I'm starting to think we need a new link type

HTML & CSS
1

Recently I was looking through the new meta tags that Microsoft has provided for pinning sites. Meta tag soup. I also have looking through the meta tags needed to get a web application on the iPhone or iPad - more meta tags…

ARGH

Why not…


<link href="win7pinning.xml" rel="interface" system="win7" >
<link href="iPhoneApSettings.xml" rel="interface" system="iOS4">

And go from there rather than flooding the header with programmatic meta tags. These xml files can in turn link to any javascript specific to their purpose.

The link tag is essentially unchanged except for getting a new attribute - system. This is the OS (not the browser) that implements the interface. Browsers still regulate the passthru - I see no reason why Chrome on win7 cannot do the taskbar pinning actions IE 9 now supports from a technical standpoint.

The exact document type definition of the linked xml file is left to interface provider (the os maker). XML is used because it has the flexibility to allow vast differences here.

Pinning of sites and OS specific actions seen on the iPhone are only going to grow in popularity I think. Unfortunately this platform specific stuff needs to be shunted out of the main html file in my opinion before it gets out hand.

Thoughts?

2

XML is a bit generic. The W3C likes creating an XML schema for each specific purpose. If you’re serious about this, you should probably create an XIM (XML Interface Meta-Data) format, and spec out a standard for it, including an XSD schema. Then you have a basis for a proposed new standard. :slight_smile:

There should be enough flexibility in your schema to account for all desired uses, while still keeping it organized and simple enough that a browser developer could build software against it.