The SPAN element is used in situations where the author wishes to apply
a style using Cascading Style Sheets to a content area (text, etc.) that does not
have a structured or established HTML rendering convention. It is an in-place
Character Formatting level element that does
NOT have an implied linebreak before and after the enclosed
content. For more information on Style Sheets, please see the
Style Sheet Guide.
The recent addition of the many linking attributes to DIV and SPAN appear
to be an attempt to expand the generic block and in-line capabilities of
these two elements.
Description:
This attribute is a keyword representing the intended rendering
destination for the style sheet properties applied to this element.
Multiple destinations are given delimited by commas.
Values: screen [DEFAULT]
- style information should be used for rendering to computer
screens. print - style information
should be used for rendering to page-centric devices, ie:
printed paper or print preview screen modes. projection - style information
should be used for rendering to transparent projected media
devices. braille - style information
should be used for rendering to braille devices. speech - style information
should be used for rendering to speech synthesizers. all - style information
should be used for rendering to all devices.
Rel
2 | 3
| 3.2 | 4
| IE | M
| N
Required? No
Description:
The REL attribute is meant to give the relationship(s) described between
the current document and the document specified by the HREF attribute.
Values: A whitespace separated list of relationship names.
Rev
2 | 3
| 3.2 | 4
| IE | M
| N
Required? No
Description:
The REL attribute is basically meant to be the same as the REL
attribute, but the semantics of the relationship are in the reverse
direction. A link from A to B with REL="X" expresses the
same relationship as a link from B to A with REV="X".
Both the REL and REV attributes may be used in the same element.
Values: A whitespace separated list of relationship names.
Target
2 | 3
| 3.2 | 4
| IE | M
| N
Required? No
Description:
This attribute specifies the named frame for the contents specified
by the HREF attribute to load to when activated.
Note that the SPAN element was not listed in the
Character Formatting section, even
though it is a Character Level element. Span is a new HTML element
that is generic and does not serve any purpose without Style
information attached. For this reason, it is grouped with other
elements that control Style Sheet use.
Because SPAN is a generalized in-line HTML
Character Formatting element, it should
be used when you wish to define a general grouping of Styled text.
DIV (SPAN's Block Formatting equivalent)
should be used when you wish to create a generalized
Block Formatting element with an implied
linebreak before and after.