Intensional HTML 2 : a practical approach
Date
1998
Authors
Brown, Gordon David
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Abstract
Intensional HTML addresses the problem of providing a multi-versioned Web site, without the penalties usually associated with large-scale copying and modification of pages (the usual approach). IHTML uses two key ideas. First, the server uses a best-fit algorithm to find the appropriate file when some version of a page is requested. If the exact version requested is not present, the closest match is used. Second, anchors are interpreted as being generic (or intensional, as we will say): an anchor does not link to a particular page, but to a family of versions of a page.
The first version of IHTML demonstrated that the idea can work, but was difficult to use. IHTML 2 addresses most of the limitations, resulting in a system which ordinary users can use successfully. Reliability and performance are improved, the syntax is cleaned up, and several new features are added.