Re: lynx-dev [yet another] note on table rendering

[Larry W. Virden]

pAb-032871 <address@hidden> writes:

> First, Lynx is a text-grid/text-cell based browser, and table data is
> often given in pixel values, or a percentage of window size.  How would
> Lynx convert these values -- treat each 10x10 pixels as 1 character, or
> take window font into account?  A flat, 10x10 interpretation seems
> faster, and less trouble to code.

Actually, it's unlikely Lynx could take the window font into account in
many cases because that info's not available.  Instead, I would recommend
it be a new option (with this support configured in at compile time of
course).  The option would allow the user to dynamically set how many
pixels per character to use in calculations.  The default could be 9 or 10.

> size and round percent to the nearest char width/height.  <TD WIDTH=###%
> might be difficult though, because it's a nested value [inside the
> WIDTH= value, if present, of the entire table].

The current thinking behind table handling is that you need to make two
passes - one to get all of a table into memory and the relationships between
chunks organized, then a second pass to format everything appropriately.

> Maybe the current version already does this.  I don't know because I'm
> using a v2.7.1 port.

There is some new code in more recent ports of lynx which tries to handle
certain simple table cases in a more logical fashion.  There are also
external filters which provide other algorithms for formatting a page.
I think there's a proxy as well.  

> 1)- How about a simple row of radio buttons in the Options menu?
The more algorithms added to lynx, the more complex things are going to be.
Hmm ... however, it _might_ be interesting to do this.  Add a compile time
option to cache all the code for a table into a separate file, then display
a link for the table.  To display the table, one would issue the
'invoke external command on data type' where the table is tagged as being
application/xlynx-table or some such thing.  Lynx would
hand the temporary file containing just the
table code over to an external program for formatting.  That would allow
one to implement a 'menu' type program for selecting various formatting
options, without lynx growing ...  Once the table to lynx html
formatting was complete, lynx would be sent back the html for display -
or something like that...


-- 
Larry W. Virden <mailto:address@hidden>
<URL: http://www.purl.org/NET/lvirden/>
Unless explicitly stated to the contrary, nothing in this posting should 
be construed as representing my employer's opinions.
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