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I’ve read the definition of figure:

The figure element represents a unit of content, optionally with a caption, that is self-contained, that is typically referenced as a single unit from the main flow of the document, and that can be moved away from the main flow of the document without affecting the document’s meaning.

But I still don’t understand the “self-contained” part. Could anyone clarify it please?

Sebastian Simon
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user3646717
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    Does the [tag description of “self-contained”](http://stackoverflow.com/tags/self-contained/info) help? _“Self-contained in programming can refer to a script, program or a library that is completely independent and contains everything necessary within its code.”_ It’s not clear what you don’t understand about it. What do you think it means? – Sebastian Simon Aug 24 '16 at 21:15
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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is asking for the definition of a word and is not about programming as defined by the scope of the Help Center. – TylerH Aug 24 '16 at 21:15
  • Well I thought that self contained could have a special meaning, because as far as I understand, a tag couldn't stand completely alone. – user3646717 Aug 24 '16 at 21:27

1 Answers1

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From the W3.org:

The figure element represents some flow content, optionally with a caption, that is self-contained (like a complete sentence) and is typically referenced as a single unit from the main flow of the document.

Self-contained in this context does not necessarily mean independent. For example, each sentence in a paragraph is self-contained; an image that is part of a sentence would be inappropriate for figure, but an entire sentence made of images would be fitting.

The element can thus be used to annotate illustrations, diagrams, photos, code listings, etc.

j08691
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