[whatwg] SRC Vs. HREF

[Ian Hickson]

On Mon, 16 Jan 2006, Eugene T.S. Wong wrote:
> On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 12:00:21 -0800, Alexey Feldgendler <alexey at feldgendler.ru>
> wrote:
> > On Sun, 15 Jan 2006 00:19:22 +0600, Sander Tekelenburg <tekelenb at euronet.nl>
> > wrote:
> > 
> > > Just a thought: perhaps applicable elements (those with a non-empty 
> > > title attribute) could have an optional src attribute containing a 
> > > URL to the remote document?
> > > 
> > > <p>Teal'c activated his <abbr title="Dial Home Device" 
> > > src="http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/">DHD</abbr> 
> > > and so Hammond ordered the iris to be opened.</p>
> > 
> > HREF attribute is more appropriate here, IMO.
> 
> Sander, I like your idea. It seems very easy for designers and 
> developers to learn how to use it because it takes something that is 
> already familiar, and reuses it in a similar way. It's a smart idea.

It's not clear to me what the goal of this is. What problem are we 
solving?


> I agree with Alexey. I think that it would make more sense to use HREF 
> because it becomes even more familiar. I'm used to thinking of HREF as 
> something that takes me to another place, and SRC as something that 
> brings something here.
> 
> Would it be appropriate to allow designers and developers to use SRC in 
> <LINK>? For example:
> 
> <LINK SRC="MyStylesheet.css">
> 
> as opposed to:
> 
> <LINK HREF="MyStylesheet.css">
> 
> In the long run, if it becomes possible to easily make other elements 
> linkable, then the learning curve would be much lower.

While this may have been a good idea long ago, at this point I think the 
cost in lack of backwards compatibility is probably too high to make it 
worth it. (The "activation energy" of this change is too high.)


On Tue, 17 Jan 2006, Alexey Feldgendler wrote:
> On Tue, 17 Jan 2006 06:13:43 +0600, Eugene T.S. Wong
> <lists.eugenetswong at gmail.com> wrote:
> > 
> > Would it be appropriate to allow designers and developers to use SRC in
> > <LINK>? For example:
> > <LINK SRC="MyStylesheet.css">
> > as opposed to:
> > <LINK HREF="MyStylesheet.css">
> 
> Some LINK elements "bring something here", like CSS, and some "take you 
> to another place". Do you propose to allow interchangeable use of SRC 
> and HREF attributes for <LINK> at the author's discretion? I'm afraid it 
> will lead to misunderstanding and unneeded diversity.

Me too.

-- 
Ian Hickson               U+1047E                )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
http://ln.hixie.ch/       U+263A                /,   _.. \   _\  ;`._ ,.
Things that are impossible just take longer.   `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'