[css-forms-1] Rename basic appearance to base appearance

[lukewarlow]

I think we should rename basic appearance to base appearance. Imo basic could have negative connotations that base wouldn't carry. These styles are a solid (importantly usable) base from which to build rather than being "basic" and needing adjustments.

cc @nt1m

[Shrinivassab]

Thanks @lukewarlow for bringing this up.

I agree that base appearance is a clearer and more neutral term than basic appearance. "Base" implies a foundation meant to be built upon, which fits the intent of providing usable default styles.

"Basic", on the other hand, may unintentionally suggest a limited, unfinished, or even discouraged baseline, especially in design/UX discussions.

If the goal is to communicate that these are useful, foundational styles, base appearance aligns more intuitively with author expectations.

Would love to hear if there was any previous rationale for choosing "basic" initially. Happy to help draft updated terminology if consensus forms around the rename.

[nt1m]

@fantasai suggested "basic" because it sounded more natural in english. I really have no strong opinion though

[Shrinivassab]

Thanks, @nt1m — that makes sense.

If "basic" was chosen for natural English flow, maybe it is worth exploring whether there is room to clarify intent in the spec text itself.
Even if we keep the term "basic", a short editorial note could help disambiguate it from any unintended negative connotations (e.g., by defining it clearly as a foundation or default styling layer).

That said, I still lean slightly toward "base" for its precision and familiarity in other technical contexts (like base layers, base styles, base classes).

Happy to contribute a PR or draft wording if there is agreement on refining the terminology or definition.

[lukewarlow]

I really have no strong opinion though

Yeah this isn't anything important because it is just editorial at the end of the day. The keyword being base and the mode being basic just throws me off a bit. Fwiw base appearance sounds fine to me from an English perspective. Thought I'd raise an issue so the discussion is logged somewhere.

[Shrinivassab]

Thanks all. Since it is not urgent, Happy to leave it open for now in case others want to chime in.
Either way, I am glad the discussion is logged and can help if we decide to update the wording later.