[uf-new] [Fwd: Re: [uf-discuss] Re: Precise Expansion Patterns]

[Paul Wilkins]

On Dec 17, 2007 10:23 AM, Martin McEvoy <martin at weborganics.co.uk> wrote:
> My thought is (after many months of wrestling with this beast) that
> instead of trying to hide and change what we are doing (after all its
> necessary) it may be worthwhile trying to find a more semantic
> equivalent of how we use the <abbr> tag.
>
> http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/struct/text.html#h-9.2.1
>
> VAR:
>         Indicates an instance of a variable or program argument.
>
> We are presented with an instance of a variable, when we do this:
>
> <abbr class="duration" title="PT2M23S">2:23</abbr>

No we are not. There is nothing variable about 2:23. It's an absolute
value of duration.

A variable is a programming term. Here's a sample of how it SHOULD be used.

<pre><code>
function hide(id) {
    forEach(id, function(id) {
        var el = document.getElementById(id);
        setStyle(el, 'display', '');
    }
}
</code></pre>
<p>I don't want to create <var>el</var> each time this is run. You can
easily resolve this by passing the
<code>document.getElementById()</code> directly to the function.</p>


When I also list my favourite song of the day, it would be a very bad
thing for the time to be displayed in virulent green along with the
actual real var elements in the code.

There is nothing about the time 2:23 that is relevant to the VAR element.
What is really happening is you are taking a little-used element and
shoe-horning a false understanding around it to try and make it fit.

That is not acceptable.

-- 
Paul Wilkins
-- 
Paul Wilkins