html 3.0 comment/questions

Luke Y. Lu (ylu@mail.utexas.edu)
Sat, 14 Jan 1995 02:58:59 +0100


I recently skimed the html 3.0 dtd by Dave Raggett <dsr@hplb.hpl.hp.com>
(http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/MarkUp/html3-dtd.txt). I must say I am
quite pleased with the spec.

If I understand the dtd correctly, does it mean we can let the
client/browser alone to handle the function of imagemap, which is the most
used function of "sensitive" maps out there, like this:

<FIG SRC="image_with_hot_spots" ISMAP>
<!-- It seems the caption is optional, right? -->

<!-- a graphical browser can highlight the hot spot and bring you to the
corresponding URL -->
<A SHAPE="shape def of hot spot 1" HREF="URL for hot spot 1">
<!-- text browser may use the name as a hyperlink while a graphical
browser can display the text in status bar/window as the pointing
device is moved into the hot spot -->
name/description of hot spot 1</A>

<A SHAPE="shape def of hot spot 2" HREF="URL for hot spot 2">
name/description of hot spot 2</A>
..

<A SHAPE="shape def of hot spot n" HREF="URL for hot spot n">
name/description of hot spot n</A>

</FIG>

Sounds logical/elegant/cool? Anyway, the current awkward imagemap solution
must go. CGI script that does more than imagemap/htimage, eg. xerox map
stuff can still use the old-fashioned way.

I was wondering if there is any browser that actually implements or plans
to implement it.

I have another question regarding the message format to be passed to
the server by a point device. I'd post it in www-talk since it is
not html question.

Any comments/pointers/suggestions would be much appreciated. TIA.

__Luke

--
Luke Y. Lu
ylu@mail.utexas.edu/
http://www.utexas.edu/~lyl/