THE WELCH COMPANY
440 Davis Court #1602
San Francisco, CA 94111-2496
415 781 5700


S U M M A R Y


DIARY: March 20, 1998 01:59 PM Friday; Rod Welch

Called MS on fixing IE to access SDS links in Web pages.

1...Summary/Objective
2...Removing a Space Costs $95 and 8 Hours of Research
3...HTML Coding Errors and Corrections
4...HTML Support on the Web


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CONTACTS 
0201 - Microsoft Corporation              Telephone
020101 - Mr. Daniel NLN; Technical Rep; Internet Explorer Support 425 635 7123

SUBJECTS
980318602040  Access Link Failed on Web
SDS Web Page Interface
SDS Linking System
Internet Explorer
%20 Added to Link Address for Anchor
HTML Coding Support

1508 -    ..
1509 - Summary/Objective
1510 -
151001 - Follow up ref SDS 19 5918, ref SDS 19 5888.
151002 -
151003 - Seem to have solution to make IE open links to Web pages. ref SDS 0
151004 - 5182 The cause of the problem related to HTML code standards which are
151005 - evidently are not yet well settled. ref SDS 0 5200
151006 -
151007 -
151008 -
151009 -
1511 -
1512 -
1513 - Discussion
1514 -
151401 - He have not heard from MS to follow up discussion with Vaughn,
151402 - ref SDS 19 6854, so I called...
151403 -
151404 -                     800 936 5800
151405 - ..
151406 - Case Number:  980318602040
151407 -
151408 - Talked to John
151409 -
151410 - Gave him the case number.
151411 -
151412 - John found the record prepared by Vaughn.
151413 -
151414 - He transferred me to the developer's support group.
151415 -
151416 - Talked to Rick Alvs
151417 -
151418 - Rick asked about the HTML tools we are using?
151419 -
151420 - Gave Rick the case number.
151421 -
151422 - Rick asked if we are developing a Web page?
151423 -
151424 - I asked if he has had a chance to read Vaughn's notes, since Vaughn
151425 - took considerable time to provide detail for helping Rick solve our
151426 - problem?
151427 -
151428 - Rick read Vaughn's notes.
151429 -
151430 - He said IE should work the same that Netscape works.
151431 -
151432 -     IE is not opening the link, even with change that solved problem
151433 -     for Netscape. ref SDS 19 2190
151434 -
151435 -     IE seems to be adding a "%20" string between "HTM" and the link
151436 -     location "#1380" in our test sample. ref SDS 19 2721
151437 -
151438 -     Same problem occurs on local drive, but %20 does not show up.
151439 -
151440 - Rick said he thinks %20 is a filler for a blank space.
151441 -
151442 - We went through the exercise of logging onto the welchco.com Web site
151443 - and stepping through to a directory with a Web page.  Rick tried to
151444 - open a link and found that IE fails.
151445 -
151446 - Rick asked me to hold while he consults with colleagues.
151447 -
151448 -
151449 -
151450 -
1515 -

SUBJECTS
HTML Tools Web Page Development
Rework Cycle Due to Miss-communication
Computers Reduce Management Focus on
Cost Discover Problems Greater Cost to Fix
HTML Coding Support
Internet Explorer Compatibility
Avoid Space Btwn Filenam and Anchor
Technical Support Unproductive
Technology Dilemma Unintended Consequences Information Overload
Computers Reduce Management Focus on Analysis Because Attracted by Le

2513 -
251301 -  ..
251302 - Removing a Space Costs $95 and 8 Hours of Research
251303 -
251304 - Rick came back on-line and suggested we try removing the space between
251305 - the file spec and the anchor.
251306 -
251307 -    We tried this on the local hard drive, and it worked.
251308 -
251309 -    Tried it for Netscape and it also worked on the local drive.
251310 -
251311 - This means we do not need a space between an anchor address and the
251312 - anchor symbol #.
251313 -
251314 -       [On 990125 O'Reilly's HTML manual is online. ref SDS 21 6388]
251315 -
251316 - We have to revise our code, which takes about 2 minutes, build the Web
251317 - pages again, which takes about 20 minutes, then upload them to the Web
251318 - site, which takes about 4 - 6 hours.
251319 -
251320 -     [Since this is a small fix, entered it in the record for 980318.
251321 -     ref SDS 20 2784]
251322 -
251323 - This fixes the problem at ref SDS 19 4880
251324 -
251325 -
251326 -
251327 -  ..
251328 - HTML Coding Errors and Corrections
251329 -
251330 - I asked Rick how he discovered this syntax?
251331 -
251332 - Rick said he asked a colleague sitting near him who writes a lot of
251333 - Web pages.
251334 -
251335 - I asked Rick to ask his colleague where he learned about this feature
251336 - of IE, so we can obtain the source and use it to formulate code that
251337 - is compatible with IE.
251338 -
251339 - Rick asked me to hold on.
251340 -
251341 - He suggests an HTML book that Microsoft developers are using:
251342 -
251343 -                HTML
251344 -                The Definitive Guide
251345 -                O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
251346 -                2nd Addition Covers Netscape 4.0
251347 -
251348 - I advised that we have that book, purchased on 971112. ref SDS 1 2934
251349 -
251350 - It was cited on Wednesday in our discussion with JPS.  ref SDS 19 4481
251351 -
251352 - Rick suggested I look at page 28, and drew my attention to sample
251353 - code that says:
251354 -
251355 -             <a href="http://www.kumquat.com/archive.html#Stews">
251356 -
251357 - Rick said this shows the anchor spec should not be separated from the
251358 - file spec by a space.
251359 -
251360 - I agreed in general that page 28 could be read to mean a space is not
251361 - needed to segment a link address from an anchor parameter. Page 28
251362 - shows the same format that is on page 200, which I cited to JPS on
251363 - Wednesday ref SDS 19 4481
251364 -
251365 - This record indicates I misread that page, since it was my source for
251366 - the code in our system.
251367 -    ..
251368 -    Since considerable time and expense for rework was incurred,
251369 -    it is worth taking time to assess the cause.
251370 -
251371 -    There was clearly miscommunication.
251372 -
251373 -    According to Rick, communication broke down between me and the
251374 -    writer of the manual.
251375 -
251376 -    Yet, evidently my interpretation was compatible with other expert
251377 -    engineers.  Our code worked with Netscape. ref SDS 19 2190
251378 -
251379 -    This record suggests that the manual was not clear on a matter of
251380 -    industry practice, in this case specifying a command parameter.
251381 -    Should the HTML author have made special note that a space is not
251382 -    required, in light of industry practice to use a space in other
251383 -    similar settings?
251384 -
251385 -    Did Netscape anticipate variance in code practice and so make
251386 -    allowances in its Web browser design?
251387 -
251388 -    Should Microsoft have made similar allowance?  Is it industry
251389 -    practice to design for variance in work practice?
251390 -
251391 -    Why, for example did IE open the...
251392 -
251393 -       [On 990125 O'Reilly's HTML manual is online. ref SDS 21 6388]
251394 -
251395 -
251396 - HTML Support on the Web
251397 -
251398 - Rick suggested I use the Microsoft site at...
251399 -
251400 -        http://www.microsoft.com/msdn/sdk/inetsdk/help/
251401 -
251402 -   ...for more help on developing Web pages.
251403 -
251404 -
251405 -
251406 -
251407 -
251408 -
251409 -
251410 -
Distribution. . . . See "CONTACTS"