Multiple Default Themes: Ordered List Type Overwritten

[zoonini]

In several default themes, the ordered list type is always displayed as numerical (aka decimal), even when you set it to another type, such as alphabetical.

To replicate:

1. Activate Twenty Fifteen
2. Add a List block OR a Classic block
3. Switch the block to code view and add type="a" as an attribute on the ol element, so the opening tag looks like this: <ol type="a">
4. Save the page and view on the front end

Result:

It displays as a numerical list, like:

1. item
2. item
3. item

This seems to be coming from this CSS in each of the affected themes:

ol {
  list-style: decimal;
}

Expected:

It should display as whatever list type was set. For example, if type="a" was set on the block, the list should display alphabetical, like:

1. item
2. item
3. item

Other affected themes

I able to replicate this in the following default themes:

• Twenty Ten
• Twenty Eleven
• Twenty Twelve
• Twenty Fourteen
• Twenty Fifteen
• Twenty Sixteen
• Twenty Seventeen
• Twenty Nineteen
• Twenty Twenty
• Twenty Twenty-One

The following default themes did not have the issue:

• Twenty Thirteen
• Twenty Twenty-Two
• Twenty Twenty-Three

---

Reported in this support-forum thread:

​https://wordpress.org/support/topic/ordered-list-type-attribute-not-displayed-properly/

I provided two possible workarounds to the user there, one involving custom CSS, and the other involving adding inline CSS on the ol element.

[sabernhardt]

Related/duplicate: #44777

[shawfactor]

This should be fixed with a high priority, good themes should not be overriding/removing key web functionality and core themes should be (and mostly are) good themes that follow standards and behave well

[jakariaistauk]

Hi @zoonini ,
Thanks for the ticket. but I found some CSS for the list. for a different type of list, we need to write in a different structure. I found some CSS for different list styles. we can follow this structure for the rest of the themes or write a new one. Waiting for other's opinions about the CSS style

1. Twenty-Ten

   ol {
   	list-style: decimal;
   }
   ol ol {
   	list-style: upper-alpha;
   }
   ol ol ol {
   	list-style: lower-roman;
   }
   ol ol ol ol {
   	list-style: lower-alpha;
   }
   

2. Twenty Eleven

   ol {
   	list-style-type: decimal;
   }
   ol ol {
   	list-style: upper-alpha;
   }
   ol ol ol {
   	list-style: lower-roman;
   }
   ol ol ol ol {
   	list-style: lower-alpha;
   }
   

[zoonini]

@jakariaistauk Yep, I know there are various CSS workarounds – if you visit the support thread I linked above, you'll see that I provided several to the user reporting this issue.

@sabernhardt Great spot of the duplicate, I couldn't find it when searching. :)

[zoonini]

@jakariaistauk Just to be clear, this ticket wouldn't be to assign a particular list style for each nested level, which is what your proposed CSS does. It's about respecting the user's choice of list type, and not disregarding it. See ticket #44777 for more.

[sabernhardt]

I'm closing this to keep the conversation on #44777.