Questions for PMMail Tech Support

[Steve Lamb]

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Wednesday, September 13, 2000, 5:08:27 AM, Trevor wrote:
> There is no HTML standard for email clients. It is not possible to
> know what people want when they say, "I want HTML support." It is not
> possible to produce the same effects as another company which
> provides HTML "support" in their email client.

    To put things in perspective what most people consider HTML is HTML 3.0.
There's a problem, though.  We're on HTML 4.0 "Transitional".  Why?

    How many people know about the <CENTER></CENTER> tag?  How many know what
it does?  Now the "Do you want to be a millionaire" question...  How many know
it is depreciated and no longer in use, replaced by <DIV
align="center"></DIV>?

    That is why we're on 4.0 transitional.  It still implements some 3.0 tags
that are no longer supported.  So which standard doe the email client
implement?

    Let's also not forget that HTML is no longer just HTML.  "Proper" HTML is
HTML mixed with CSS, Cascading Style Sheets.  IE, the fonts, colors, etc are
defined in a CSS which is applied to the HTML.  So does the email client
implement CSS as well as some version of HTML?

    But wait, we're not done.  CSS is often defined in an XML document and
sometimes portions of the HTML are in XML as well.  So do we now implement XML
as well as CSS as well as some arbitrary level of HTML?

    To get a handle on this whole issue I recommend people go to their local
library or bookstore that allows perusal of their stock and thumb through
O'Reilly's "HTML: The Definitive Guide 3rd ed.".  That will cover /just/ the
issues surrounding HTML and CSS.  I think it also touches on XML but my copy
is at home at the moment (still need to stock my home tech library).

    Whoops, sorry, a 4th edition is out.

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/html4/

- --
         Steve C. Lamb         | I'm your priest, I'm your shrink, I'm your
         ICQ: 5107343          | main connection to the switchboard of souls.
- -------------------------------+---------------------------------------------

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