Re: More comments on validator and HTML4

At 06:10 PM 1/30/2000 , Vidiot wrote:
>I added a DOCTYPE to www.vidiot.com/forumdisplay.html so that I
>look for other errors.  What I came up with has surprised me.

Many of your problems are best addressed by talking to the
HTML working group, not the people on the validator list; the
validator merely checks against the doctype, while the HTML
working group -create- the doctype.

>1) <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
>    This error has been mentioned before, so I'm probably beating a
>    dead horse, 

Probably.

>2) Error: required attribute "ALT" not specified
>    Really?  I understand the need for ALT within IMG, but to require
>    it? 

ALT text is required for IMG as part of accessibility considerations.
It's required because many user agents can't render the IMG tag
without the ALT attribute.

>3) Line 87, column 146: 
>      ... middle>   <A
>HREF="ubbmisc.cgi?action=getannounce&ForumNumber=3&Start= ...                                                       ^
>    Error: general entity "ForumNumber" not defined and no default entity
>    Oops, validator parsing error?  Arguments being passed to a CGI
>    script are not invalid.

No, this is not an error.  You need to escape the '&' symbol
when used in an argument to a CGI script.  The correct way to
do this is:

    ...Number=3&amp;Start=...

&amp; is the entity that represents the & (ampersand).

>General comment on the HTML4 PDF document.  When the document is
>printed,
>which I have done, it is tough to find a page because for some
>unknown reason, the page numbers are in the INSIDE of the printed
>page instead on the OUTSIDE of the printed page.  Please move the
>date/section info to the inside and the page number to the outside.
>Yes, I printed the document double-sided.

Well, the HTML working group are the people who can address the
format issues (I think); however, this is an example of why the
HTML version is superior to the PDF version. ;)  An HTML version
would allow you to use your own preferences to print the thing,
while the PDF version is fixed in one representation.

-- 
Kynn Bartlett  <kynn@idyllmtn.com>                   http://www.kynn.com/
Chief Technologist, Idyll Mountain Internet      http://www.idyllmtn.com/
Become AWARE of Web Accessibility!                  http://aware.hwg.org/
The Spring 2000 Virtual Dog Show is now open!     http://www.dogshow.com/

Received on Monday, 31 January 2000 00:09:30 UTC