RE: <FIG> implies <P>?

Justin Greene (jgreene@greene.com)
Thu, 13 Jul 1995 12:04:15 -0300

>>>The FIG tag is a paragraph tag itself.
>>>It implys the content is a paragraph on its own.
>>>It cannot go into another paragragh like the IMG tag can.
>>
>>Yes, but *why*. There's no logical reason at all why a figure should
>>be a separate paragraph. Wouldn't it be far better to _not_ have
>>fig as an implicit paragraph and allow authors to explicitly
>>denote a fig (ie.,within <p></p> ) if the semnatics of their document
>>demand it.

>It seems to me that what Ping is objecting to is not really that <FIG> implies
>a paragraph break, but that the browser he is using (Arena) renders this by
>inserting vertical white space. His objection is not really based on HTML
>semantics, but on stylistic issues. He doesn't want to see the flow of the text
>broken up just because a figure is needed, which is a valid concern.
>
>I expect this can be gotten around largely by using style sheets. For example,
>one could have something like this:
>
> <P class="before.figure">
> In 1863 Abraham Lincoln delivered an address on the battlefield at
> Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
> <FIG align=right src="gettysburg.jpg">Text of gettysburg address</FIG>
> <P class="after.figure">
> He began this address with the now-famous phrase <quot>Four score and
> seven years ago, our forefathers brought forth on this continent a new
> nation</quot>
>
>The style for P.before.figure could suppress the trailing line break and the
>style for P.after.figure could suppress the leading line break and

The trouble with this example is it take a block of text which is clearly
one paragraph and makes it two thus changeing the structure of the content.

Justin
-
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Greene COMMUNICATIONS Design, inc., Internet Development Group
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