Re: Netscape's SPACER

Holger Struppek writes:

 > >>Can anyone explain to me what the TYPE and SIZE attributes add to SPACER
 > >>besides complexity, confusion, and extra characters?
 > 
 > You can use SPACER in three different ways:
 > 
 > a)
 > <SPACER TYPE=HORIZONTAL SIZE=width>
 > (behaves like multiple &nbsp;)

No, it doesn't. The width of &nbsp; is relative to the font that is
being used, while the SIZE attribute takes pixel values.

Compare this with the CSS1 [1] alternative:

  <BR STYLE="display: inline; width: 10px">  <!-- pixel units -->
  <BR STYLE="display: inline; width: 10pt">  <!-- point units -->
  <BR STYLE="display: inline; width: 10em">  <!-- ems, relative to font size -->
  <BR STYLE="display: inline; width: 10%">   <!-- %, relative to parent 
                                                  element's width -->


The first example is equivalent to a horizontal spacer. The other
examples show examples of other units that are supported in CSS1. I
believe graphics designers want all these units to be available.

The "display: inline" part in the above examples is there because BR
is normally a block-level element. One can avoid this annoyance by
using an inline element, but then an end tag is required:

  <SPAN STYLE="width: 10px"></SPAN>


 > b)
 > <SPACER TYPE=VERTICAL SIZE=height>
 > (behaves like an 'invisble <HR>')

Again, the only units supported are pixels. Compare this with:

  <BR STYLE="width: 10px">
  <BR STYLE="width: 10pt">
  <BR STYLE="width: 10em">
  <BR STYLE="width: 10%">

 > c)
 > <SPACER TYPE=BLOCK WIDTH=width HEIGHT=height ALIGN=alignment>
 > (behaves like an invisible image)

Ditto:

  <BR STYLE="width: 10px; height: 10pt">

[1] http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/Style/css

Regards,

-h&kon

Hakon W Lie, W3C/INRIA, Sophia-Antipolis, France
http://www.w3.org/people/howcome  howcome@w3.org

Received on Wednesday, 17 July 1996 05:59:42 UTC