Browser support of HTML 2.0

Brandon Plewe (PLEWE@plewe.cit.buffalo.edu)
Wed, 25 Jan 1995 20:08:26 +0100


While I salivate for HTML 3, and watch everyone clamor for this or that to
be supported, I am reminded that currently, most browsers don't even support
all of HTML 2 as it was designed (or as the spec says it should be handled).
For example, I have seen very little support for the following:

<DIR>
this tag was supposed to present a multicolumn list of elements, similar
to a file directory. Many of what people want from tables (i.e.
condensing long menus into several shorter columns), could be done much
more easily if this element were supported this way.

<DL COMPACT>
the COMPACT attribute was supposed to produce a more compact version of
the definition list. While the <DL> places the term and definition on
separate lines, I would assume <DL COMPACT> would place them in adjacent
columns on the same line. Viola used to do this just fine.

<LINK>
this one has been discussed often on this list, and I think everyone
agrees that it would be great if these elements were used to form a
non-scrolling button bar. Everything needed is already in the spec,
with the possible exception of a src for including icon images. So far,
SCO (a couple days ago) is the only company I've heard say they would
support this.

User-controlled Appearance
Users have control over fonts, but the spec alludes to them having more
control, such as color and justification (i.e., make all H1's centered,
or all ADDRESS right-justified, as it is in Arena). I have seen color
control in a couple browsers.

So how about it? I know several of the browser developers have been
instrumental in writing the HTML 2.0 spec--do they plan on supporting all of it?

I don't mean to sound argumentative, or negative about the current browsers. I
think they're wonderful--I'm just wondering if there are plans for these
"already existing" features; and if not, why are they in the RFC?

Brandon Plewe
plewe@acsu.buffalo.edu