Versioning HTML at the server (was Re: Netscape v NCSA, Progress? )

Chris Lilley, Computer Graphics Unit ([email protected])
Tue, 18 Oct 1994 10:51:27 GMT


In message <941017222851.6448@utopia> Kee Hinckley wrote:

> This isn't a problem unique to Netscape. Table support in NCSA's
> 2.5 beta results in the same issue. In fact it's worse, a table
> read in a browser without table support looks like trash.

The table support is less of a problem; at least it forms part of an
established standard-in-progress (HTML 3.0). Other browser writers
can make software that understands the same markup without having to
guess at the full spec from a few examples.

However, yes, how does a client tell the server "I understand HTML 3.0"
or, more tricky, "I understand tables inline JPEG and this-bit but not
that-bit"

How should we serve HTML 3 to the Web? Is it still text/html ? Should
the same URL point to two different versions using server-side trickery?

--
Chris