ -35,11 +35,51 @@ fn a_span_reads_a_child_report_as_a_fraction_of_what_it_offered() {
     h.set_root((half, nested, tail).span(Dir::RIGHT).width(rel(1.0)));
 
     // The nested span is placed at the length it reported and drawn there
-    // once more; half of that final box is what its child takes, packed at
+    // once more; half of that final box is what its own child takes.
-    // the nested span's own start.
+    assert_corners!(h, nested, (200, 0), (400, 100));
-    assert_corners!(h, nested, (200, 0), (300, 100));
+    assert_corners!(h, inner, (200, 0), (300, 100));
-    assert_corners!(h, inner, (200, 0), (250, 100));
+    assert_corners!(h, tail, (400, 0), (500, 100));
-    assert_corners!(h, tail, (300, 0), (400, 100));
+}
+
+/// The same fraction either way round: after a 100 px child in a 400 px row,
+/// `rel(0.5)` is 100 to 300 whether the child's own rule says so or the child
+/// drew half of what it was offered and reported that. Half the row, not half
+/// of the 300 px left of it.
+#[test]
+fn a_reported_fraction_is_of_the_row_like_a_declared_one() {
+    let mut declaring = Harness::new((400, 100));
+    let head = rect(Color::RED).width(100).add(&mut declaring.rsc);
+    let declared = rect(Color::GREEN).width(rel(0.5)).add(&mut declaring.rsc);
+    declaring.set_root((head, declared).span(Dir::RIGHT).width(rel(1.0)));
+    assert_corners!(declaring, declared, (100, 0), (300, 100));
+
+    let mut reporting = Harness::new((400, 100));
+    let head = rect(Color::RED).width(100).add(&mut reporting.rsc);
+    let inner = rect(Color::GREEN).width(rel(0.5)).add(&mut reporting.rsc);
+    let reported = (inner,).span(Dir::RIGHT).add(&mut reporting.rsc);
+    reporting.set_root((head, reported).span(Dir::RIGHT).width(rel(1.0)));
+    assert_corners!(reporting, reported, (100, 0), (300, 100));
+}
+
+/// What the fraction a child reports is of and what box it is offered are
+/// two different lengths, and only the first is the whole row: a text still
+/// wraps at the room actually left after its neighbour, so the same
+/// paragraph is taller where less of the row is left for it.
+#[test]
+fn a_text_in_a_span_wraps_at_the_room_left_rather_than_the_whole_row() {
+    let paragraph = "Wrapping shapes one source into as many lines as the box \
+                     leaves room for, so a paragraph's height is an answer.";
+    let height_after = |head_width: i32| {
+        let mut h = Harness::new((400, 400));
+        let head = rect(Color::RED).width(head_width).add(&mut h.rsc);
+        let text = wtext(paragraph).size(16).wrap(true).add(&mut h.rsc);
+        h.set_root((head, text).span(Dir::RIGHT).width(rel(1.0)));
+        let region = h.region(&text).unwrap();
+        (region.bot_right.y - region.top_left.y).to_f32()
+    };
+
+    let (crowded, whole_row) = (height_after(300), height_after(0));
+    assert!(crowded > whole_row, "{crowded} against {whole_row}");
 }
 
 /// The same reading through a pad: its inset is the whole box less the