Embedded Functionality in HTML...
= Index DOT Html by Brian Wilson
[bloo@blooberry.com] =
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Tag History
- Justification for Embedding Capabilities
in HTML
- HTML has developed quite a bit since its beginnings, but let's face
it - HTML is only a language meant to format documents. In recent history,
the scope and functionality of web pages has been extended far beyond the
capabilities that current HTML can produce. This has been accomplished by
allowing objects to be embedded within an HTML document structure. HTML
has control of the location, size, invocation and other properties of the
objects, but their functionality is driven by other technology. Java
applications, Scripting functionality, Plug-ins and even other HTML
documents can be embedded within an HTML document in this manner.
- Uses for Embedding Functionality
- Java Applets
- [ APPLET, PARAM ]
- The recent rise of Java is hard to miss. Java is a programming
language (not a page formatting system like HTML) that is gaining wide
acceptance in Web applications. The APPLET tag is the HTML interface used
to call a Java Applet, and the PARAM tag is used to pass parameter values
to the Java application.
- Web Page Scripting (JavaScript and VBScript)
- [ SCRIPT, NOSCRIPT ]
- Scripting languages are also a rather new addition to help web
pages become more dynamic. Scripts can interface with sections of HTML
documents or actions upon a page by a reader. The SCRIPT tag allows
scripting statements to be included in an HTML Document structure. The
NOSCRIPT element is a element used to mark a section of a document for
display only in cases of SCRIPT tag incompatibility/backward compatibility.
- Browser Plug-Ins
- [ EMBED, NOEMBED ]
- The Plug-in technology allows media performance capacity to expand
by leaps and bounds. Previously, browsers were limited by their inherent
capabilities. Now, a browser can be extensible through the use of a
"Plug-In" (usually third party) that allows it to recognize
different or non-conventional technologies or media formats that are not
supported by the browser without the Plug-in.
- In-Line Frames
- [ IFRAME ]
- This is an extension of Netscape's Framed static document layout
concept by Microsoft. It allows other HTML documents to be placed in an
HTML document the way one would place an HTML in-line image
(IMG.) Coincidentally, this basic concept was
the original intent of the EMBED tag until
Plug-ins came around.
- The Difference Between Java and
JavaScript
- JavaScript is NOT a subset of Java. The only similarity is
in the name. This is a contrasting of the two languages.
JavaScript |
Java |
- A web scripting language developed by Netscape
- Interpreted (not compiled) by client
- Object-based. Code uses built-in, extensible objects, but no classes
or inheritance
- Code integrated with, and embedded in HTML
- Variable data types not declared (loose typing)
- Dynamic binding. Object references checked at run-time
- Cannot (yet) automatically write to hard disk
|
- A multi-platform programming language developed by Sun.
- Compiles to byte-codes that are interpreted by a platform-independent
"Virtual Machine"
- Compiled on server before execution on client
- Object-oriented. Applets consist of object classes with inheritance
- Applets distinct from HTML (accessed from HTML pages)
- Variable data types must be declared (strong typing)
- Static binding. Object references must exist at compile-time
- Cannot automatically write to hard disk
- Theoretically secure
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Related Sites
- Official References
- ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc1866.txt
- RFC 1866: The HTML 2.0 specification (plain text)
- http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/MarkUp/html-spec
- The web version of the HTML 2.0 (RFC 1866) specification
- http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/MarkUp/Wilbur/
- The HTML 3.2 (Wilbur) draft
[This is the first inclusion of the APPLET tag in an official spec. Scripting
is also mentioned in passing.]
- http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/MarkUp/Cougar/HTML.dtd
- The experimental HTML (Cougar) draft
[Demonstrates some of the directions HTML is taking - including scripting.]
- http://www.netscape.com/assist/net_sites/new_html3_prop.html#Embed
- Embed:
Netscape's "New HTML 3.0 proposals" page
- http://java.sun.com
- Java: Sun's official Java site.
- http://home.netscape.com/eng/mozilla/Gold/handbook/javascript/index.html
- JavaScript: Netscape's Authoring Guide to JavaScript.
- http://www.microsoft.com/vbscript/us/techinfo/vbsdocs.htm
- VBScript: Microsoft's official documentation for VBScript.
- http://www.microsoft.com/workshop/author/newhtml/htmlr020.htm
- Internet Explorer 3.0 Tag reference
[Details Applet, Iframe, and Script (Embed is also mentioned, but they
recommend OBJECT instead.)]
- Tutorials
- http://java.sun.com/tutorial
- Java: Sun's Java Tutorial
- http://reality.sgi.com/employees/shiffman_engr/Java-QA.html
- Java: "Making Sense of Java"
- http://rummelplatz.uni-mannheim.de/~skoch/js/script.htm
- JavaScript: Introduction to JavaScript by Voodoo
- http://www.inquiry.com/vbscentral
- VBScript: "Ask the VB Pro"
- http://www.microsoft.com/vbscript/us/techinfo/VBsfaq.htm
- VBScript: Microsoft's VBScript FAQ
- Other Related Links
- http://www.gamelan.com
- Java and Javascript: Gamelan
- [This site has a ton of resources, tutorials, examples, etc on both Java,
JavaScript AND VBScript.]
- http://home.netscape.com/comprod/products/navigator/version_2.0/script/script_info/index.html
- JavaScript: Netscape list of JavaScript Resources
- http://www.c2.net/~andreww/javascript/
- JavaScript: "The Javascript Index"
- http://home.netscape.com/comprod/products/navigator/version_2.0/plugins/
- Plug-ins: Netscape's list of Plug-ins.
- http://www.browserwatch.com/plug-in.html
- Plug-ins: BrowserCaps' "Plug-In Plaza"
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