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As HTML 3.2 moved toward completion, the next stage of HTML was already on the horizon. In July 1996 an experimental DTD (Data Type Definition) for HTML appeared quietly on the W3C web site. Code-named "Cougar", it contained all the capabilities of HTML 3.2 in addition to several new key features. Many capabilities that have been under discussion and development by the W3C were included in this DTD, such as Style Sheets, Scripting, Internationalization, the Object element, and extensions to forms and tables. This experimental version also originally contained a version number (HTML version 3.5) which was later retracted. Since it was only experimental at that stage, and subject to frequent change, the ERB did not want to give official sanction to Cougar by assigning a version number to it (presumably to avoid the possible version number scheme clash that occurred with the stillborn HTML 3.0 draft.) The Move To HTML 4.0 In July, 1997 the W3C released the first public draft of HTML 4.0. This new version of HTML was essentially a more mature and official form of the Cougar DTD published along with extensive documentation. Along with the original new features found in Cougar come many long-needed improvements such as recognition of the syntax for frames that is in common use, and an emphasis on making the language accessible to people with disabilities. HTML 4.0 is also the first version to use Unicode as the base character set, allowing millions of characters to be displayed instead of just a few hundred. A few features that have long been in development such as mathematics notation are still not included in this version, but these may be included in the next version of HTML as their development stabilizes. Even though this version of HTML is being developed under the auspices of the member companies (which include the major browser makers), some existing functionality found in browsers will never be included in HTML 4.0 or any later version for that matter. The need for partial solutions to certain problems (such as EMBED, BGSOUND, SPACER and MARQUEE) is negated with the introduction of new general features like OBJECT and CSS functionality. Why it is important HTML 3.2 codified and made official many of the extensions created by browser vendors at the time, but was still behind in terms of what was possible in the current browsers of the day. HTML 4.0 extends the language in officially sanctioned directions and allows for powerful capabilities never before possible (including some ideas never implemented from the HTML 3.0 draft.) HTML 2.0 and 3.2 documented popular current practice, so there was little need to adapt the capabilities of popular browsers to support them. At the time of writing, no popular browsers support ALL of the HTML 4.0 features, and some of the functionality may require significant re-architecting for some browsers. It should be interesting to note the progress of browser capability in the near future with respect to HTML 4.0. |