Re: HTML 3.2

Paul Jones (paul@raygun.urbana.mcd.mot.com)
Wed, 8 May 1996 09:43:13 -0500 (CDT) 

From: paul@raygun.urbana.mcd.mot.com (Paul Jones)
Message-Id: <199605081443.JAA09358@raygun.urbana.mcd.mot.com>
Subject: Re: HTML 3.2
To: connolly@beach.w3.org (Daniel W. Connolly)
Date: Wed, 8 May 1996 09:43:13 -0500 (CDT)
Cc: CTaylor@wposmtp.nps.navy.mil, www-html@w3.org
In-Reply-To: <m0uH0JL-0002U5C@beach.w3.org> from "Daniel W. Connolly" at "May 7, 96 11:53:10 pm"


In message <m0uH0JL-0002U5C@beach.w3.org>, Daniel Connolly wrote:

 > In message <s18f60b3.005@wposmtp.nps.navy.mil>, Charles Peyton Taylor writes:
 > 
 >>But WHY is there no CLASS attribute?
 >>The browsers don't have to do anything with it, 
 >>but it should be there for those of us who are 
 >>experimenting with Styles and Arena. 
 >>
 >>I feel I should be able to use the class attribute 
 >>and still have my document validate. (This is
 >>kinda important when you want to do web pages 
 >>for a living.)
 > 
 > 
 > Another good point. The ID/CLASS/LANG/STYLE attributes got thrown out
 > all at once, on the basis that they weren't supported: ID might make
 > folks think they could link to <p id=XXX>...</p>, when they can't
 > (YET!). LANG implied I18N support, STYLE implied stylesheets, etc.
 > 
 > I guess CLASS was a case of the baby going out with the bathwater.
 > 
 > I'll look into it.

Please do!  It took me a few days to realize that these attributes were
gone.  I am using ID/CLASS/STYLE in dual-mode publishing.  I have HTML
documents that can be posted as Web pages or which can also be rendered
with more subtlety on paper with non-browser tools.  These attributes
allow per-paragraph control over appearance and naming of specific
locations in the document.  Now if there are other ways of continuing to
do these things, fine. 

 >>*My* disappointment is caused by not being
 >>able to use the neat stuff in HTML 3 (the 
 >>March '95 one).
 > 
 > Keep in mind that HTML 3.2 is descriptive: if an idiom
 > doesn't work in 3 or four major browsers, it doesn't
 > belong in HTML 3.2. On the other hand, we _are_ developing
 > new specs.
 > 

Is the use of HTML outside of browsers purposely ignored?  Could we at
least have a general-purpose attribute to allow implementation-specific
information? 

PJ

--
Paul Jones,  Motorola MCG                           paul@urbana.mcd.mot.com
1101 E. University Ave.                             Voice: (217) 384-8529
Urbana, IL 61801, USA                               FAX:   (217) 384-8550