Anchor with TYPE attribute

[Andreas Prilop]

Is there any *practical* use of writing, say,

<a href="book.pdf" type="application/pdf">

with a TYPE attribute?

--
Top-posting.
What's the most irritating thing on Usenet?

[Joost Diepenmaat]

Andreas Prilop <pr********@trashmail.netwrites:

Is there any *practical* use of writing, say,

<a href="book.pdf" type="application/pdf">

with a TYPE attribute?

If you do, you can use CSS to mark up pdf links differently from other
links.

a[type=application/pdf] {
before: url("pdf-image.png");
}

For instance.

--
Joost Diepenmaat | blog: http://joost.zeekat.nl/ | work: http://zeekat.nl/

[Jukka K. Korpela]

Andreas Prilop wrote:

Is there any *practical* use of writing, say,

<a href="book.pdf" type="application/pdf">

with a TYPE attribute?

Not much, but in addition to potential use in styling (with attribute
selectors, not supported by IE 6), they might be used for site management
e.g. to find all links to PDF files. Of course this requires software that
pays attention to such attributes.

Moreover, on Firefox and relatives, if the user right-clicks on a link and
selects "Properties", he will see information about the media type.

So not much, really.

Yucca

[Sander Tekelenburg]

In article
<Pi******************************@s5b004.rrzn.un i-hannover.de>,
Andreas Prilop <pr********@trashmail.netwrote:

Is there any *practical* use of writing, say,

<a href="book.pdf" type="application/pdf">

with a TYPE attribute?

Yes: <http://www.euronet.nl/~tekelenb/WWW/userfriendlierhyperlinks/>.

--
Sander Tekelenburg, <http://www.euronet.nl/%7Etekelenb/>

[John Hosking]

Sander Tekelenburg wrote:

In article
<Pi******************************@s5b004.rrzn.un i-hannover.de>,
Andreas Prilop <pr********@trashmail.netwrote:

>Is there any *practical* use of writing, say,

<a href="book.pdf" type="application/pdf">

with a TYPE attribute?

Yes: <http://www.euronet.nl/~tekelenb/WWW/userfriendlierhyperlinks/>.

Interesting page, Sander.

I realize the page is a bit old and so you may not want to change it,
but since it *is* on the WWW (and you're pointing to it in 2008), maybe
you'd like to consider a few of my remarks, respectfully submitted:

1. It seems like a cool idea to me for you to point to a list of MIME
types. I guess this would be the place:
<http://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/>. Or maybe there's a
better list somewhere. (Assuming "MIME types" is really the appropriate
term. I see e.g. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_media_type>.)

2. I believe "dependant" should be spelled "dependent". See
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_18...dependant.html .

3. The word "known" is missing an "n". Search for "kown".

I'm still poking around the site and, while I see it's a bit old, it
looks interesting. (BTW, I wish more Web authors would so
conscientiously date their publishings.)

HAND.
--
John
Possessive "its" has no apostrophe. Even on the Internet.
Pedants could rule the world and make it a better place, if the rest of
you would just *understand*.

[Ben C]

On 2008-08-26, John Hosking <Jo**@DELETE.Hosking.name.INVALIDwrote:

Sander Tekelenburg wrote:

[...]

2. I believe "dependant" should be spelled "dependent". See
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_18...dependant.html .

No, dependant is acceptable, as probably a UK variant since it is more
like French.

It's a bit like "advertize" which was being quibbled over the other
day-- in UK English "advertise" is also acceptable.

Many of those optional variant UK spellings are basically French.
"dependent" and "advertize" are closer to the original Latin and Greek
respectively.

[Guy Macon]

Ben C wrote:

>probably a UK variant

>variant UK spellings

I tend to think of the UK spelling as being the standard, and the
US as being the variant -- and I was born and raised in the USA.
--
Guy Macon
<http://www.GuyMacon.com/>

[Ben C]

On 2008-08-26, Guy Macon <httpwrote:

>
Ben C wrote:

>>probably a UK variant

>>variant UK spellings

I tend to think of the UK spelling as being the standard, and the
US as being the variant -- and I was born and raised in the USA.

