Portal markup convergence

[Gonzalo Silverio]

Antranig,

Great stuff! Some answers:

> i) Use of transparent gif as a holder for alt text - generally looks
> like this:
> <a href="${toolPlacement.toolResetActionUrl}"
> target="${toolPlacement.toolPlacementIDJS}" title="$ 
> {rloader.sit_reset}">
> <img src="/library/image/transparent.gif" alt="$ 
> {rloader.sit_reset}" border="1" />
> </a>
>
> Sometimes the img border is 0 rather than 1.
> I'm guessing this is because we want the ability to keep the actual
> image in CSS and out of the portal markup? Or is there another reason?

That is the sole reason for all of the above. Transparent gif as a  
anchor placeholder, CSS referenced background image for skinnability.

> ii) Including some link text for a link within an extra <span>
> rather than directly in the element, e.g.:
>
> <li class="selectedTab"><a href="#"><span>${site.siteTitle}</span></ 
> a></li>
>
> One of these is specifically commented
>
> ## note: keep all the tags in this block in the same line
> <a href="${pwd.siteUrl}" title="${pwd.siteTitle}"><span>$ 
> {pwd.siteTitle}</span></a>

Whitespace treatment is unpredictable - so we are omitting it from  
the markup here and elsewhere where there may be a need for pixel  
precision placement.

> What happens if we leave the <span> out?

The span there is used as an optional canvas area - some skins that  
do some complex things (like the Sliding Doors technique) need it...

> A final issue - there are lots of hardcoded ids in the portal  
> markup, and
> it is not clear which ones are vital. I can see a fair set of them  
> being
> referenced in portal.css, but not all - e.g. headerMax, headerMin.  
> Is there
> a full list somewhere of which of these ids are "official" and need
> preserving? Just hoping to save some work for myself :)

Right - take a look at the sakai_skin.doc in https:// 
source.sakaiproject.org/svn/reference/trunk/docs/architecture/ 
sakai_skin.doc - there are a couple Appendices that outline in  
wireframe the thicket of nested id'd and classed blocks. Not all of  
them are used by any one institution, they were all requested by a  
working group back in 2.2.

Best,

	-Gonzalo