PRINTABLE PAGE WITHOUT SECOND DOWNLOAD FOR CONTENT

[Albretch]

Hi,

I was wondering what would be the way to have the same content
rendered in a different way; say from a page with navigation bars
presenting the text in two columns to a "printable" one without having
to download the content again.

Is this possible in a more or less cross-browser compliant way?

Thnx

[Mark Parnell]

Sometime around 26 Oct 2003 20:20:55 -0800, Albretch is reported to have
stated:

Hi,
G'day,

I was wondering what would be the way to have the same content
rendered in a different way; say from a page with navigation bars
presenting the text in two columns to a "printable" one without having
to download the content again.

<link rel="stylesheet" href="print.css" type="text/css" media="print">

Apply appropriate styles in print.css

--
Mark Parnell
http://www.clarkecomputers.com.au

[Jukka K. Korpela]

Mark Parnell <we*******@clarkecomputers.com.au> wrote:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="print.css" type="text/css"
media="print">

Apply appropriate styles in print.css

Or use

<link rel="stylesheet" href="common.css" type="text/css"
media="all">

and make common.css contain, among other things,

@media print { ... }

Disadvantage: the browser loads the CSS rules for printing even when
they will not be used. (But usually this does not matter much, it's a
relatively small piece of data - and you may save an HTTP transaction.)

Advantages: you only need one <link> element, you can create and edit
the style sheet without comparing constructs in two files, and
you can group CSS rules more flexibly (e.g. by using several
@media rules so that rules for printing an element appear right after
general or screen-only rules for it).

--
Yucca, http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/
Pages about Web authoring: http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/www.html

[Chris Morris]

"Jukka K. Korpela" <jk******@cs.tut.fi> writes:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="common.css" type="text/css"
media="all">

and make common.css contain, among other things,

@media print { ... }

I had a problem with IE5.0 once doing this (I think the media type was
screen,print,projection not all) - under certain circumstances, IE5
would interpret the print stylesheet in an @media screen situation.

Since the print stylesheet had the occasional
div.navigation { display: none; } and similar in it, this became very
noticeable.

Straightforward CSS-hiding to solve it, obviously.

--
Chris

[Brian]

Jukka K. Korpela wrote:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="common.css" type="text/css"
media="all">

and make common.css contain, among other things,

@media print { ... }

One additional disadvantage: IE 5.x/Mac does not understand @media
rules, but IE 5.x/Mac is otherwise a good browser in terms of css.

--
Brian
follow the directions in my address to email me

[Albretch]

....

"Jukka K. Korpela" <jk******@cs.tut.fi> wrote in message news:<Xn*****************************@193.229.0.31 >...

- and you may save an HTTP transaction

Well, I think, we are not understanding each other well. I am
actually trying not to have to download -the content- a second time.

For an example of exactly I am trying to avoid:

1._ go:
http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/j...w-11-hood.html

which includes in its meta tags:
<link rel="stylesheet" type ="text/css" href="/includes/style.css">

2._ Click on "Printer-friendly version" and you will be directed to:
http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/j...11-hood_p.html

<style type="text/css">
code {font: 110%;}
pre {font: 100%;}
td {font: 90%;}
</style>

The first page renders a navigational bar on the left the second one
none.

But the content itself is downloaded twice from the server. This is
namely what I am trying to avoid.

The only "compatible" way I know of doing this (I am not a designer)
is using frames-based pages. However I am –trying- to use XHTML
strict.

I think I read somewhere if you use <div>s the browser does not
download the enclosed stuff again, but:

1._ I wonder how compliant/cross-browser it is

2._ It sounds a little odd to me, that browsers cache <div>s inside
of the HTML proper as they can cache pictures and other static
content.

Also stretching this idea just a little bit more, you could have
browsers kind of doing CVS work. Only requesting what is new or has
changed within a page . . .

Please, could you clarify this to me?

I need for you to share with me your experience if you have tried to
work around this. "Standards" may or may not be what is happening out
there.

Thanks

[Jukka K. Korpela]

lb*****@hotmail.com (Albretch) wrote:

- and you may save an HTTP transaction
Well, I think, we are not understanding each other well. I am
actually trying not to have to download -the content- a second
time.

So it seems. Both approaches suggested save that. What I was referring
to was the transaction of fetching another style sheet.
For an example of exactly I am trying to avoid:
It has a link to a "Printer-fiendly version", which is a separate
document. We told how to use a style sheet instead.
The only "compatible" way I know of doing this (I am not a
designer) is using frames-based pages.
I have no idea of what you are talking about here. My experience with
frames is that the user gets the wrong frame printed, except on bad
days, when the printer spits out a hundred pages of garbage. So frames
are a problem, not a solution, in printing.
I think I read somewhere if you use <div>s the browser does not
download the enclosed stuff again,
That would be an interesting phenomenon.
1._ I wonder how compliant/cross-browser it is
It's pure imagination.
Also stretching this idea just a little bit more, you could have
browsers kind of doing CVS work.
I'm not going to make a guess on the value of the symbol "CVS" here,
but I'm sure you're on the wrong track now.
I need for you to share with me your experience if you have tried
to work around this.

"This"? Using a print style sheet is a solution, not a problem.
No need to work around it. Now, if you asked how to set up _several_
alternate style sheets in a manner that works even on IE, _that_ would
be an interesting question (but basically off-topic here).

--
Yucca, http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/
Pages about Web authoring: http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/www.html

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Albretch pounced upon this pigeonhole and pronounced:

...

"Jukka K. Korpela" <jk******@cs.tut.fi> wrote in message news:<Xn*****************************@193.229.0.31 >...

- and you may save an HTTP transaction
Well, I think, we are not understanding each other well. I am
actually trying not to have to download -the content- a second time.

For an example of exactly I am trying to avoid:

1._ go:
http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/j...w-11-hood.html

which includes in its meta tags:
<link rel="stylesheet" type ="text/css" href="/includes/style.css">

2._ Click on "Printer-friendly version" and you will be directed to:
http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/j...11-hood_p.html

<style type="text/css">
code {font: 110%;}
pre {font: 100%;}
td {font: 90%;}
</style>

The first page renders a navigational bar on the left the second one
none.

But the content itself is downloaded twice from the server. This is
namely what I am trying to avoid.

Had the site been authored correctly, there would be no need for a second
"printer-compatible" document and additional bandwidth.
The only "compatible" way I know of doing this (I am not a designer)
is using frames-based pages. However I am –trying- to use XHTML
strict.

Frames are *surely not* the answer. All you need is to properly use CSS,
in a print stylesheet.

This fairly simple site of mine uses a print style sheet.
http://www.countryrode.com/

<style type="text/css" media="all">@import "../style/rode3.css"; </style>
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="../style/crprint.css"
media="print" />

Go ahead; do a print preview. The nav column and other bits you normally
wouldn't want to print are gone.

<snip>

--
-bts
-This space intentionally left blank.