Re: [Sheflug] Hypercard

["Chris J/#6" <nospam [at] nccnet.co.uk>]

> >>>>> "Chris" == Chris J/#6 <sixie [at] nccnet.co.uk> writes:
> 
>     >> >>>>> "Matt" == Matt Fairtlough <fairtlough [at] blueyonder.co.uk>
>     >> writes:
>     >> 
>     Matt> For example, background fields and buttons, and multiple
>     Matt> layers.
>     >> Background fields and layering are simply not supported in
>     >> HTML.  You
> 
>     Chris> *bong!*
> 
> I don't think so.  If you wanna go to the mats on it, I've got a 1986
> or so edition Hypercard manual over there being used as a door stop; I
> _think_ there's still readable ink on the pages....

Well you didn't say Hypercard - you said "...not supported in HTML" :) 

> 
>     Chris> Layering is supported in HTML via stylesheets
> 
> But this isn't what he's talking about, I'm pretty sure.  that's why I
> asked for clarification.  Hypercard layering is not about
> presentation.  It's actually a form of widgetry; there's real
> functionality in the layers.  (Hypercard presentation is very
> restrictive.)
> 

I don't know how Hypercard works, breaths, plugs together et al...not come 
across it before.

>     Chris> why overlay text with text :)
> 
> Wrong question.  Why overlay a clickable map of the corporate campus
> with a textual "table of organization" region where when the pointer
> is in a name you can get an LDAP popup on the person with a right
> button press, and overlay that with a GUI button that phones the guy
> on the intercom next to the display? is a better one.  Try doing that
> with HTML (CSS2, huh).

HTML/CSS is all about layout - what you describe is functionality, and that's 
Javascript/Java/ActiveX/and any other widget you can stick on a page, I'd 
have thought.

> If the base widget has three capabilities, one which is to layer a new
> base widget over part of itself (drag a rectangle), add presentation
> (menu driven), and bind actions to events (also menu driven), you have
> a very easy to use interface for bulding up extremely complex
> interfaces.  IIRC, that's exactly what HyperCard gave you.  It also
> enforced a useful discipline on authors by restricting the form factor
> of content to "what fits on a card".  Then allowed arbitrary graphical
> interconnections among cards.  Not a good model for some kinds of
> documents.  But much better than the typical Web site you see nowadays.

In that case I mis-understood/mis-read what Hypercard was about - I was just 
responding to the original phrase of yours, which may have been ambiguous.

Chris...


-- 
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