Re: LINKing...

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At 05:35 PM 11/12/97 -0500, Hakon Lie wrote:
>It seems like Eric was the first to be rejected by the newly
>installed filter. Please let me know if the enclosed message made it
>to the list and not just to me.

I did not receive it.

>From: "Eric A. Meyer" <eam3@po.cwru.edu>
>To: www-style@w3.org
>Subject: LINKing...
>Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 09:21:13 -0500 (EST)
>
>    I was reading through the 'Containment in HTML' section of the CSS1
>specification (again) in an attempt to fully understand LINKing and
>@importing, and here's what it says:
>
>"The 'LINK' element references alternative style sheets that the reader 
can
>select, while imported style sheets are automatically merged with the 
rest
>of the document."
>
>Now, I seem to recall from reading Lie and Bos (although it's at home, so 
I
>can't check it right now) that the first LINK is in fact applied to the
>document as a sort of 'default,' and subsequent LINKed style sheets are
>provided as alternatives in a pop-up menu or something along those lines.
>   Is my recollection correct?  Or should browsers not apply any LINKed
>styles until requested by the reader?

As explained [1] in the HTML 4.0 PR [2], a LINK with REL=StyleSheet 
specifies a *persistent* or *default* style while REL="Alternate 
StyleSheet" specifies an *alternate* style.  A *persistent* style is 
always applied when style sheets are enabled, and never has a TITLE 
attribute specified.  A *default* style has a TITLE attribute and is 
automatically applied.  Default styles are replaced when the user selects 
an alternate style sheet, but persistent styles remain in effect.

>I would have looked to the CSS2
>specification for help, but LINK doesn't appear in the Index, and I still
>haven't found a section of the new spec. which summarizes containment as
>neatly as CSS1 did.

I've found the HTML drafts better sources for this information (as they 
should be).  My summary on LINK and style sheets is at [3].

>   (ObCompatabilityNote: regardless of the actual answer, neither of the
>Big Two Browsers handle LINK correctly-- it's treated as another @import,
>when it's treated at all...)

This is how it should be treated with REL=StyleSheet.  Netscape 4.x 
(including 4.04, even though I reported the bug at 4.0) incorrectly 
ignores any linked or embedded style sheet with a MEDIA value other than 
"screen", but otherwise it seems to handle LINK correctly--except its 
inability to switch between style sheets (a shortcoming of IE4 as well).

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/PR-html40/present/styles.html#h-14.2.5
[2] http://www.w3.org/TR/PR-html40/
[3] http://www.htmlhelp.com/reference/css/style-html.html#external

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--
Liam Quinn
Web Design Group            Enhanced Designs, Web Site Development
http://www.htmlhelp.com/    http://enhanced-designs.com/

Received on Thursday, 11 December 1997 19:31:43 UTC