Re: Home Page Construction

Thomas Anderson wrote:

> > I use Netscape Gold 3.0 for the basis, then munge by hand. I really
must
> > document the code too...
> 
> document HTML? that's a new one on me!

Well, some people when learning HTML like viewing the source. A few
comments as to what bits do only adds maybe 10% to the size (and hence
loading time), and can be truly helpful.
Of course if you then edit it using a Microsoft HTML editor, the
comments get removed from their true locations and get heaped down the
bottom. AGH!
Anyway HTML is just another special-purpose programming language... so I
have an instinctive reaction to comment it!


> > I can't really blame MS for this. Sure IE4 "ignores" the lack of
> > </TABLE>  and therefore isn't compliant to the standard. But it's
> > noncompliant in a good way, tolerating faults and trying to do the
best
> > job it can.
> 
> this is how things are supposed to work: the rule of thumb for
internet
> software is to be conservative in what you transmit (ie stick to the
> protocol) and liberal in what you receive (ie allow substantial
deviations
> to allow for bad software at the other end). it's not a bad maxim for
> internet users, too ...

Heck, it's not just "not a bad" maxim for the Internet, it's 100%
essential when making any software that works! When I made Combat
Systems for a living, every single module had to pass two seperate
tests: would it always and forever only give Kosher data (yes, one time
it was for a submarine for the Israeli Defence Force), and would it be
able to extract the last possible ounce of useful data from utter crap
that it was given as input.
 
> > Great in a browser, but absolutely the worst in a checker...
> 
> what would be nice is if the browser flagged or logged errors in the
html.
> maybe a little animated icon of Tim Berners-Lee jumping up and down in
> fury.

Tim Berners-Lee? Sorry, the reference is lost on me. Anyway, what would
be nice is if you could set a switch on the browser, one that would give
at least 2 settings: Permissive and Pedantic. Permissive is fault
tolerant, Pedantic flags all faults.

What would be nicer is if I could think of a way to make this even
remotely On Topic. Which I can't, so my apologies to all, and I'll
terminate the thread here.


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