Re: Behavior of <meta> elements linking in stylesheets

Jukka K. Korpela wrote:
> (I'm Cc'ing this to the HTML list, since this seems to have turned into a
> discussion about <meta> tags in HTML rather than CSS issues. It might be
> best to continue this part of the discussion in the HTML list only.)

I specifically addressed the question to the style list, because it was 
a question about the CSSOM and the behavior of document.styleSheets.  I 
don't see how the HTML group has anything to do with that.  Did you even 
read my original message?

>>As Ian says, the HTML specification disagrees with
>>every single HTML implementation on what it is <meta> tags do.
>>According to the spec, UAs should ignore them altogether.
> 
> Please cite a specific clause that says so. I don't think there's any.

Sure.  The alternative is to assume that both the server _and_ the 
client should process the meta tag.  In the case under discussion (<meta 
http-equiv="link"> for stylesheets) that will involve applying the sheet 
to the document twice? Or what?

There is simply no sane way that you can have both servers _and_ clients 
interpreting these tags.

>>>I can't find anything to indicate one way or the other, but
>>>what would happen if one were to change
>>> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type"
>>>     content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
>>>to:
>>> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type"
>>>    content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-2">
>>>via the DOM?

Note the part about "via the DOM". That's sort of key here.

>>I'm almost certain that nothing whatsoever would happen in current UAs.
> 
> Then you should check it. It actually changes the UA behavior

In which UA, exactly, since you checked it?  Again, we're talking about 
changing the META tag via DOM methods, not changing the source.

-Boris

Received on Saturday, 10 April 2004 19:38:15 UTC