OnTap HTML Reference
HTML Basics
HTML provides a simple way to markup text files that
will be put on the PalmPilot. With HTML, you can
mark the paragraphs in your text, indicate bold or
underine items, create itemized lists, etc.
For OnTap, an HTML document should have the
following structure:
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>
your title goes here
</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
your text goes here
</BODY>
</HTML>
Character Formats
Within the limits of the PalmPilot's three
fonts (small, large, and bold small), OnTap supports
these tags to select character formats.
Address.
<ADDRESS>...</ADDRESS>
Same as <I>
Bold.
<B>...</B> displays bold. This
only works with the small (normal) size font.
Example:
<B>bold text</B>
displays bold text
Highlight.
<BLINK>...</BLINK>
Example:
<BLINK>highlighted</BLINK>
displays
Citation.
<CITE>...</CITE>
Same as <I>
Emphasize.
<EM>...</EM>
Same as <I>
Font Size.
<FONT SIZE=n>...</FONT> select the PalmPilot's
larger font if n > 3.
Otherwise, the PalmPilot's smaller font is selected.
Italics.
<I>...</I> is for italics, but
the PalmPilot has no italics font. The italics tag displays the
same as <B>
Strong.
<STRONG>...</STRONG>
Same as <B>
Superscript.
<SUP>...</SUP>
Example:
E=mc<sup>2</sup> produces E=mc2
Subscript.
<SUB>...</SUB>
Example:
H<sub>2</sub>O produces H2O
Teletype.
<TT>...</TT> selects the small font,
since the PalmPilot has no fixed-width font.
Underline.
<U>...</U>
Example:
<U>underlined text</U> produces underlined text
Heading Styles
OnTap allows six levels of headings. A heading element implies all the font changes, paragraph breaks before and after, and any white space necessary to render the heading. The heading elements are H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, and H6 with H1 being the highest (or most important) level and H6 the least.
Heading 1 (H1)
Heading 2 (H2)
Heading 3 (H3)
Heading 4 (H4)
Heading 5 (H5)
Heading 6 (H6)
Supported Attributes (H1..H6)
- ALIGN
- Headings are usually rendered flush left. The ALIGN attribute can be used to explicitly specify the horizontal alignment:
- align=left The heading is flush left (the default).
- align=center Center the heading.
- align=right The heading is aligned flush right.
- CLEAR
- This attribute is common to all block-like elements. The CLEAR attribute allows you to move
down unconditionally before displaying the block:
- clear=left move down until left margin is clear
- clear=right move down until right margin is clear
- clear=all move down until both margins are clear
- clear="10 pixels" move down until there is at least 10 pixels free
Paragraphs
The <P> element is used to define a paragraph. The text up to the </p> or the next <p> element is treated as being part of the current paragraph.
Supported Attributes (P)
- ALIGN
- Paragraphs are usually rendered flush left. The ALIGN attribute can be used to explicitly specify the horizontal alignment:
- align=left The paragraph is flush left (the default).
- align=center The paragraph is centered.
- align=right The paragraph is flush right.
- CLEAR
- This attribute is common to all block-like elements. The CLEAR attribute allows you to move
down unconditionally before displaying the block:
- clear=left move down until left margin is clear
- clear=right move down until right margin is clear
- clear=all move down until both margins are clear
- clear="12 pixels" move down until there is at least 12 pixels free
The Block Quote
The <BLOCKQUOTE> element (or <BQ>) is used for extended quotations. For example:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth to this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
produces:
Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth to this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Supported Attributes (BQ)
- ALIGN
- BlockQuotes are usually rendered flush left. The ALIGN attribute can be used to explicitly specify the horizontal alignment:
- align=left The block is flush left (the default).
- align=center The block is centered.
- align=right The block is flush right.
- CLEAR
- This attribute is common to all block-like elements. The CLEAR attribute allows you to move
down unconditionally before displaying the block:
- clear=left move down until left margin is clear
- clear=right move down until right margin is clear
- clear=all move down until both margins are clear
- clear="12 pixels" move down until there is at least 12 pixels free
Unordered Lists
An unordered list typically is a bulleted list of items. The opening list tag must be <UL>. It is followed by an optional list header (<LH>caption</LH>) and then by the first list item (<LI>). For
example:
<UL>
<LH>Table Fruit</LH>
<LI>apples
<LI>oranges
<LI>bananas
</UL>
produces:
Table Fruit
- apples
- oranges
- bananas
Supported Attributes (UL)
- PLAIN
- The presence of this attribute suppresses the display of bullets, e.g. <ul plain>.
