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- What is it?
- The DIR tag represents a list of short items, typically up to
20 characters each. Some browsers implement this tag exactly the
same as an unordered list while other browsers arrange the data
in columns across the screen. The only content of this list
structure is the <li> (list item)
element. As with other list tags, the closing
</li> element is optional, as
it is implied by the subsequent <li>
or end </dir> tags.
Style Sheet Attributes
[More on Cascading Style Sheets]
- Class
- 2 | 3
| 3.2 | IE3B1
| M | N4B2
- Required? No
- Description:
This represents an assigned semantic classification grouping(s) for the
current tag.
- Values:
Given as a comma separated list of alphanumeric characters. Class names
may contain spaces (multiple consecutive spaces treated as a single
space.)
- ID
- 2 | 3
| 3.2 | IE3B1
| M | N4B2
- Required? No
- Description:
This assigns an alpha-numeric identifier that is unique
to this tag instance. Style sheets may use this attribute to reference
the current instance of this tag. Hyperlinks may also use this identifier
to serve as a destination.
- Values:
An alphanumeric string - initial character must be a letter followed
by alphabetic characters, digits, "-" or "."
characters. The allowable set of alpha-characters is restricted to the
A-Z and a-z set.
- Style
- 2 | 3
| 3.2 | IE3B1
| M | N4B3
- Required? No
- Description:
This attribute is a text string that provides rendering style
information for the current tag.
- Values:
Please see the description of
inline styles for more
information on how to use this attribute and its
possible values.
- Example
- <dir>
<li>A - H
<li>I - M
<li>N - R
<li>S - Z
</dir>
- Parent Model
- %Block Format
Parent% |
%Multimedia
Parent% |
<basefont> |
<body>
- Content Model
- <li>
Tips & Tricks
- Lists are nestable.
- Common implementation of this tag is exactly the same as a UL
list. As such, there is little need for the DIR tag.
- No popular browsers have yet implemented the DIR list as a
multi-column listing in the way the specifications originally intended.
Netscape recently added a MULTICOL tag which is similar to this
"ideal" behavior. One wonders if Netscape may eventually
change their display of DIR to this method.
Browser Peculiarities
- The three reviewed browsers make no distinction in display between
a UL and a DIR list.
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