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HTML is a native image format, hear me out

hmml.eddocu.com

21–30 of 64 posts

Re: HTML is a native image format, hear me out

#21
post #18

If this shows itself to be highly useful as a concept, then I would perhaps avoid reinventing the wheel on the file format side of things, and just standardize what we already have: - Come up with a file extension (.hmml) - Decide on an entrypoint filename and format (index.html) - Use an existing standard for combining resources into one file (tar + zstd) Now you have something that is usable only using pre-existing…

Yeah I agree

in fact this is both a packing strategy or a POV of thinking. Next browser versions could support it.

or

when tomorrow's genai models mix declarative images with rasters, then they would like something like this

or

OS -> html-underdog.html double clicks -> browser opens it.

Re: HTML is a native image format, hear me out

#22
post #19

I don't understand the advantage of this vs an html file with embedded images, except the latter would work with no runtime.

If you plan to serve your image with a self contained, single pack.

Then with html + rasterized images (.jpeg/.png, ..) you would have to pay extra size overhead caused by base64.

With hmml, you dont

Re: HTML is a native image format, hear me out

#24
post #22
post #19

I don't understand the advantage of this vs an html file with embedded images, except the latter would work with no runtime.

If you plan to serve your image with a self contained, single pack. Then with html + rasterized images (.jpeg/.png, ..) you would have to pay extra size overhead caused by base64. With hmml, you dont

I get that, but the drawbacks outweigh the benefits imho and the b64 overhead is not solved, just deferred.

Say I want to distribute an hmml file as a single file, I'd have to create an html with the embedded js runtime, and then embed the hmml file... as b64, therefore negating any benefits.

Re: HTML is a native image format, hear me out

#27
post #23

What wrong with inlining base64 in regular .html if you want it all in one file? Plus zipping that one file is you insist on a smaller file size

Same zip also helps serving .hmml from cdns smaller (gzip/brotli)

Even then base64 is worse in size though

Also I wouldn't prefer serving a zip and load and render it within my web app (extra overheads).

Re: HTML is a native image format, hear me out

#29

this page failed to convey what exactly is the main pitch, is it a new image format? using html as image? rendering with canvas? I got lost

sorry for this, im updating

in the meantime you can take a look at this

https://www.reddit.com/r/Design/s/hv0hyBow9I

Re: HTML is a native image format, hear me out

#30
A vibe-coded, binary mashup of SMIL and web components. Interesting.

If the goal is self-contained documents, is there anything here that can’t be achieved with SVG alone, using SMIL [1] and embedded HTML via ? Or an existing engine like Rive?

[1] https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/SVG/Guides/SVG_...

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