HTML 4.0

Needed (absolutely, because Netscape change their margins from one version 
to the next, so if they are not more consistent, at least my sites will 
be):
<body topmargin= leftmargin=>

Nice to have (after all, we'll be in 1998 when we start getting those 
pages...):
Overlays and precise positioning, perhaps with a <position> tag used like 
the <table> tag:
<position x=10 y=10>
<img src="colored_rectangle.gif" width=20 height=20>
</position>
<position x=20 y=20>
Text.
</position>

You see what I mean?

The <position> tag would override any <body> element. So if there is 
another element there, the positioned element would go there too.

There could also be an attribute to determine the order in which those 
stacked elements would be displayed. Why not a z= attribute, where z=0 
would make the <body> elements (text, image, table, whatever) appear over 
the positioned element. With z=1, the positioned element would appear over 
the <body> element. With z=2, the positioned element would appear over the 
z=1 positioned element, and so on.

So using the example above:
<position x=10 y=10 z=1>
<img src="colored_rectangle.gif" width=20 height=20>
</position>
<position x=20 y=20 z=2>
Text.
</position>

Another way to do it would be by nesting <position> tags. If a <position> 
tag is before the <body> tag, the positioned element is drawn first. If it 
is within the <body> element, it appears after the elements that precede it 
(but in the proper position, of course). And so on with <position> tags 
within other <position> tags.

Using the same example:
<position x=10 y=10>
<img src="colored_rectangle.gif" width=20 height=20>
<position x=20 y=20>
Text.
</position>
</position>

This is more consistent with present HTML syntax. But the previous option 
is better with style sheets (I could have the same background image appear 
in the same portion of every page, without having to play with tables, as I 
do now).

Talking of style sheets, maybe I'll be able to do all that with style 
sheets? (But I couldn't find how in your documentation.)

Thanks for reading this.

--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
             François Jalbert

+1 (514) 277-1680   Fax: +1 (514) 879-8465
--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

Received on Wednesday, 9 July 1997 16:14:09 UTC