Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference

Name

ARCHIVE — NN 3 IE n/a HTML 4

Synopsis

ARCHIVE=”archiveFileURL"

Optional

The precise meaning of the ARCHIVE attribute varies between the HTML 4.0 recommendation and Netscape’s implementation. The basic idea behind Netscape’s ARCHIVE attribute is that an author can package together multiple class files into a single uncompressed .zip archive file and let the browser load the entire set of classes at one time. This can offer a performance improvement over loading just the main class file (specified by the CODE attribute) and then letting the class loader fetch each additional class file as needed.

In addition to specifying the ARCHIVE attribute, be sure to include a CODE attribute that names the main class to load. Navigator first looks for the presence of that class file in the archive. If the file is missing from the archive, Navigator loads the CODE class file separately. (That class may then load additional supporting class files individually.) Navigator requires that the archive file have a .zip filename extension. The URL must also be relative to the CODEBASE location.

The HTML specification allows multiple URLs to be specified (in a space-delimited list) for additional class or other resource files. This design is in anticipation of the same attribute being used with the OBJECT element, which the W3C has deemed to be the successor to the APPLET element.

Example

<APPLET CODE="ScriptableClock.class" ARCHIVE="myClock.zip" WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=50>
</APPLET>

Value

Case-sensitive URI.