- COMPACT
- The presence of this attribute indicates causes OnTap to display the list in a compact form, with tighter vertical spacing.
- CLEAR
- This attribute is common to all block-like elements. The CLEAR attribute allows you to move
down unconditionally before displaying the block:
- clear=left move down until left margin is clear
- clear=right move down until right margin is clear
- clear=all move down until both margins are clear
- clear="12 pixels" move down until there is at least 12 pixels free
Ordered Lists
An ordered list typically is a numbered list of items. The opening list tag must be <OL>. It is followed by an optional list header (<LH>caption</LH>) and then by the first list item (<LI>). For
example:
<OL>
<LH>Table Fruit</LH>
<LI>apples
<LI>oranges
<LI>bananas
</OL>
produces
Table Fruit
- apples
- oranges
- bananas
Supported Attributes (OL)
- COMPACT
- The presence of this attribute indicates causes OnTap to display the list in a compact form, with tighter vertical spacing.
- CLEAR
- This attribute is common to all block-like elements. The CLEAR attribute allows you to move
down unconditionally before displaying the block:
- clear=left move down until left margin is clear
- clear=right move down until right margin is clear
- clear=all move down until both margins are clear
- clear="12 pixels" move down until there is at least 12 pixels free
- CONTINUE
- Don't restart the sequence number, i.e. continue where previous list left off, e.g. <ol continue>
- SEQNUM
- Set the starting number for the first item, e.g. <li seqnum=3>
Definition Lists
A definition list is a list of terms and corresponding definitions. The definition text is typically indented with respect to the term.
The opening list tag must be <DL>. It is followed by an optional list header (<LH>caption</LH>) and then by term names (<DT>) and definitions (<DD>). For example:
<DL>
<LH>List Header</LH>
<DT>Term 1
<DD>This is the definition for Term1.
<DT>Term 2
<DD>This is the definition for Term2.
</DL>
produces:
List Header
- Term1
- This is the definition for Term1.
- Term2
- This is the definition for Term2.
Supported Attributes (DL)
- COMPACT
- The presence of this attribute indicates causes OnTap to display the list in a compact form, with tighter vertical spacing.
- CLEAR
- This attribute is common to all block-like elements. The CLEAR attribute allows you to move
down unconditionally before displaying the block:
- clear=left move down until left margin is clear
- clear=right move down until right margin is clear
- clear=all move down until both margins are clear
- clear="12 pixels" move down until there is at least 12 pixels free
Hypertext Links
The anchor <A> element is used to define the start and/or destination of a hypertext link. For example:
<A NAME="target"> defines the destination named, target.
<A HREF="#target">any text here</A> defines the link to the name, target.
Supported Attributes (A)
- HREF
- The HREF attribute implies that the anchor acts as the start of a hypertext link.
- NAME
- This attribute is used to define a named anchor for use as the destination of hypertext links.
Miscellany
Center
<CENTER>...</CENTER> can be used
to center text. Usually the ALIGN=CENTER option of
the block elements is a better choice.
Line Break
<BR> forces a line break.
Other Extensions
OnTap adds two non-standard character entities to its HTML.
&tm; inserts a trademark symbol (&tm;) into the text.
&newline; is used to begin a new line within the
<TITLE>...</TITLE> tags.
The OnTap Reader displays these extra lines in a document's
info dialog.
Supported HTML Tags
<A>,
<ADDRESS>,
<B>,
<BLINK>,
<BLOCKQUOTE>,
<BODY>,
<BR>,
<BQ>,
<CENTER>,
<CITE>,
<DD>,
<DL>,
<DT>,
<EM>,
<FONT SIZE>,
<H1>..<H6>,
<HEAD>,
<HTML>,
<I>,
<LH>,
<LI>,
<OL>,
<P>,
<STRONG>,
<SUB>,
<SUP>,
<TITLE>,
<TT>,
<U>,
<UL>,
more...