BODY: Lists and Phrases

This document describes the tags used for specifying text and graphic objects that can occur inside a BODY tag. These include:

List Elements

You create a list element by using (note: the following list is an example of UL):

Attributes

TYPE

Standard? Not yet implemented.

VALUE

Standard? Not yet implemented.

COMPACT

Suggests that a compact rendering be used (short items/long list). Not yet implemented.

LI

Within a list element, you add an individual list item using LI, which indents and formats in context of the current element. Newt's Cape should preserve indenting when it splits an item across book pages (and you can specify a different tag to use (default: P) via Split Appearance option.

Examples: see UL, OL, DIR, MENU

UL

Specifies an unordered (typically bulleted) list of items.

Attributes: COMPACT -- not implemented

Example:

<UL><LI>one
<LI>two
<UL><LI>three (nested)
</UL><LI>four
</UL>

Result:

OL

Specifies an ordered (typically numbered) list of items.

Attributes: COMPACT -- not implemented

Example:

<OL><LI>one
<LI>two
<OL><LI>three (nested)
</OL><LI>four
</OL>

Result:

  1. one
  2. two
    1. three (nested)
  3. four

DIR

DIR is similar to UL, and assumes that list items are short, typically less than 20 char each. Nested block elements are not allowed. Newt's Cape prefixes each item with ">".

Attributes: COMPACT -- not implemented

MENU

MENU is similar to UL. List items are typically a single line, and may be rendered more compactly than UL. Nested block elements are not allowed. Newt's Cape prefixes each item with "-".

Attributes: COMPACT -- not implemented

DL

Specifies pairs of terms (DT), definitions (DD).

DT

Indicates a Definition Term inside DL

DD

Indicates a Definition Definition inside DL

Example:

<DL><DT>Newt's Cape
<DD>an environment for developing Newton books and
form applications via HTML

<DT>HTML
<DD>HyperText Markup Language
</DL>

Result:

Newt's Cape
an environment for developing Newton books and form applications via HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language

Idiomatic Phrase Markup

Idiomatic markup is based on intent rather than on explicit appearance. Prior to version 1.4, it was not possible to nest phrase markup.

However, this now works in Newt's Cape.

CITE

indicates title of a book or citation (typically rendered in italics).

Example: <CITE>The Empire Strikes Back</CITE>

Result: The Empire Strikes Back

CODE

indicates a short example of code (typically rendered in a mono-spaced font). Use PRE for multiple-line listings.

Example: <CODE>if x < y then :show() else :hide()</CODE>

Result: if x < y then :show() else :hide()

EM

indicates an emphasized phrase (typically rendered in italics).

Example: Are you <EM>always</EM> so sleepy?

Result: Are you always so sleepy?

KBD

indicates text typed by a user (typically rendered in a mono-spaced font).

Example: Type <KBD>rm</KBD> followed by the filename

Result: Type rm followed by the filename

SAMP

indicates a sequence of literal characters (typically rendered in a mono-spaced font).

Example: The chars <SAMP>abc</SAMP> are valid in HTML

Result: The chars abc are valid in HTML.

STRONG

indicates strong emphasis (typically rendered in bold).

Example: I said "<STRONG>STOP</STRONG>"

Result: I said "STOP"

VAR

indicates a placeholder variable (typically rendered as italic).

Example: VAR is a <VAR>tag</VAR>

Result: VAR is a tag

DFN

indicates a defined term (typically rendered as italic). [3.0]

Example: this is a <DFN>definition</DFN>

Result: this is a definition

Typographic Phrase Markup

Typographic markup relates to explicit format. Where possible, Idiomatic phrases should be used instead.

B

indicates bold text (if possible).

Example: Some <B>bold</B> text

Result: Some bold text

I

indicates italic text (if possible).

Example: Some <I>italic</I> text

Result: Some italic text

TT

indicates teletype (monospaced) text (if possible). (Note: this uses the same font family as PRE, e.g., Monaco)

Example: Some <TT>teletype</TT> text

Result: Some teletype text

U

indicates underlined text (if possible). Standard? Confusing to user if browser uses underline to represent A (anchors).

Example: Some <U>underlined</U> text

Result: Some underlined text

S

indicates over-strike text (if possible). HTML 3.0? STRIKE tag now standard? (since Newton does not support over-strike, it uses outline instead).

Example: Some <STRIKE>over-strike</STRIKE> text

Result: Some strike text

SUP

indicates superscript. HTML 3.0?

Example: E=mc<SUP>2</SUP>

Result: E=mc2

SUB

indicates subscript. HTML 3.0?

Example: H<SUB>2</SUB>O

Result: H2O

BIG

increases current font size. HTML 3.0?

Example: <BIG>bigger</BIG> text

Result: bigger text

SMALL

decreases current font size. HTML 3.0?

Example: <SMALL>smaller</SMALL> text

Result: smaller text

FONT

modifies color (#FFFFFF only) or font size (increments).

Example: <FONT SIZE="+2">bigger</FONT> and <FONT SIZE="-2">smaller</FONT>

bigger and smaller

Example: <FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF">inverted: white paragraph on dark background</FONT>

inverted: white paragraph on dark background

Note: other colors, background colors, attributes ignored. If </FONT> is missing, sizes can accumulate: minimum 8, maximum 24.

BR

specifies an explicit line break. If you want to include many line breaks, also see PRE.

Example: line1<BR>line2

Result:
line1
line2

Attributes: CLEAR (left,all,right,none) -- not implemented

Paragraph Sizing

Because of the Newton's primitive text measurement routines, there may be a few situations where space is omitted between paragraphs, text is clipped or does not split properly at the bottom of the page, or links (HREFs) are not properly detected. These situations are likely to occur with mixed fonts, faces, sizes, all CAPITALS and/or very wide words/small table column widths--

in particular, with bold, superscript, subscript, FONT, big, small, and non-Left ALIGN.

Potential solutions (besides fixing Newt's Cape): editing text, splitting paragraphs, inserting <BR>, and putting links before "problem" tags.

CENTER

This creates a "temporary container", and all items within it should be centered. Alternatively, you can also use ALIGN attribute for individual P, IMG, TD, TH.

NOBR

Recognized but currently ignored.

For More Info

This document (in all its formats) is © 1995-98. Steve Weyer, Greg Simon. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Version 1.5. Last updated: Jan 1998


Steve Weyer - weyer@kagi.com
Greg Simon - gsimon@ricochet.net