h3. Web Standards

h4. Separate Content from Style

One of the principles of “web standards”:http://www.webstandards.org/ is to separate the “content” layer (e.g. XHTML) from the “presentation” or “style” layer (i.e. CSS).

h5. Textpattern says: Yes

Textpattern automatically facilitates separating content from style, with the “Content” and “Presentation” tabs.

h4. Separate Content, Style … and Action

Another principle is to separate any “behavior” (e.g. javascript/DOM scripting) from both of the other layers. This is sometimes called “unobtrusive javascript,” such that the behavior is not necessary to the page, but only enhances it.

From the “Web Standards Project”:http://www.webstandards.org/, the “DOM Scripting Task Force’s”:http://www.webstandards.org/action/dstf/ “Manifesto”:http://www.webstandards.org/action/dstf/manifesto/ states:

bq. At the moment JavaScript suffers from outdated, uninformed, and inaccessible development methods which preclude it, and therefore web development in general, from attaining its full potential.
The WaSP DOM Scripting Task Force proposes to solve this problem by the adoption of *unobtrusive* DOM scripting, a way of thinking based on modern, standards-compliant, accessible web development best practices.

That word “unobtrusive” means, among other things, “separate behavior from content and presentation.”

This triune separation is similar to the object-oriented concept in software development of “Model, View, Controller”:http://www.mercurytide.com/knowledge/white-papers/separating-structure-presentation-and-behaviour#mvc-architecture.

h3. Textpattern says: Not Yet

h4. Textpattern Feature Request:

How about a *Behavior* tab in TxP? The primary tabs would then be *Content, Presentation, Behavior, Admin* and *View Site*.

Of course, I ask without the _slightest_ idea of how hard it would be. My thinking is just that … well, it would be nice to have.

Perhaps it will be in “Textpattern Pro”:http://textpatternpro.com/?