Understanding the row axis and column axis and how to influence them

When discussing a grid, we often also discuss where something is positioned on which axis. What many people know from other applications, or even from mathematics, are the standard X and Y axis, with X being the horizontal axis (that is, the larger X, the more on the right it is) and Y being the vertical axis.

However, things become more complicated when we take different scripts into account. Most language scripts nowadays use a left-to-right system, or LTR for short. But some scripts, such as the Arabic script, the Hebrew alphabet, or Thaana, use a right-to-left system, or RTL for short.

For some applications, a top-to-bottom approach might also be desirable for text, images, and other content. When we speak of an axis, we usually use the row axis (or inline axis) and column axis (or block axis).

In standard writing mode, the row axis is horizontal from left to right and corresponds with the X axis, whereas...