But I'm not sure that the solution there *was* the right one. If all I
have to look at, and all I'm interested in looking at, are VRML files,
why am I launching Netscape, particularly when webspace can talk HTTP on
its own? If a browser for a file format is going to 1) talk HTTP 2)
contain relative URL's and 3) be designed to run stand-alone, the concept
of a <BASE> is necessary.
The problem is deeper, though. So far, there's only been one real
network-aware document language, HTML, and so it made sense to roll the
HTTP-accessing piece of functionality and HTML-rendering piece of
functionality into one application. However, this won't last long - now
we have VRML and PDF with "url extensions", soon we'll have PNG, and
probably eventually video formats with hyperlinks.
The concept of the monolithic browser will be gone in short order.
Replacing it will be modules - the HTTP-accessing module, the
HTML-rendering module, the VRML module, etc. There's no reason why
Netscape and Webspace should have their own HTTP implementations. You're
right, the level of communication between helper apps does need to
improve, but we need to look at componentware approaches.
Brian
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