Re: TBTF for 1999-03-01: Light of other days

Ian Andrew Bell (ibell@cisco.com)
Mon, 01 Mar 1999 08:55:11 -0800


This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
--------------1E643DF4C1FC07C51FD50297
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Um.. Tim..

The discussion concerns rendering time, not transfer time. While I
don't think it's clear exactly what we mean by "smudged" HTML I
interpret this conversation to be an observation of the fact that
articles like many nested tables, messy or contradictory code, or
non-standard code can slow down page rendering. In addition, more
descriptive HTML obviously means more MIPS get chewed in page rendering.

As well, I've noticed that web browsers have begun to render incomplete
documents, building the page as it, in effect, "streams" to the client.
This creates headaches when the dynamic data filling in a cell that
comes from an SQL query or some other CGI-type device actually modifies
the physical layout of the document. This creates tandem layout
problems -- the delay for the dynamic data, plus the delay for the
"re-evaluation" of the page when the browser realizes that the dynamic
data won't fit in the cubbyhole it created for it based on assumptions
drawn from the other data in the page.

Does anyone grok the rules for how this streaming works? I think it
changed around Netscape 2.0, and it didn't really become prominent until
ASP and more dynamic pages came around.

-Ian.

Tim Byars wrote:
>
> At 10:32 AM +0100 3/1/99, Robert Harley did the job with this:
>
> >>[...] After the cleanup my Macin-
> >>tosh-based Navigator 4.04, with clean caches, loaded it on average
> >>in 7 sec. vs. the 13 sec. required for the "smudged" version. Try
> >>it yourself with these before [12] and after [13] versions, and let
> >>me know what you see. (If you write please include your OS, browser
> >>and version, and connectivity bandwidth.)
> >
> > What vintage Macintosh are you running? Or have I got the wrong pages?
> >
> > When I start up Mozilla, caching disabled, and go to either page, they
> > get sucked down, drawn in a 1600x1200 window and the "Document: Done."
> > message appears, all in a fraction of a second. Too small to time it
> > accurately.
>
> Rob,
>
> I hate to break it to you. Now sit down, and take a deep breath. Some
> people, as a matter of fact most people view the net using a technology
> that connects them through a device called a modum. It plugs into your
> phone line and then into your computer.
>
> Strange as it may seem to you, it's true.
>
> Tim
> --
>
> Bring it on...
>
> <>tbyars@earthlink.net<>

-- 
                                                             .:|:..:|:.
--------------1E643DF4C1FC07C51FD50297
Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii;
 name="ibell.vcf"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Description: Card for Ian Andrew Bell
Content-Disposition: attachment;
 filename="ibell.vcf"

begin:vcard n:Bell;Ian tel;pager:(800) 365-4578 tel;cell:(408) 921-4873 tel;fax:(408) 526-4287 tel;home:(408) 564-2523 tel;work:(408) 525-8630 x-mozilla-html:FALSE url:http://www.cisco.com org:Cisco Systems - Service Provider LOB;Telephony Internet Services Unit version:2.1 email;internet:ibell@cisco.com title:Product Manager adr;quoted-printable:version:2.1;;Building SJ-E2=0D=0A170 West Tasman Drive ;San Jose;CA;95134;USA x-mozilla-cpt:;2000 fn:Ian Andrew Bell end:vcard

--------------1E643DF4C1FC07C51FD50297--