>Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 10:32:00 PST
>Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
>Sender: HP-3000 Systems Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
>From: David Greer <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Comments on Web Design - long
>
>Like all design issues, there is no one right answer.  But I will add
>a few comments to the postings from yesterday.
>
>Denys writes ...
>> 3- Design your site so that it can be available to both the lowest common
>> denominator and so that the latest and greatest browser can show some new
>> features.  This option is the most work to the web page designer.
 
>I don't think this is possible, but Denys is welcome to try.
>Personally, I prefer sites that say "use Netscape x.y to view this
>site".  At least I know what I'm getting myself into by not using what
>they suggest.
 
There is an option nobody mentioned.  Every Web browser identifies itself with
a header sent to the WWW server.  The WWW server creates environment variables
that reference what features that browser supports.
 
If you connect via CGI-BIN program,  that program is smart enough to figure
out what the browser can handle and send the correct formats.  This method
requires you to construct links with searchable args so that the CGI program
can decide what to do.
 
http://www.here.edu/cgi-bin/smartcgi?homepage
 
The /smartcgi program does the magic of matching things up between server and
browser or it could edit a common source on the fly.
 
NOTE:  I've come across this action on servers rarely.  Web masters prefer to
make the problem a client problem.
 
Comments: Inline Images:  Turn the darn things OFF on the client and quit
complaining.  Us folks with high speed net's don't mind them a bit.  When I
access through a modem, my first action is to turn "inline images OFF" or die!
 
 
 
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Eric J. Schubert                    Senior Data Base Analyst
Office of Information Technologies  Univ of Notre Dame, IN USA
(219) 631-7306                      http://www.nd.edu/~eschuber