I was reading the specification of HTML version 3.0, and it occurred to me
that it might be a good idea to make the MTF syntax of Mastermind be
similar to HTML.
I haven't thought this carefuly, but there might be many advantages if we
can make our syntax be similar or somehow compatible. For example, if the
syntax for the presentation model uses the same attributes as HTML, then
people will find it easier to create Mastermind models. In addition, it
might make Mastermind presentation models be an extension of HTML, which
enables intriguing possibilities for the future. I don't know exactly how
the task models would fit in, but I think it is worth exploring.
HTML 3.0 supports tables, math, fancy backgrounds, tabs, and sophisticated
page layout features. It also has a notion of style sheets, which I think
is similar to Word 6 and FrameMaker paragraph and character styles.
I think that HTML will become a standard that goes beyond hypertext, and we
will be well positioned for the future if we start riding this wave now.
I urge everyone in the group to read the HTML 3.0 draft,
http://www.hpl.hp.co.uk/people/dsr/html/Contents.html.
Also, has anyone played with the experimental HTML 3.0 software called
arena? It is available for Unix machines from
http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/Arena/
Let's talk about this next week.