If an annotation extends below the idea, the column width could switch to full screen immediately, rather than waiting for the start of the next annotation. At the moment, a long annotation that occurs close to the bottom of the idea will continue in narrow column format for its entire length, leaving lots of unsightly white space.
-- gravelpit, Jun 23 2001

Floating Text http://ofb.net/~egn...akery/floating.html
Note: This works for me in Mozilla and complies with the HTML4 and CSS2 specifications, but I wouldn't be surprised if IE can't support it, and I would be very surprised if it worked in Navigator 4. Otherwise, it should have no problem with annotation length, user-specified font size, browser window size, or any other variation. [egnor, Jun 23 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Floating Text: Screenshot http://ofb.net/~egn...bakery/floating.png
This is what I see, for comparison. [egnor, Jun 23 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004]

IE 5.5 screendump http://www.panix.co...ndump/ie55float.gif
[jutta, Jun 23 2001]

NS 4.76 screendump http://www.panix.co...dump/ns476float.gif
There really should be a scripted portal for this kind of thing. [jutta, Jun 23 2001]

(2) Floating table + text http://www.panix.co.../floatingtable.html
I think this is roughly what Waugsqueke describes. (And probably what hob meant, too, but I was too caught up in the two floating text examples to pay attention.) [jutta, Jun 23 2001]

(3) Paragraph table breaks for annotations http://www.halfbake.../SCSI_20controllers
[jutta, Jun 23 2001]

If you change that to 'next paragraph' instead of 'immediately, I'll at least tolerate it, but I think it's better as it is. Having things change width in mid-read is uncomfortable.
-- StarChaser, Jun 23 2001


Almost anything is possible, but as jutta's script uses HTML tables for organization wouldn't changing column width in mid-annotation involve rebuilding the whole shebang so that annotations can be split into multiple rows and cells on the fly? Remember too that different screen resolutions will cause the break to occur in different spots for different users. Click the "view source" option on your browser and take a look at the HTML for this page, for instance.
-- Dog Ed, Jun 23 2001


I think Jutta can do anything! </suckup> <grin>

I think it's not worth the trouble to do it anyway...
-- StarChaser, Jun 23 2001


Gesheundeit. Need a hankie?
-- StarChaser, Jun 23 2001


I have no idea how to do this in HTML. If you do, make up an example and I'll be happy to adopt it if it scales to multiple browsers, user-specified fonts, and different shapes of annotations.
-- jutta, Jun 23 2001


<reads Jutta's annotation with big Anime type teary eyes, bottom lip quivering as his illusions are shattered...>
-- StarChaser, Jun 24 2001


The 'floating text' thing worked in IE 5.5, but it looks like crap as I thought it would...The second half of the two-width paragraph looks like it's part of the idea text, basically making one big U shaped paragraph out of the whole thing.
-- StarChaser, Jun 24 2001


I could add more vertical space. Does it look like my screenshot? There's at least one blank line between the idea text and the annotation below it (and there could be more).
-- egnor, Jun 24 2001


I don't get the blank line in IE 5.5, and Netscape 4.76 just pukes its poor little guts out. See screendumps.
-- jutta, Jun 24 2001


Jutta, I think the only thing that's preventing it from wrapping in mid-annotation now is that you've got a table around each annotation. But I'm not sure why you have those tables. Just to indent the paragraphs slightly?
-- hob, Jun 24 2001


The screenshot had a tiny bit of space, not really enough to delineate it as part of a different bit of text. I like the way it is much better.
-- StarChaser, Jun 25 2001


Hm! Table + floating actually seems to work. (See link.) Is there some way we can get a left margin or maximum width for the dangling annotations?

(I'm not too happy with the orphans either, so this probably won't happen just because the mid-paragraph breaks don't look good.)

But here's another possible change: What if each paragraph of an annotation gets its own floating table (and can thus float over to the left if space allows, like a whole annotation would). Do you think that's better or worse than the previous state? (Let's see how it plays out in practice.)
-- jutta, Jun 25 2001


I think most people won't even notice that it's turned on.
-- jutta, Jun 25 2001


I noticed. It's a little disconcerting. We'll see if you're right.
-- egnor, Jun 26 2001


I noticed, too. It's an improvement, but I didn't have a big problem with the old layout.
-- angel, Jun 26 2001


Having used it for a few days, I don't really like it. It's too jarring. Sometimes small annotations that only consist of a few pithy comments are torn apart. I've now fiddled with the details to turn this off for shorter annotations.
-- jutta, Jul 04 2001



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