[thelist] Non-Deprecated HTML Presentational Elements (was, C SS Font Sizes)

[Calum I Mac Leod]

James

> > We could argue a need for <TELEPHONE>, <SURNAME>, <BRAND> and <PRICE
> > currency=GBP>.
>
> I'll argue the need. And the answer is XML. ;)

If XML's the answer, what's the question?  ;-)

(And why couldn't SGML have answered it?)

> The increasingly fractured, proprietary path of HTML was getting out
> of hand, helping to foster demand for standards and standards-compliance.
> XML is part of that reaction (as is CSS), eliminating the need to further
> expand HTML and its constellation of predefined elements.

New XML applications need new sets of predefined elements.  Part of the
reason that HTML works (when it does) is that the vocabulary (or at least
the widely supported vocab.) is very small.

A common markup language ("application") for general WWW use needs to be
_very_ widely accepted, else it's not much use.  <price currency="GBP"> is
only really useful where it's meaning pre-defined.  After all, <price> could
be duty paid or FOB, net of or including sales tax, including or excluding
delivery, etc. I'm sure you get the picture.

If the Web needs anarchic tag soup contributions to be progressed (and maybe
it does), then I hope that the browsers don't get to do the progressing.
IMG, FRAME, BLINK, etc. weren't exactly well engineered compared to OBJECT,
IFRAME and CSS, respectively.  The wowsers have done their best to stifle
these carefully designed features, but the vendors tell us they've learned
their mistake.

> But I assume your
> comment was rhetorical, and that you already knew that anyway. :)

Cynic!

<tip type="CSS in Nav4">
Add "border: none;" to the CSS for block level elements if you want the
whole element to get the background[-color].  Without a border property the
background colour only applies to the text within.
</tip>

(OK, so that wasn't exactly Earth-shattering, hopefully I'll think of
something better next time...)

Calum
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