HTML 3.2 PR (fwd)

Once upon a time R. S. van Keuren shaped the electrons to say...
>I suggest that HMTL 3.2 not make the <!DOCTYPE tag a required tag,
>but instead use a simpler syntax, such as <VERSION or <DOCTYPE, or
>add an option to an existing tag.

DOCTYPE is required by SGML.  HTML is just an application of SGML.

>Reason:  <! in HTML indicates a comment.  And should stay a comment.
>  There seem to be no other tags in HTML that start with <!.

No, in HTML <!-- indicates a comment.  <! is an SGML marker.

>Option to add to existing tag suggestions:
>    <HTML VERSION=3.2>

That is provided for.  Read the DTD - the very last thing.

>These suggestions are MUCH simpler and clearer than the complicated
><!DOCTYPE examples shown in the proposed standard.

DOCTYPE must stay for SGML.  And if you want your document to be truly
valid, you use it.  Why is this complicated?  Most decent editors insert
it, and experienced users can insert it by hand.

No problem.  You'd have to be pretty clueless to have problems with it.

>My preference would go to adding a version option to the HTML tag.

You haven't read the DTD, have you?

<!--================ Document Structure ===================================-->

<!ENTITY % version.attr "VERSION CDATA #FIXED '%HTML.Version;'">

<![ %HTML.Deprecated [
    <!ENTITY % html.content "HEAD, BODY, PLAINTEXT?">
]]>

<!ELEMENT HTML O O  (%html.content)>
<!ATTLIST HTML
        %version.attr;
        >

Received on Friday, 15 November 1996 17:44:20 UTC