Skip site navigation (1)Skip section navigation (2)
Date:      Thu, 22 Aug 2013 06:43:30 -0600 (MDT)
From:      Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com>
To:        freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.org
Subject:   Feedback wanted: wrapping long lines in HTML docs
Message-ID:  <alpine.BSF.2.00.1308220622510.16171@wonkity.com>

next in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
HTML versions of our documents show long lines in <screen> and 
<programlisting> elements.  At present, these  lines run right out of 
the boxes they are in.  Some lines are very long.  An example in the FDP 
Primer is 473 characters:
http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/fdp-primer/xml-primer-elements.html
(search for "example.xml:5")

We have at least two ways of improving this.  Long lines can be treated 
as they are in the PDF versions: the line is wrapped and an indicator 
character shows where it has been wrapped.  Cut and paste will still 
copy it as a single line.  Advantage: the entire contents of long lines 
are shown.  Disadvantage: readers may misunderstand the wrapping or wrap 
indicator as literal.

Another option is to add "overflow: auto" in the CSS.  Scroll bars will 
be added to the bottom of screen and programlisting elements with long 
lines.  Advantage: long lines are shown without wrapping. 
Disadvantage: the reader has to scroll to see the hidden part of long 
lines.


Which method should be preferred for HTML documents, and why?



Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?alpine.BSF.2.00.1308220622510.16171>