Re: HTML 3.0 suggestion

Murray Altheim (murray.altheim@nttc.edu)
Thu, 28 Sep 1995 17:36:15 -0400


Jon Lovstad <jon.a.lovstad@hiof.no> writes:
>On Thu, 28 Sep 1995, Carl Benker wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Yesterday I had posted to this mailing list a request to make
>> list items "containers" by adding a </LI> tag to the HTML spec.
>> I received a fair amount of email that said that I should have
>> looked into it a little on my own, since it was already in the
>> standard.
>
>[Carl continues to reference the HTML 2 spec and says it is not listed
>there.]
>
>I have printed the HTML 3 spec as presented by W3.org and I can't find it
>listed under the OL/UL sections there either. Could someone please list
>the source where it is a part of the standard?
>
>BTW, I can't find the </IMG> tag in any standards either, although I've
>seen it used by some HTML editors...
>
>Jon

It is stated both in prose and in the DTD. From the May 6th, August 4th,
8th and Sept. 22nd drafts (all essentially the same on this point):

3.2.2. Tags

Tags delimit elements such as headings, paragraphs, lists,
character highlighting, and links. Most HTML elements are
identified in a document as a start-tag, which gives the element
name and attributes, followed by the content, followed by the
end tag. Start-tags are delimited by `<' and `>'; end tags are
delimited by `</' and `>'. An example is:

<H1>This is a Heading</H1>

Some elements only have a start-tag without an end-tag. For
example, to create a line break, use the `<BR>' tag.
Additionally, the end tags of some other elements, such as
Paragraph (`</P>'), List Item (`</LI>'), Definition Term
(`</DT>'), and Definition Description (`</DD>') elements, may be
omitted.

[etc.]

This is backed up in the DTD with:

<!ELEMENT LI - O %flow>
<!ATTLIST LI
%SDAFORM; "LItem"
>

<!-- <LI> List item -->

The "-" of "- O" meaning that the <LI> open tag is required, the "O"
meaning the end tag </LI> is optional. I can't claim SGML expertise, but I
must say that it pays to do your homework.

Murray

__________________________________________________________________
Murray M. Altheim, Information Systems Analyst
National Technology Transfer Center, Wheeling, West Virginia
email: murray.altheim@nttc.edu
www: http://ogopogo.nttc.edu/people/maltheim/maltheim.html