Re: What DHTML is

On 21 Jan, Jim Ley wrote:
 
> "Joe Clark" <joeclark@joeclark.org>
>> >Except of course you've got a very peculiar definition of "DHTML
> menus"...
>>
>> So I ran this by an expert.
> 
> Which is a rather offensive way of putting it...

  Agreed. However, I fully expect to be flamed for feeling offended.


>> Longtime readers will be aware that I
>> tend to do that. (And tend to know the experts.) Steven Champeon,
>> coauthor of _Building Dynamic HTML GUIs_ <http://dhtml-guis.com/>,
>> take it away!
> 
> Authoring a book does not make someone more of an expert, than someone who
> hasn't authored a book.

  I wish it was so. People seem to have mostly forgotten Alistair
  MacLeans definition of expert:

   "An expert can be loosely defined as a person who vaguely
    knows what he is talking about"
      - "Santorini"

  I have spent far too many hours being yelled at for disagreeing with
  Zeldman, and being told I should listen to my betters to even attempt
  to shake the fatigue that Mr. Clark's words bring.


  However:

  The definition of DHTML that I know, and that oddly enough seem to
  tally with my colleagues in "the field" so to speak, goes something
  like this:

    "The use of client-side scripting to, by way of a document object
     model, modify HTML and CSS"

  The object model in question may be an IE-specific one; a
  Netscape-specific one, or the WAI DOM. The scripting language can be
  Javascript, Jscript, ECMAscript, or - for that matter - Scheme.

  However, to quote a colleague:

    "I wouldn't agree with _any_ definition of DHTML. It's a vague and
     much abused marketing buzzword better replaced by more verboose
     terminology."

  I'd suggest not talking about "DHTML" at all; in particular not in
  documents of a technical and precise nature.



 (This must be the third time in twelve months we - atleast
  partially - agree on something, Jim. Scary trend ;)
  
-- 
 -    Tina Holmboe                    Greytower Technologies
   tina@greytower.net                http://www.greytower.net/
   [+46] 0708 557 905

Received on Wednesday, 21 January 2004 09:11:56 UTC