HTML 4.0 -- Proposed Recommendation -- div - charset, href, hreflang, abbrev

Sirs and Mesdames:

	I am the author of the Compendium of HTML Elements and I am currently
studying your HTML 4.0 PR specification.

Question #1 -- charset=

	In the <DIV> (and <SPAN>) elements you use an attribute "charset=".
However, you also support "lang=" and "dir=" which appear to do the same
job as "charset=". Could you please explain the difference between these
attributes. I recognize that "dir=" establishes a language direction and
"lang=" specifies the country and language used. What function fo
"charset=" serve? Your documentation presents a good explanation of
"charset=" but does not compare it to "lang=" and "dir=".

Question #2 -- href=

	What function does href= add to the <div> and <span> tags? Are <div> and
<span> being expanded to include link capability?

Question #3 -- hreflang=

	This one is particularly curious. "This attribute specifies the base
language of the resource designated by href and may only be used when href
is specified." Is this to say that the link will dictate the language to be
used by the retrieved page? If such is the case, what would happen if I
bypass that link and go directly to the page? The page would automatically
be picked up as default (US-English) unless "lang=" and "dir=" are present
in which case why "href="?

Question #4 -- abbr

	The tag <abbr> was traditionally known as <abbrev>. Is <abbrev> now
obsolete and superceded by <abbr>?

	This is the end of Comments for Nov 13, 1997. Please reply with the reply
button on your e-mail program. 

	Thank you.

	Ron Woodall


======================================================
Ron Woodall
nor@synapse.net

The Compendium of HTML Elements - available at:
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Received on Thursday, 13 November 1997 16:21:02 UTC