Re: CSS and SGML document formatting

At 10:30 AM 4/26/96 -0400, Douglas Rand wrote:
>...
>What I would want as both an implementor and a web author is some style
>sheet language which fit naturally within the syntax of HTML.  I would
>probably not be happy with DSSSL having a lisp syntax (although I
>haven't any problems with it myself).  Why can't a style sheet look more
>like:
>
><STYLE CLASS=ABSTRACT.PARAGRAPH
>       SPACE-BEFORE="10 POINTS"
>       SPACE-AFTER="20 POINTS"
>       START-INDENT="5 EN"
>       KEEP-WITH-PREVIOUS>
>
>What is the necessity to set the style declarations off in something
>which requires a separate lexer and parser?  You could still store
>the entire style sheet in a URL and load it once per. set of pages
>which use the particular style sheet.
>
>I must be missing something in this debate.
>...
>

Amen, brother.

I've read documents and messages extolling style sheets as morally superior to "impure" html elements. This or that tag is "just plain wrong" and "rightfully belongs in a style sheet." Perhaps style sheets have become a new religion that must be kept very distinct from the old heathen ways.

Another factor might be the politics of academia.

In my opinion, your syntax above looks just about right. (But then, I'm only a web author and perhaps I just don't understand.)

David Perrell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hearn/Perrell Art Associates
Presentation graphics & animation
Photo retouch & enhancement
(1.818) 884.7151
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Received on Friday, 26 April 1996 15:00:07 UTC