Re: LYNX-DEV searching in lists

[Foteos Macrides]

address@hidden (Scott McGee (Personal)) wrote:
>I fear I may seriously injure my reputation here (not like I haven't before!)
>but I guess I should ask anyway.
>
>Is there any reason, from the view of HTML specifications, why lynx can't
>choose to render a <SELECT> as either a group of radiobuttons or checkboxes?
>(Other than possible violation of SIZE, I couldn't see anything in the spec
>I viewed [possible incomplete spec?] that required it to be a popup.) How
>about from the point of view of Lynx code?
>
>I am not saying we should do such, just asking if it is a reasonable idea. If
>it is, maybe some thought should be made as to allowing it as an option for
>blind users.

        The answers to your questions nominally are at your finger tips,
via the links to HTML specs in the online 'h'elp.

        However...
        
        What's said about SELECT in the HTML 2.0 specs is nonsense,
and simply a reflection on its author ;( who went on to trash the IETF
standardization process for HTML, and is now the Chairman of the W3C
ERB ):

        What's said in the (expired) HTML 3.0 draft is correct:
        
[...]
                              The SELECT element
                                       
   Permitted Context: %Body.Content but must be within FORM
   Content Model: one ore more OPTION elements
   
   The SELECT element is used for single and multiple choice menus. It is
   generally rendered as a drop-down or pop-up menu, and offers a more
   compact alternative to using radio buttons for single choice menus, or
   checkboxes for multiple choice menus.
[...]

        What Lynx presently does is what's intended for SELECT without
the MULTIPLE attribute, but not ideal for sight-challenged users, and
not what's intended when MULTIPLE *is* present, but better for
sight-challenged users.  Doing either for both, based on configuration
options, would not be a serious "violation" of any specs, IMHO.  And so
what if it were, since the IETF standardization process has been sabotaged,
and nothing which commands respect has replaced it!

                                Fote

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