Supporting Multi-Target Semantic Hyperlinks

Abstract

The current World Wide Web supports only simple hyperlinks with a single destination and without any semantics for the link. In this paper we present a mechanism to extend the idea of a hyperlink to support multiple-target XLinks with added semantic roles for each target locator. We also demonstrate how such a link – called SuperLink – can be implemented in scripting languages such as XSLT and JavaScript so that it can be supported in any browser. Further, we illustrate an application of such SuperLinks in an e-commerce scenario of mapping electronic gadgets to their compatible accessories where significant improvements in usability can be achieved through the mechanism. Moreover, our design includes a call-back mechanism so that developers can add their own JavaScript implementations to handle any semantic attributes in the link to create custom behaviors.