lynx-dev
[Top][All Lists]
Advanced

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: lynx-dev Would an Outline View be feasible?


From: Klaus Weide
Subject: Re: lynx-dev Would an Outline View be feasible?
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 02:36:04 -0600 (CST)

On Sun, 7 Nov 1999, G Browne wrote:

> Two main uses:
> 1. Dynamic, user-controlled site maps for www sites
> 2. Navigating outline-oriented documents for use by
> groups on an intranet (PIMs, Project Planning)
> 
> >there is very little semantically valid
> >(or syntactically valid) HTML out there
> 
> There are certainly a lot of non-conforming web pages,
> but many sites do use headings and lists appropriately.

I share David's scepticism about the usefulness of such a mode,
given the existing Web.   More so for lists than for headings.
I don't know how you want to present "collapsed" lists - typically
there isn't anything obvious that could serve as a heading.

> That's why some graphics-mode programs already support
> outline views of HTML: the w3c's Amaya browser has a
> "Table of Contents" view; StarOffice has a Navigator
> window; and MS Word provides two outline-oriented views.

I don't know how those work; regarding MS Word, that doesn't have
much to do with HTML...

> As the premier text-mode browser, Lynx could extend outline
> support to console terminals. But: is Lynx modular enough to
> support an alternate Outline View?

I think such a feature would be feasible, without too many changes.
Whether lynx is modular enough for your taste is another question,
that you have to answer for yourself.

Details depend on how you want that mode to behave, of course.
Maybe you should give a fuller description of what you intend.
Regarding the user interface: how should that mode be invoked -
a toggle key? a special URL scheme? a special link inserted into
documents?
Regarding the function: What should be displayed?  Should it be "active"
in some way?

For actual code, you should probably start with looking at the
HTML_* functions in lynx's HTML.c.  For example, the way output is
suppressed if LYMapsOnly is set may serve as a template for what
you want.  (Of course you want something different - suppress most
(or some?) output, and/or substitute some text, details currently
unclear to me.)

   Klaus


reply via email to

[Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread]