- From: Dave J Woolley <DJW@bts.co.uk>
- Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 11:49:08 +0100
- To: "'www-svg@w3.org'" <www-svg@w3.org>
It has always been the case that the standardisation of HTML, although not its commercial implementation, have been driven by considerations of structure and accessibility, however, my impression of the discussions on this list indicate that most people are only interested in using SVG for form, and using it to replace, rather than augment, HTML. Structure means that the language represents the deep structure of what is being communicated, rather than the form in which it is displayed, spoken, etc. Accessibility means the ability to get information out of that content with different mediums and different levels of technology, to the extent that the nature of that information doesn't absolutely require a particular medium or technology. HTML does need some sort of vector graphics to complement it, as the use of bit-mapped graphics is more form oriented than structure oriented in the case of diagrams. However accessibility considerations would imply something more like Unix PIC, which gives a more structural view of the graphics. On the other hand, the sort of questions being asked here, and my experience of how commercial HTML users work, suggests that what people are actually trying to use SVG for is as an animated page description language, to replace HTML. As such it would seem to belong in the PDF family tree++ more than the HTML one, although I suspect it will end up with worse accessibility characteristics than PDF. As a developer, I am likely to be required to create SVG to take this PDL role (assuming it becomes well supported by stock browsers), but as a consumer of web pages, I would rather it was limited to enhancing well structured HTML with essentially diagrammatic material. ++ Note it is my impression that most commercial web pages really crave after a PDL like PDF, and its failure in this role is more to do with the fickleness of fashion (and to a small extent the fact that, in the past, students could hand code HTML, whilst PDF required paid for authoring tools). Weirdly, PDF tends to be used in the parts of web sites which would best meet the ideals of HTML! Written in a personal capacity.
Received on Wednesday, 24 May 2000 06:55:37 UTC