IntroducingDynamic HTML |
rich multimedia
& interactivity |
HTML, (Hpertext Mark-up Language) on its own, is just a mark-up language that tells an internet browser how a page would be layed out, nothing special.
- static document (doesn't change in form or content without being reloaded)
- little control over how text and graphics can be displayed
- good for publishing small file size documents but not powerful enough to create interactive and multimedia-rich documents that today's web sites demand.
DHTML, (Dynamic HTML), utilizes the integration of layers (Netscape Navigator) and cascading style sheets (cross-browser) to make it rich in multimedia and interactivity.
- allow movable and changeable text and graphics
- ability to layer images (objects) and change layers and positions
- ability to dynamically update content, change the appearance of content, hide, show, and animate content.
- built-in multimedia features controlled through scripting languages (i.e. stereo sound, on-the-fly image manipulation, and even access to server side databases)
- document object model ~> more control: more objects in the model are exposed to scripting which gives you more control
