Browser junkies can rejoice, for the morphine drip of new betas is once again at hand. Just in time for Christmas, Netscape made public the first prerelease version of Communicator, its touted suite of Net applications. And, of course, that means a first look at Navigator 4.0 in all its ... um ... glory.
A quick look at the release notes confirms the fact that this is most definitely a prerelease. Both the list of known problems with the software and the list of things not yet implemented are far longer than the list of new features. And, as is often the case with early releases, it's a bloated, bug-ridden, and crash-prone piece of code. But there is some promise under the crusty exterior.
Although cascading stylesheets are not enabled in this version, the hooks are there, as are the beginnings of dynamic HTML. Eventually, you'll be able to exploit the formatting control of CSS with the power of JavaScript. Imagine the possibilities when any element on a page can change over time (or based on a user's input). Text can slide onto the screen. Headlines can grow larger. Paragraphs can change color. If you thought tiled backgrounds and the blink tag were abused when they were introduced, just wait for the atrocious homepages to come.
Probably the most interesting new feature in Navigator 4.0 is the long-awaited ability to position stuff on a page with absolute accuracy. Using the new tag, page authors will be able to define regions on a page, and place elements directly into them. Anyone with any experience in QuarkXPress will immediately recognize the box metaphor at work here. It's an intuitive and natural way for designers to create interesting and accurate layouts. Finally, we'll be able to retire those bizarre table tricks and single-pixel GIF hacks. Still, I wonder why Netscape created a new tag to do this, when it makes much more sense to add the functionality to CSS, where presentational commands belong.
Remember, though, this is a simple proof of concept, not a new browser. If you download this behemoth thinking you can trash version 3.01, think again. Netscape is only giving us a glimpse of what's to come. And it's an interesting glimpse, even if it shows just how much work still needs to be done. Good luck, folks.