I say "variant" UK spellings because dependent and advertize are both
also correct in UK English and in my opinion preferred.

[Andy Dingley]

On 26 Aug, 15:07, Guy Macon <http://www.GuyMacon.com/wrote:

I tend to think of the UK spelling as being the standard, and the
US as being the variant -- and I was born and raised in the USA.

There are (largely) two sorts of divergent spellings:
* 17th century spellings that the US has preserved and the UK has
shifted.
* Webster's fiddling 8-(

[Steve Swift]

Guy Macon wrote:

I tend to think of the UK spelling as being the standard, and the
US as being the variant -- and I was born and raised in the USA.

In most cases where US and UK usage of English differs, the US version
is often (perhaps usually) closer to the original. I suspect this is
because the US was more isolated than the UK for much of its history.

British English has always been strongly influenced by our European
neighbours, and in the past, colonies.

--
Steve Swift
http://www.swiftys.org.uk/swifty.html
http://www.ringers.org.uk

[Harlan Messinger]

Ben C wrote:

On 2008-08-26, John Hosking <Jo**@DELETE.Hosking.name.INVALIDwrote:

>Sander Tekelenburg wrote:

[...]

>2. I believe "dependant" should be spelled "dependent". See
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_18...dependant.html .

No, dependant is acceptable, as probably a UK variant since it is more
like French.

The OED distinguishes between the noun, "dependant, dependent" and the
adjective, "dependent".

It's a bit like "advertize" which was being quibbled over the other
day-- in UK English "advertise" is also acceptable.

In UK English and in US English only "advertise" is standard. OED only
shows "advertize" as an "also-found-as" in the "advertise" article, in
the same manner as "aduertyse" is given as one. Merriam-Webster
unabridged says "advertize" is a variant spelling.

>
Many of those optional variant UK spellings are basically French.
"dependent" and "advertize" are closer to the original Latin and Greek
respectively.

The "-ise" in "advertise" came from the French infix "-iss-" [is] found
in some -ir verbs (likewise, "choisir", "finir"), unlike most English
"-ize/-ise" suffixes, at least a few of which came from the French verb
ending "-iser" [ize], and have the Greek origin of which you wrote.

[Blinky the Shark]

Ben C wrote:

On 2008-08-26, John Hosking <Jo**@DELETE.Hosking.name.INVALIDwrote:

>Sander Tekelenburg wrote:

[...]

>2. I believe "dependant" should be spelled "dependent". See
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_18...dependant.html .

No, dependant is acceptable, as probably a UK variant since it is more
like French.

I'm used to the variations exemplified by "color"/"colour" and
"advertise"/"advertize", but I'm not used to "-ent"/"-ant" variations.
Can you provide some other examples of that?
--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
Need a new news feed? http://blinkynet.net/comp/newfeed.html

[Ben C]

On 2008-08-26, Harlan Messinger <hm*******************@comcast.netwrote:

Ben C wrote:

>On 2008-08-26, John Hosking <Jo**@DELETE.Hosking.name.INVALIDwrote:

>>Sander Tekelenburg wrote:

[...]

>>2. I believe "dependant" should be spelled "dependent". See
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_18...dependant.html .

No, dependant is acceptable, as probably a UK variant since it is more
like French.

The OED distinguishes between the noun, "dependant, dependent" and the
adjective, "dependent".

I don't have an OED (spent the money on a new car instead), but checked
the Collins dictionary.

It allows either spelling for the adjective, but only "dependant" for
the noun.

cf. pendant (not pendent) for something you hang around your neck. Also
a noun. Not to be confused with pedant.

>It's a bit like "advertize" which was being quibbled over the other
day-- in UK English "advertise" is also acceptable.

In UK English and in US English only "advertise" is standard. OED only
shows "advertize" as an "also-found-as" in the "advertise" article, in
the same manner as "aduertyse" is given as one. Merriam-Webster
unabridged says "advertize" is a variant spelling.

The Collins dictionary also says advertize is "U.S. sometimes".

>Many of those optional variant UK spellings are basically French.
"dependent" and "advertize" are closer to the original Latin and Greek
respectively.

