RE: DOM, markup, and "dynamic html"

The markup is based on a few limitations that will be addressed in our
next preview. While I did not author the content, I did author the code
behind the URL mentioned below.

1) The hard-coded anchors are a temporary measure to ensure the user
does not see an I-beam over the headers. This would create a usability
problem so the anchors are there just to display a "hand" to illustrate
the click region. In preview 2, a custom cursor can be associated with
any element eliminating the need for the extra markup.

For example: 
<H1><A HREF="#"">Used to display a hand since this is an anchor, even
though the anchor is not really navigating anywhere</A></H1>

replace it with:: (this could have been done with a global style sheet)

<H1 style="cursor: hand">Displays a hand over the header without the
need for the extra anchor</H1>

2) In preview 2, the src attribute on script will be supported to
reference external scripts. Scripts are not supported in CSS.

3) The DIV is wrapping the child content for simplicity reasons qand was
purely an implementation decision on my part. Examining the code, you
will notice that this example took a total of 6 lines of code for all
the expanding and collapsing in the document. The code is generalized
enough for any document that is properly authored to take advantage of
expanding and collapsing.  While I didn't do it, it is also possible to
even generalize the code even further to require none of the extra
markup and be completely generalized.  I was too overworked to take this
on at the time I authored the code :-) However, I have written code that
can make any bulleted lists expand and collapse without any additional
markup beyond pasting a script or reference to the script in the
document. The code works by tracking all clicks in the document,
checking the scope of the click (is it in a bulleted list), and if so
then hides or shows any child lists if they exist. 

Scott Isaacs
Program Manager
Internet Explorer 4.0 Team


> ----------
> From: 	Todd Fahrner[SMTP:fahrner@pobox.com]
> Sent: 	Friday, May 09, 1997 7:48 PM
> To: 	www-style@w3.org
> Subject: 	DOM, markup, and "dynamic html"
> 
> Have y'all seen the dynamic html demo at:
> http://www.microsoft.com/workshop/author/dhtml/dhtmlovw.htm ?
> 
> You need IE4b (Win32) to see what's going on, though it degrades
> gracefully
> elsewhere - sorta. The document describes its own functionality. It is
> relevant to www-style because CSS attributes are being manipulated in
> JavaScript.
> 
> This is neat, but the source reveals that it relies on "new" markup in
> the
> form of <div>s and id/classes, as well as hard-coded anchors. The
> former
> compromises the generality of the markup, while the latter produces
> confusing results in downlevel browsers ("links to what?").
> 
> Can some overworked browser developer - say, from Redmond - explain
> whether
> it will be possible to produce this functionality without extra
> markup,
> relying on the existing parent/child and other logical relationships
> of
> generic structural HTML? I think this is the same question: will IE4
> actually parse HTML?
> 
> Can scripts live in an external file, like CSS - or within a CSS file?
> If
> so, imagine the power of a "collapse/expand" personal script/style
> sheet
> that would allow one to drill through valid HTML documents, regardless
> of
> whether the author might have imagined such treatment.
> 
> Or do we need to wait for XML support and a better-developed object
> model
> in 5.0-browsers for this sort of thing? DSSSLists want to decry the
> inelegance of this all? :^)
> 
> I can't check mail 'til Monday, just in case anybody tries to follow
> up
> with me.
> 
> ________________________________________
> Todd Fahrner
> mailto:fahrner@pobox.com
> http://www.verso.com/
> 
> The printed page transcends space and time. The printed page, the
> infinitude of books, must be transcended. THE ELECTRO-LIBRARY.
> 
> --El Lissitzky, 1923
> 
>

Received on Thursday, 22 May 1997 17:59:13 UTC