> > From: lee@sq.com
> > Subject: Shortref [was: Re: Super and Subscripts]
> >
> > As HTML gets more sophisticated, the demands on HTML creation and editing
> > software become greater, and the motivation for using them increases.
> > Typing HTML tables and mathematics in vi or xedit or Windows notepad is
> > going to lead to increased sales of alcohol :-)
> >
> > I'd much rather see a simpler language that may be a little more cumbersome,
> > and if there turns out to be a need to provide shortcuts, add them later.
>
> I agree with Lee. As I've mentioned to Dave, I'm somewhat concerned about
> creating yet another math DTD fragment when choices like AAP and ISO 12083
> exist, but I'm even more concerned with using, as Lee puts it, the murkier
> aspects of SGML to theoretically make it "easier" for people to create
> HTML in vi. Maybe it is a reasonable goal to continue to make it feasible
> to edit textual HTML with vi, but as you add tables and math and other
> complex constructs, that goal become infeasible. And delving into more
> complex markup minimization to reduce keystrokes does not guarantee that
> you make it easier for people to understand how to code it correctly.
>
I agree with both Lee and Paul. Keep the basic tagset easy. Most HTML
authors will probably only use the 10 or so tags they are familiar.
However, those authors who are serious about publishing complex documents
on-line (i.e., math, tables, etc) will in all probability use a
user-friendly tool to help edit their HTML documents in vi or MS-Write.
Use of standard tagsets which are already developed and widely used is
desirable.
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Betty Harvey <harvey@oasys.dt.navy.mil> | David Taylor Model Basin
Advanced Information Systems Branch | Carderock Division
Code 183 | Naval Surface Warfare
Bethesda, Md. 20084-5000 | Center
| DTMB,CD,NSWC
URL: http://navysgml.dt.navy.mil/betty.html |
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