Creating VML Documents

In Internet Explorer, VML is embedded in HTML documents. You start by declaring this namespace, v:

<HTML xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml">
    .
    .
    .

You must also instantiate the VML engine, which is implemented as an Internet Explorer behavior. To implement this behavior, you use a <STYLE> element, connecting the v namespace to the VML default behavior:

<HTML xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml">

    <HEAD>
        <TITLE>
            Using Vector Markup Language
        </TITLE>

        <STYLE>
            v\:* {behavior: url(#default#VML);}
        </STYLE>
    </HEAD>
    .
    .
    .

This indicates to Internet Explorer that the VML in the page should be handled by the VML engine. Now you can add VML elements such as <oval> if you use the proper namespace, v:

 <HTML xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml"> ...

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