When I set out to translate a multimedia document to HTML for the Web, two of the goals I had in mind were to comply with HTML specifications, and to produce a product that would work on a reasonable variety of browsers. These days, that means Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Apple's Safari, and probably Mozilla and Firefox. I decided to include Opera, the browser I use normally. Unfortunately, it's impossible to meet both those goals. It seems that each browser requires its own special HTML incantation to display Java applets or other plugin-based media. Most of these methods aren't included in, say, the HTML 4.01 Transitional specification.
Obviously, browser vendors need to get their ducks in a row and support the standard, which I think is adequate to do the job. Until then, Web designers will have to produce atrocities like the following, and violate the HTML standard.
<OBJECT classid = "clsid:8AD9C840-044E-11D1-B3E9-00805F499D93" codebase = "http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/autodl/jinstall-1_4-windows-i586.cab#Version=1,4,0,0" WIDTH = 520 HEIGHT = 260 > <PARAM NAME = CODE VALUE = hetorrance.HeTorranceApplet.class > <PARAM NAME = "codetype" VALUE = "application/java-archive" > <PARAM NAME = "type" VALUE = "application/x-java-applet;jpi-version=1.4"> <PARAM NAME = "scriptable" VALUE = "false"> <PARAM NAME = "archive" VALUE = "./hetorrance.jar" > <param name = "figure_number" VALUE = "LAMBERTIAN" > <COMMENT> <!-- This tag works with Navigator 7.2, Safari 1.2.3, and FireFox 1.0PR as of 2004.10.22 westin --> <EMBED type = "application/x-java-applet" CODE = hetorrance.HeTorranceApplet WIDTH = 520 HEIGHT = 260 scriptable = false archive = "hetorrance.jar" pluginspage = "http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/downloads/" figure_number = LAMBERTIAN > <NOEMBED> alt="Your browser understands the <EMBED> tag but isn't running the applet, for some reason." Your browser is completely ignoring the <EMBED> tag! </NOEMBED> </EMBED> </COMMENT> </OBJECT>
Converted to HTML by Stephen H. Westin <swestin@earthlink.net> Last modified: Mon Sep 5 22:11:35 EDT 2011 | ![]() |