Links in Hypermedia: The Requirement for Context

Taking the concept of a link from hypertext and adding to it the rich collection of information formats found in multimedia systems provides an extension to hypertext that is often called hypermedia. Unfortunately, the implicit assumptions under which hypertext links work do not extend well to time-based presentations that consist of a number of simultaneously active media items. It is not obvious where links should lead and there are no standard rules that indicate what should happen to other parts of the presentation that are active. This paper addresses the problems associated with links in hypermedia. In order to provide a solution, we introduce the notion of context for the source and the destination of a link. A context makes explicit which part of a presentation is affected when a link is followed from an anchor in the presentation. Given explicit source and destination contexts for a link, an author is able to state the desired presentation characteristics for following a link...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1993
• Where: HT
• Authors: Lynda Hardman, Dick C. A. Bulterman, Guido van Rossum
• Keywords: Active Media Items, HT 1993, Hypertext, Internet Technology, Presentation