[uf-discuss] RFC: Proposal for general purpose microformat

[Abramo Bagnara]

Dr. Ernie Prabhakar ha scritto:

>> Can we reach an agreement that to use a "namespace" for microformats
>> specific classes is a good thing?
> 
> 
> That is an interesting question.  I know that Rohit has been asking 
> that same question.  The conventional answer is that microformat 
> classes *are* in fact the same classes you'd be using for normal CSS 
> styling, so there's no need to call them out -- and besides,  namespaces
> tend to confuse mere mortals.

I've deliberately quoted "namespace": a simple prefix is enough.

As an example consider that a web page might already use class
"description" for its own purpose. Suppose now that he'd like to add
hCalendar encapsulation: how he can easily represent differently the
hCalendar content and the others?

He has some alternative:

1) don't use the "description" class outside hCalendar data (??? to use
hCalendar means to be forced to not use any rfc2445 names as class name?)

2) use selectors like:
.vevent .description { }

but what about if .vevent area is rather large and inside that he
already use some classes clashing with rfc2445? And what about if vevent
internal data is stored outside .vevent area?

Consider also that to have a "namespace" does not inhibits the web
designer to use the same microformat classes for normal CSS as you write.

>> while with my proposal I can do the following:
>>
>> <div>
>> <span class="header">
>> <abbr title="opt-participant">Optional partecipants</abbr>
>> </span>:
>> <span class="xx:attendee= xx:@role=../abbr/@title">
>>   <a class="xx:@cn xx:=@href"  href="mailto:abramobagnara at tin.it">Abramo
>> Bagnara</a>
>> </span>,
>> <span class="xx:attendee= xx:@role=../abbr/@title">
>>   <a class="xx:@cn xx:=@href" href="litabanelli at racine.ra.it">Licia
>> Tabanelli</a>
>> </span>
>> </div>
> 
> 
> Forgive me if I'm a little slow, but I'm unclear about i) where the 
> problem is, and ii) how your version is any clearer. That use of 
> 'title' and 'abbr' seems exceedingly odd.  Why can't hCalendar  already
> just do:
> 
> <div>
> <h2><abbr class="role" title="opt-participant">Optional participants</
> abbr></h2>:
> <a class="attendee cn url" href="mailto:abramobagnara at tin.it">Abramo 
> Bagnara</a>
> <a class="attendee cn url" href="litabanelli at racine.ra.it"> Licia 
> Tabanelli </a>
> </div>
> 
> Am I completely misunderstanding how role and opt-participant are 
> supposed to be used?  Is the problem that hCalendar wants 'opt-
> participant' to be a visible key with class 'role' rather than 
> invisible one?

You should only solve the problem of how to instruct stylesheet about
*where* it can find the role param value in xhtml page... And then you
should be sure that with this policy you're not excluding *any* sensible
layout.

You've an hard work, my friend... :-)

-- 
Abramo Bagnara                       mailto:abramobagnara at tin.it

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