Re: kelvSYC's Thoughts on the new XHTML Draft

Joris Huizer wrote:

>--- Jelks Cabaniss <jelks@jelks.nu> wrote:
>  
>
>>Tantek wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>In some cases, it turned out HTML4 "Strict" made a
>>>      
>>>
>>few removal errors
>>    
>>
>>>('target','start','value' attributes), and the
>>>      
>>>
>>only W3C valid way of
>>    
>>
>>>using these removed features is to use the
>>>      
>>>
>>HTML4/XHTML1 Transitional
>>    
>>
>>>DTDs. 
>>>      
>>>
>>Indeed.
>>
>>As to 'target', the prime objections are:
>>
>>
>>1) It's mostly for frames, and should thus go.
>>
>>2) Opening new windows ("_blank") is a UA thing, not
>>a part of the domain of
>>documents.
>>
>>3) "*I* will decide when to open a new window. I
>>don't want some rude author
>>deciding for me."
>>
>>
>>I'm not completely unsympathetic to any of those
>>arguments, especially #1,
>>as I've never much cared for frames.  
>>
>>Argument #3, though, has always struck me as a bit
>>silly.  This should be a
>>UA preference, not a religious one.
>>
>>With #2, I think the objectors do have a point. 
>>Wouldn't it be neater if
>>instead of
>>
>>	<a target="_blank" href="someurl">click here</a>
>>
>>we could define it as ...
>>
>>	<a class="external" href="someurl">click here</a>
>>
>>    
>>
>
>  
>
>>and the author defines what "external" means
>>somewhere else (and which can
>>always be ignored by UAs configured properly)?
>>
>>
>>/Jelks
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>
>I agree to all this - but I think it would be a better
>idea to use another attribute for this - maybe the
>"rel" or "rev" attribute I think.
>  
>

Although I'm still not convinced that opening new windows is the role of 
(X)HTML, if it is going to be a part of the specification I agree that 
it should not be via the 'target' attribute which in my opinion is 
specifically for targetting existing frames/windows and not creating them.

-Andy

Received on Tuesday, 13 May 2003 16:04:26 UTC