Re: lynx-dev quieting the page

[Klaus Weide]

On Sat, 29 Apr 2000, Larry W. Virden wrote:

> I've been reading over the lynx.cfg a bit and I haven't quite figured out
> if I am misreading things or not finding a feature.
> 
> I would like to be able to tell lynx not to show me an indication on
> a rendered page of images that are not activatible.  Many pages have
> gifs used for drawing horizontal pages or spacing text on the page, etc.
> I would like to configure lynx to show absolutely nothing of these
> (unless perhaps I toggle on verbose images).  Right now in lynx.cfg I 
> see these:
> 
> This one isn't what I am seeking - I want to see an image associated
> with a map of some sort...
> 
> .h2 NO_ISMAP_IF_USEMAP

> At first I thought this might be the one - but it appears to show things like
> <img src=...>

Only applies if an IMG is subject to both ISMAP and USEMAP attributes -
I don't think you are interested in this special case.

> .h2 VERBOSE_IMAGES
> # VERBOSE_IMAGES controls whether Lynx replaces [LINK], [INLINE] and [IMAGE]
> # (for images without ALT) with filenames of these images.
     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

> Next, I thought this one would be it.  But again, experimentation seems 
> to indicate I am not able to turn off the image only items from the 
> page.

What do you consider "image only items"?  If an IMG has "alternative text"
specified with an ALT attribute, I woudn't call it "image only".

> .h2 MAKE_LINKS_FOR_ALL_IMAGES

You want to change the appearance of "images that are not activatible".
This option instead changes whether images are "activatible" or not -
something different.

> .h2 MAKE_PSEUDO_ALTS_FOR_INLINES
> # If MAKE_PSEUDO_ALTS_FOR_INLINES is FALSE, inline images which don't specify
                                                            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> # an ALT string will not have "[INLINE]" inserted as a pseudo-ALT,
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> # i.e. they'll be treated as having ALT="".

This seems to be closest to what you want.  But, as the description says,
it only applies when there is no ALT given.

There is no option to suppress ALT text when it is explicitly given.
Just as there is no option to suppress, say, the contents of every even-
numbered <P>paragraph</P>.  ALT text is considered an integral part
of the flow of text in a document - "alternative text"[*] "[f]or user
agents that cannot display images ...".[1]

[1] <URL: http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/struct/objects.html#adef-alt>

[*] Notwithstanding that they call it "alternate text".  Seems to me
the writers of the HTML 4.0{,1} specification are confused about
the meaning of "alternate" vs. "alternative".  They consistently
get it wrong.  Correct usage can be found in WAI documents, for example

    <http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-USERAGENT/#def-text-eq>

  Klaus