HTML as Model
So I had a random thought the other day….
What if we think about the Web this way:
- XTHML = Model
- CSS = View
- {Java/EMCA/DOM}scripting = controller
Of course, design purists (and even not-so-purists) will argue with this analogy and I admit that its not a perfect analogy, but the XHTML=Model part might be a useful way to think of things. Let me explain….
The other day, several of us were discussing the ironicly incompatible trends that are occuring on the web recently- AJAX and HTML-as-API/Microformats. Both these technologies are very cool, but, unfortunately, AJAX-style web development tends to make consuming Microformats more difficult (though not impossible).
As a compromise between these two movements, thinking of the XHTML as a Model could be useful. Think of the XHTML as just data which can then be viewed and dispalyed with CSS + DOMscripting or consumed by agents that are looking for structured data.
Just an idea that’d I’d like to cast into the blogosphere for discussion. Whatcha think?
May 23rd, 2005 at 12:56 am
I think this makes a lot of sense. In fact, see:
http://tantek.com/log/2004/09.html#d12t2359
for some thoughts on the matter. Interesting that we both drew the same analogy.
I do think you made an additional good point about now with AJAX, XCJ/MVC considerations are perhaps more important than ever.
Tantek
May 23rd, 2005 at 9:59 am
Tantek-
It is ironic that we both had the same analogy. You post probably influenced me somehow, though not conciously.
People doing stuff with AJAX probably should pay attention to how easy it is for people to consume their material without a browser, esp. if they’re trying to create semantic XHTML.
May 24th, 2005 at 5:18 pm
[…] 17;Brien’s Future
XHTML is just data
The other day, I asked: 83ee745cbbecdf541f47f08f5e78caeb Tantek responded with: bff4a9b2a […]