- From: Paul Prescod <papresco@calum.csclub.uwaterloo.ca>
- Date: Thu, 01 Aug 1996 17:27:14 -0400
- To: galactus@stack.urc.tue.nl (Arnoud "Galactus" Engelfriet), www-html@w3.org
At 08:28 PM 8/1/96 +0200, Arnoud "Galactus" Engelfriet wrote: >In article <1.5.4.32.19960801134613.00748d04@csclub.uwaterloo.ca>, >That would only partially solve the problem. By putting information >about the *contents* of marked-up text in a style sheet, you're >actually lessening the power HTML can offer. > >Style sheets are for layout. >HTML elements are for contents. CLASS is for content, just as elements are for content. Therefore the debate about whether to make something an element or a class need not involve stylesheets at all. The questions we should ask are: "Does this data class have content model implications?" If so, an element is more appropriate. Classes cannot have specialized content models or occur in different content models than their elements. "Is this class specific to a small vertical market?" If so, a class is more appropriate. Elements must be supported by all tools, everywhere (until all tools support generic SGML). "Is this class important enough to change the DTD and incur these costs?" "How soon is the new DTD going to be available?" Since classes can be deployed more quickly, a class may be more appropriate. "Is this concept experimental?" Classes can be dropped more easily than elements, so a class may be more appropriate. "Are we unsure?" Classes can be turned into elements more easily than vice versa, so when in doubt, a class may be better. Note that none of these questions involve style sheets. Style sheets are a way of attaching visual representations to particular elements _or_ classes. Paul Prescod
Received on Thursday, 1 August 1996 17:28:51 UTC