The "-ise" in "advertise" came from the French infix "-iss-" [is] found
in some -ir verbs (likewise, "choisir", "finir"), unlike most English
"-ize/-ise" suffixes, at least a few of which came from the French verb
ending "-iser" [ize], and have the Greek origin of which you wrote.

In that case it sounds like it should be "advertise", even for someone
who writes "burglarize" or "bowdlerize".

[Stan Brown]

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:45:32 -0500 from Ben C <sp******@spam.eggs>:

It's a bit like "advertize" which was being quibbled over the other
day-- in UK English "advertise" is also acceptable.

In US English, "advertize" is plain wrong and "advertise" is the only
acceptable spelling.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/
HTML 4.01 spec: http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/
validator: http://validator.w3.org/
CSS 2.1 spec: http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/
validator: http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/
Why We Won't Help You:
http://diveintomark.org/archives/200..._wont_help_you

[Stan Brown]

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:46:44 +0100 from Steve Swift
<St***********@gmail.com>:

In most cases where US and UK usage of English differs, the US version
is often (perhaps usually) closer to the original.

Correct. All or most of those -ize, -ise verbs verbs come from Greek
verbs in -izo, so the -ise spelling is further from the original. hat
doesn't mean they're wrong in the UK, of course.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/
HTML 4.01 spec: http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/
validator: http://validator.w3.org/
CSS 2.1 spec: http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/
validator: http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/
Why We Won't Help You:
http://diveintomark.org/archives/200..._wont_help_you

[Ben C]

On 2008-08-26, Stan Brown <th************@fastmail.fmwrote:

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:45:32 -0500 from Ben C <sp******@spam.eggs>:

>It's a bit like "advertize" which was being quibbled over the other
day-- in UK English "advertise" is also acceptable.

In US English, "advertize" is plain wrong and "advertise" is the only
acceptable spelling.

I think after Harlan's post that advertize is pretty much wrong in UK
English too.

[Ben C]

On 2008-08-26, Blinky the Shark <no*****@box.invalidwrote:

Ben C wrote:

>On 2008-08-26, John Hosking <Jo**@DELETE.Hosking.name.INVALIDwrote:

>>Sander Tekelenburg wrote:

[...]

>>2. I believe "dependant" should be spelled "dependent". See
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_18...dependant.html .

No, dependant is acceptable, as probably a UK variant since it is more
like French.

I'm used to the variations exemplified by "color"/"colour" and
"advertise"/"advertize", but I'm not used to "-ent"/"-ant" variations.
Can you provide some other examples of that?

Pendant, repellent, propellant, ascendent, descendent.

Those are the spellings I would use (for no particular reason-- using
"repellent" but "propellant" is inconsistent). But pendent, repellant,
propellent, ascendant and descendant are all allowed and mean the same I
believe.

I don't know if there's any US/UK bias to these though.

[dorayme]

In article <sl*********************@bowser.marioworld>,
Ben C <sp******@spam.eggswrote:

On 2008-08-26, John Hosking <Jo**@DELETE.Hosking.name.INVALIDwrote:

Sander Tekelenburg wrote:

[...]

2. I believe "dependant" should be spelled "dependent". See
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_18...dependant.html .

No, dependant is acceptable, as probably a UK variant since it is more
like French.

It's a bit like "advertize" which was being quibbled over the other
day-- in UK English "advertise" is also acceptable.

You might care to "Improve Answer" at

<http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_correct_spelling_of_advertize>

with some references etc.

If you type into Google:

is "centre" correct?

You get a list of links.

If you type into Google

is "advertize" correct?

you get at the top of a list of links,

Did you mean: is "advertise" correct?**

So the variant here is causing more than usual eyebrow raisings.

--
dorayme

[Steve Swift]

Blinky the Shark wrote:

I'm used to the variations exemplified by "color"/"colour" and
"advertise"/"advertize", but I'm not used to "-ent"/"-ant" variations.
Can you provide some other examples of that?

Then there's grey (UK) vs. gray (US). Now we're really into a gr{e,a}y area.
--
Steve Swift
http://www.swiftys.org.uk/swifty.html
http://www.ringers.org.uk

[Jonathan N. Little]

Steve Swift wrote:

Blinky the Shark wrote:

>I'm used to the variations exemplified by "color"/"colour" and
"advertise"/"advertize", but I'm not used to "-ent"/"-ant" variations.
Can you provide some other examples of that?

