Re: LYNX-DEV LYNX: please say "THIS IS A TABLE!"

[Larry W. Virden, x2487]

Re: announcing 'this is a table'

I guess in reading along in this thread, I somehow missed the email
that explained exactly what difference knowing one was seeing a table would
make .  How is it different than looking at horridly written columns of
text?  What difference in reading the data would one make?

Is it possible to perhaps color code particular columns?  If for instance
columns alternated colors X and Y, that would seem to make it a bit easier
to read the columns.

I suspect this is all part of the general "we hate the way columns look
in lynx" syndrome.  I keep wondering if perhaps there is a better way
to do this.  One thing that was mentioned at one point was if some brave
lynx knight stepped forward to take on the dragon of tables, that they
might modify the parsing code to start doing a 'look ahead' type cache
when the table tag is encountered - reading all of the code up to the
close of the table (handling embedded tables appropriately), identifying
the number and max width of said columns, then 'unget'-ing the input, making
it appear to the rest of lynx as if the code were never read.  Then,
in the actual table processing, one would know the number of columns,
and max width of each column.  From there, one formats the columns so that
text at least lines up properly in each column.  Of course, then there
are those on the mailing list who have called for modifying lynx to
enable the ability to place a 'scrolling window' (ala what you see in
a one line text entry field) so that one could just move around the
table data.

Unfortunately Arthur and the round table appear to be off fighting other
battles, leaving lynx to stand alone in front of this as well as the other
major dragons (XML, Style Sheets, Java, JavaScript, ...)
-- 
Larry W. Virden                 INET: address@hidden
<URL:http://www.teraform.com/%7Elvirden/> <*> O- "We are all Kosh."
Unless explicitly stated to the contrary, nothing in this posting should 
be construed as representing my employer's opinions.