Re: Proposal: INPUT TYPE=FILE in HTML 2.0

cho@oclc.org (Chung Jen Ho)

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In-reply-to: Chung Jen Ho: "Proposal: INPUT TYPE=FILE in HTML 2.0"

Date: Wed, 22 Jun 94 18:52:13 EDT
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From: cho@oclc.org (Chung Jen Ho)
To: Multiple recipients of list <html-ig@oclc.org>
Subject: Re: Proposal: INPUT TYPE=FILE in HTML 2.0
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Dan:

>In message <9406212009.AA00668@cjho>, Chung Jen Ho writes:
>>Here is a proposal for an HTML extension:
>>Topic: Level 2 Features
>>Proposal: INPUT TYPE=FILE
>>
>>Proposed type of INPUT element
>
>Note that html-ig is not a forum for discussion of
>features to add to HTML:
I had read your message "Effective ways to comment on the HTML 2.0 spec"
before I sent the proposal. The feature is too important to be postponed to
HTML 3.0. With HTML 1.0, WWW was one-way communications (from server to client).
We hope HTML 2.0 provides WWW fully two-way communications.

>I don't think INPUT=FILE is a good solution to the problem.
>I think this is a problem with the Mosaic user interface, not
>with the expressiveness of HTML:
>
>It's one thing to allow a form designer to express "the client user interface
>should display a file selection dialog for the user to submit a file.
>The client should copy the contents of the selected file into the form
>submission request..." by saying <INPUT TYPE=FILE>
<INPUT TYPE=FILE> in HTML will enforce _all_ the browsers to implement file
transfer feature. To enforce some rules is one important goal of languages
as some programming languages enforce strong type checking and object oriented
programming.

>I don't think INPUT=FILE is a good solution to the problem.
>I think this is a problem with the Mosaic user interface, not
>with the expressiveness of HTML:
This same statement can also apply for INPUT=SCRIBBLE and INPUT=AUDIO. :)
I am not suggesting obsolete INPUT=SCRIBBLE and INPUT=AUDIO; just showing
some contrast. In fact, I am very happy to see these two types are included.

>If your proposal has a working application somewhere, you're
>welcome to describe how it works -- write it up completely
>(in HTML with examples and test cases) and submit it for consideration
>(like Roy Fielding did for the META element).
Good point! We are modifying Mosaic to include the file transfer feature.
This will push us to release the patches as soon as possible. 
I'll submit examples and test cases, too, and a proposed extensions to the DTD.
Two immediate application examples:
1. WIT: people may submit multimedia documents to WIT server.
2. A "submit a paper for a conference" service.

Chung-Jen Ho
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