Re: printer tags for html 3.x

> 
> ++ 
> ++ I would like to see a &ltpage> or &ltformfeed> tag added to html.
> ++ 
> 
> It is _not_ useful for doing HTML stuff, as it isn't device/user
> independent. If you insist in dictating the page breaks, then using a
> different format _is_ the right thing to do.
> 

I think I may know what the root of this issue is.  I just completed
converting our 600+ page manual (I work for a software company) from
PageMaker into RTF and on to HTML.  We downsized and the people that
understood PageMaker and worked mainly on PCs were done away with.  Most
of the remain people use unix workstations and are located all over
the United States using the Internet to work out of their homes.  
Mainting the PageMaker manuals became a difficult overhead to our
real goals.

We do most of our software distribution and support over the internet
now.  So, the best format for us seemed HTML.  But, we also needed
to print out manuals in hardcopy form to sell to new customers that
required paper or did not have internet access.  The actual pagenation
was not such an issues as having a standard page header and footer
with page numbers, and a table of contents and index that matched up to
the correct page number.  That is why I landed in RTF format.  I then
have to regenerate all of the HTML documents when changes are made to 
the manuals RTF source.

If there were a method of creating a document with a header section and footer
section, with page number placement ability, and a way to have the broswer
generate a table of content and index based on Heading tags and embedded
target anchors so that as the browser prints the text, it can keep track
of what page number the headings and anchors are on to use in the contents
and index pages.

Another issues is that obviously my manual is split into a bunch of
seperate documents.  But I have a master TOC and Index.  I have no idea
what the ultimate answer is.  That is why I am keeping these in RTF
and generating HTML from it.

Pete Brower
Senior R&D Fellow
APPX Software, Inc.
pete@appx.com
http://www.appx.com/

Received on Saturday, 23 November 1996 12:20:14 UTC