WebElements

WebElements is:

• The periodic table on the World-Wide Web
• An on-line resource
• An attempt to add value to the WWW

WebElements is not:

• A tutorial
• A hypertext essay
• A reaction database

WebElements version 1

The origin of WebElements is an unfinished 1989 HyperCard "stack" (MacElements) which addresses the periodic table. MacElements was publsihed on the WWW as WebElements around August/September 1993. In essence there is a "card" (on the Mac) of a "page" (on the WWW) for each element with some data (often incorrect!) on it. Probably hundreds of such HyperCard stacks are out there in the archives. The first version of WebElements works as follows:

1. MacElements used HyperCard's database facilities to stores data
2. A HyperTalk script extracts the data and inserts them into HTML templates
3. HyperTalk writes the HTML block to text files

WebElements version 2

The second version of WebElements evolved incrementally from the first version and is a little more complex. Current version is labelled version 2 beta test 12 but the numbers are meaningless. SuperCard is now used for MacElements for its colour capabilities. It works as above and in addition:

1. there are about 25 files for each element
2. there are parallel frames/frameless interfaces - same data in each version
3. a number of data visualisation styles are buried within the WebElements file structure. Each is drawn using SuperTalk to extract the data from the database and to plot the graphs.

Example pages

• bromine
• density plot (note you will jump to the appropriate element by clicking on the plot)

The future and issues

• more sophisticated grah plotting (imminent)
• improvements and extensions to data
• more explanation and commentary
• The public wants... more pictures, "pictures of atoms", a schools version, ...

© 1999 Mark Winter

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