script tag - archive attribute

• From: Stephen Battey <Stephen.Battey@vega.co.uk>
• Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 17:30:36 -0000
• To: www-html@w3.org
• Message-ID: <B7F99959CBBCD511BC0900A0C9D4C9C320E255@gbsv-lm01.vega.co.uk>

Does anyone know where the archive attribute of the script tag came
from/went to?
I have found several web-sites which claim the script tag has an "archive"
attribute for loading a whole set of JavaScript files from a single ZIP/JAR
file. Looking at the HTML4 spec, however, the archive attribute is clearly
not part of the standard definition.

I know Netscape introduced it in their version 4 browser for signed scripts.
I can understand that the demand for signed scripts is so small that the
feature fizzled out.
Looking at it from a different point of view, though, the ability to zip-up
a set of JavaScript files and reference the whole archive from a single zip
file, downloaded once and then cached is superb.

Is there a reason why this feature has been disregarded?
Is the attribute implemented by certain browsers, even though it is not part
of the standard?
Any thoughts?


Steve Battey

Received on Thursday, 23 January 2003 03:56:51 UTC