Then there's grey (UK) vs. gray (US). Now we're really into a gr{e,a}y
area.

Well since they call them greyhounds and not grayhounds I have always
been partial to grey. But since none of this mattered in English until
recently with the likes of Webster, folks just spelled words anyway way
they wished. If it got the point across, then it was good! A friendlier
time for dyslexics.

--
Take care,

Jonathan
-------------------
LITTLE WORKS STUDIO
http://www.LittleWorksStudio.com

[Rick Merrill]

Ben C wrote:

On 2008-08-26, John Hosking <Jo**@DELETE.Hosking.name.INVALIDwrote:

>Sander Tekelenburg wrote:

[...]

>2. I believe "dependant" should be spelled "dependent". See
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_18...dependant.html .

No, dependant is acceptable, as probably a UK variant since it is more
like French.

It's a bit like "advertize" which was being quibbled over the other
day-- in UK English "advertise" is also acceptable.

Many of those optional variant UK spellings are basically French.
"dependent" and "advertize" are closer to the original Latin and Greek
respectively.

I am SO glad to hear that, as for years I've been accused of mispellings.

[Rick Merrill]

Stan Brown wrote:

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:46:44 +0100 from Steve Swift
<St***********@gmail.com>:

>In most cases where US and UK usage of English differs, the US version
is often (perhaps usually) closer to the original.

Correct. All or most of those -ize, -ise verbs verbs come from Greek
verbs in -izo, so the -ise spelling is further from the original. hat
doesn't mean they're wrong in the UK, of course.

I heartily agree, but try telling that to M$'s spell checker!

[Ben C]

On 2008-08-27, Rick Merrill <ri***********@gmail.comwrote:

Ben C wrote:

>On 2008-08-26, John Hosking <Jo**@DELETE.Hosking.name.INVALIDwrote:

>>Sander Tekelenburg wrote:

[...]

>>2. I believe "dependant" should be spelled "dependent". See
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_18...dependant.html .

No, dependant is acceptable, as probably a UK variant since it is more
like French.

It's a bit like "advertize" which was being quibbled over the other
day-- in UK English "advertise" is also acceptable.

Many of those optional variant UK spellings are basically French.
"dependent" and "advertize" are closer to the original Latin and Greek
respectively.

I am SO glad to hear that, as for years I've been accused of mispellings.

Yes although I was wrong about "advertize", which is not really
acceptable in UK or US English (although some dictionaries do list it).

I don't think the root is the same. The "-ise" in advertise, as it
should be spelt, is not the Greek -ize that's in all those other words
like "proselytize".

[Sander Tekelenburg]

In article <48**********@news.bluewin.ch>,
John Hosking <Jo**@DELETE.Hosking.name.INVALIDwrote:

Sander Tekelenburg wrote:

[...]

<http://www.euronet.nl/~tekelenb/WWW/userfriendlierhyperlinks/>.

[...] It seems like a cool idea to me for you to point to a list of MIME
types.

After giving it some thought, I think it would be better not to.

Authors should ensure that the value of the type attribute is the same
as the MIME type the server sends for the file in question.

In other words, authors should already ensure anyway that files they
serve are accompanied with an appropriate MIME type. (For *that* they'll
need a list of appropriate MIME types, of course, but server
configuration is beyond the scope of this article.) Assuming they do
bother to configure their server appropriately, they will already know
which value to use for the type attribute of each specific link.
Assuming they do *not* bother to ensure the server sends the 'right'
MIME type, handing them a list of MIME types with this article will
probably result in (some) authors entering a different value in the type
attribute than the server actually sends... (No doubt authors, or
authoring tools, already make that mistake today. But I see no reason
why I should encourage that ;))

[...]

2. I believe "dependant" should be spelled "dependent". See
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_18...dependant.html .

Heh :)

3. The word "known" is missing an "n". Search for "kown".

Thanks. Fixed.

--
Sander Tekelenburg
The Web Repair Initiative: <http://webrepair.org/>