Re: lynx-dev Java script support.

[Heather Stern]

brian j pardy wrote:
> On Mon, Jun 28, 1999, Heather Stern wrote:
>> I have to agree in the case of Javascript;  in fact, not only are they more
>> interested in terms of the symptom (code for the big two works here) there
>> are a limited number of things that are common javascript uses, and if we 
>> recognized them only, many folk would still be pleased, I think.
>> 
>> I think these features are -
>>      * mouseovers 
>>        - some sites don't bother with ALT, but they do have
>>          a good mouseover status line
> 
> How about, in lieu of Javascript (not saying never Javascript, but in
> the indefinite time until we have it), something to just fake an ALT
> tag for a mouseover, if there is no ALT tag?
> 
> (If this is what you were saying, then I agree it'd be a good idea.)
> 
> Shouldn't be too difficult to do, and just as easy to rip out upon
> getting real javascript.

Yes, this would be a good thing.

I was sort of vaguely thinking, if we had the "lynx can do a limited
number or type of pseudo-graphical things" stub, and something to spot 
that the HTML/js author is trying to do such a thing, we could fake it.  

To be "real" mouseover (?!) for the scenario I described, lemme see, I'd
imagine:  The image doens't display (of course) and there's no ALT so 
assuming you have the feature on, we show the graphic's filename.  When
it become hot, we'd honor the mouseover and redraw the page?  I don't
think so.  More likely, "fake javascript" would steal yet another screen
line for its status, and might be initially stubbed to show what it is
guessing rather than try to actually do anything new with js code.  That
way at least we avoid what really annoys many Big Two users, that it's
great having the status bar say something, but the actual status, which
you might have liked to know, was overwritten in the process.

Hope that helps - I'm not much of a C hack these days...

* Heather Stern * address@hidden * Starshine Technical Services *