> I agree with this but does it belong in the browser? The document
> can have a link to an application helper, written in VB or Applescript or
> perl, that would handle the task. We've been working with this
> concept for our MIS application. The use of the http protocol
> outside the standard server/browsers programs hasn't been discussed
> much here. For database applications integrated with the web, we've
> found that writing mini-webclient modules for Excel is a hit with
> users. With implementors too because we don't have to write
> input form for users.
>
To me, file upload is such a natural and useful functional extension
to browsers, that it would be a shame if the mechanism to do it were
agreed upon (define additional InputType of FILE in HTML, as proposed
by Ernesto Nebel) and it were *not* supported by browsers.
Why complicate the picture by requiring users to download and install
additional helper apps, and worry about who supports them? Yes, helper
apps will be required for specific applications, but I think uploading
files is a fairly generic function with wide appeal.
Bill Korbholz