Re: Clarifications to definition of "active element"

Charles McCathieNevile wrote:
> Comments at CMN

>   >Content always determines what constitutes an active element. For
>   >instance, the HTML 4 [HTML4] specification defines a number of
>   >active elements: links, image maps, form controls, element
>   >instances with a value for the "longdesc" attribute, and element
>   >instances with scripts (event handlers) explicitly associated
>   >with them (e.g., through the various "on" attributes). The role
>   >of an element as an active element is subject to applicability.
> 
> CMN I found the second paragraph extremely confusing. As far as I can tell
> the User Agent in fact is the ultimate determinnat of whether there is a
> behaviour associated with an element.

But does the user agent add any behaviors? Or does it simply
implement or not implement the behaviors specified by the author?

In the same vein, the user agent ultimately determines what the
user views, but the user agent doesn't just make up content.
I don't think it makes up behaviors either.

In this sense, active elements come from content.

 - Ian

-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
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Received on Tuesday, 30 January 2001 08:49:58 UTC