Re: Putting many things in DTDs (was Re: What's APPLET doing inside PRE?)

Abigail writes:

> Hmm, I read "implement them in a right way" as "implementing in a user
> agent", but HTML Pro is a DTD, combining the various DTDs.  I don't
> want to criticize your work, but so what? Even if HTML Pro puts FRAME,
> BANNER and SPACER nicely in a DTD, does that suddenly mean it is now
> "right" to use them? There are various objections against the use of
> FRAME, BANNER and SPACER, and I don't see why they would suddely go
> away because they appear in HTML Pro.

No, you're quite right, I also want to see implementations. HTML Pro is
just a codification of what is possible.

> More in general, I wonder, what is the point of HTML Pro? Fine, it sums
> all proposed and implemented elements, but so what? What does it gain
> me to have a document which validates according to HTML Pro? AFAIK,
> there isn't a browser which can deal with all that is "allowed" by HTML
> Pro.

HTML Pro is merely a tool to allow people to use the newer markup
proposals while retaining compliance with a published DTD, no more.
There are a lot of people out there -- not just Foteos :-) -- who want
to (or are required to) produce HTML files which can fit into other
SGML systems but which allow use of the additional markup. I doubt
there will ever be a browser which implements all of it -- that's why
it's important that I track down exactly what elements are actively
supported in what browsers, so people can use the ones they need and 
avoid the broken ones.

> I rather have browsers understand CLASS and ID than having a
> descriptive DTD that lists them, while browsers don't.

That's the next stage, I guess...you need to ask the browser authors
about this. I don't have the money and time to start writing a browser:
I wish I could win the lottery so that I could :-)

But Panorama understands CLASS and ID already.

///Peter

Received on Thursday, 2 January 1997 04:51:20 UTC