Server-side image maps

My understanding of server-side maps just took a hit as I was checking out
the details if my favorite server-side map at http://www.metrokc.gov/.

The code for the server side map at the top of the page is:

<a href="http://www.metrokc.gov/wwwnav.map">
 <img src=" ..."  ... alt="King County Navigation Bar (text navigation at
      bottom)" width="586" height="41" ISMAP vspace=4>
</a>

The thing that baffles me is the href (http://www.metrokc.gov/wwwnav.map)
here is just text file which you can check; here's the contents:

<start wwwnav.map>
# links for KC navigational header http://www.metrokc.gov/
# home
rect http://www.metrokc.gov/  45,4  135,39
# news
rect http://www.metrokc.gov/news.htm  141,4  232,39
# services
rect http://www.metrokc.gov/services.htm  238,4  345,39
# comments
rect http://www.metrokc.gov/go/comment.cfm  351,4  480,39
# search
rect http://find.metrokc.gov/  485,4  583,39
<end wwwnav.map>

And if I simulate w click by submitting
http://www.metrokc.gov/wwwnav.map?142,5
by just opening it in my browser, indeed the News site is opened. Why? What
is special about the .map file on the King county server that it knows to
open a page depending on whether the coordinates are in corresponding
ranges.

I can figure no reason for this to be a server side map, but if what I find
here is generally used, there is even less reason since the data for a
client side map exist in the .map file on the server.

Jim
jim@jimthatcher.com
Accessibility Consulting
http://jimthatcher.com
512-306-0931

Received on Saturday, 27 October 2001 13:53:35 UTC