- From: E. Stephen Mack <estephen@emf.net>
- Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 19:36:04 -0700
- To: www-html@w3.org
The section of the HTML 4.0 draft that describes how comments
are used in HTML does not go into very much detail. [1]
In particular, it doesn't warn that there are SGML prohibitions
against using two dashes (--) inside an HTML comment. Nor does it
warn in this section that many older browsers terminate a comment
at the first > character; instead, that warning is buried at the end
of the script section [2]. At least a cross-reference should be
made.
The script section should furthermore warn that a JavaScript
decrement character may inadvertently end up illegally terminating
a comment used to hide a script, like this:
<SCRIPT TYPE="text/javascript">
<!-- Hide script
function decrement (var) {
var --;
}
// End hiding -->
</SCRIPT>
Such a construction is certain to confuse a validator or other
user agent that is aware of the proper construction of SGML
comments.
[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-html40/intro/sgmltut.html#h-2.3.2.4
[2] http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-html40/interact/scripts.html#h-9.2.2.2
Received on Friday, 22 August 1997 22:35:33 UTC