Introduction#

HFRD Hypertext Menu Primer

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1 - Introduction




LHaving similar requirements, HFRD has adopted technologies developed on the Hglobal Internet for the provision, access and navigation of distributed Ninformation. This project is known as the World Wide Web (WWW or W3) and the Ctechnologies are generally described as implementing a distributed Hypertext environment. 

GThe probable reason for your reading this is you being tasked with the Omanagement of some aspect of HFRD online information. You can accomplish your >objectives using the raw capabilities of the Hypertext Jenvironment, or using the facilities described in this document. It just Ldepends on what is required and how much time can be given to this activity.

MThis document endeavours to provide you with a basic understanding of how to Eorganise (or at least represent) Hyper-Information and how to Npresent this so that users can readily access it in a meaningful fashion. It Nconcentrates on a simple menuing system, implemented using a plain-text file, Band maintainable using the text editor of your choice (see c3 - Menus). The document avoids most of the intricacies of Jthe Hypertext environment (discussions of HTML, HTTP and other protocols, @etc.) but must provide basic information URL file specification.

Note:

CThis document is not a tutorial on writing HTML documents. 3If you want to write in HTML see the references in 66 - References.


File Content




MGenerally the most universal, and therefore accessable, file content type is Hplain-text. Within the Hypertext environment the other universalFtype is HTML. All browsers support these. Providing any otherIfile type assumes that the client's browser supports it or can activate asuitable external viewer. 

LIt is therefore proposed that for the intermediate future, unless there are Jover-riding reasons otherwise, all documents be provided as plain-text or MHTML. All common document processors (word processors, text editors) should Ibe capable of producing a plain-text output, and an increasing number of !formats can be converted to HTML  .(HFRD will endeavour to make as many of these F tools available as practical).  N If the document source is in another format it can be provided in parallel, >and viewed by those capable or saved locally, as appropriate. 




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