HTML Reference Guide
META
<META
CHARSET=charset
CONTENT=description
HTTP-EQUIV=response
NAME=description
URL=url>
Provides information about an HTML document to browsers, search engines, and other applications.
For instance, META HTTP-EQUIV=REFRESH CONTENT=2 reloads a document every two seconds. Setting the HTTP-EQUIV= attribute to REFRESH gives the instruction to reload. The CONTENT= attribute specifies the time in seconds that the page refreshes. You can specify any URL in the element. If no URL is specified, the current document is reloaded.
- CHARSET=charset
- Describes the character set to be used with the document. The preferred usage is the HTTP-EQUIV= attribute.
- CONTENT=description
- Defines the meta-information content to be associated with the given name or HTTP response header. Can be used with the URL= attribute and a date and time specification to reload a document at a specified interval.
- HTTP-EQUIV=response
- Binds the element to an HTTP response header. This information is then used based on the application reading the header (examples follow). This attribute is the preferred usage for describing a character set.
- NAME=description
- Contains a description of the document.
- URL=url
- Indicates the document's URL.
Examples
If the document contains:
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Expires"
CONTENT="Tue, 04 Dec 1996 21:29:02 GMT">
<meta http-equiv="Keywords" CONTENT="HTML, Reference">
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Reply-to"
content="anybody@microsoft.com">
<Meta Http-equiv="Keywords" CONTENT="HTML Reference Guide">
then the server would include the following header fields:
Expires: Tue, 04 Dec 1996 21:29:02 GMT
Keywords: HTML, Reference
Reply-to: anybody@microsoft.com
as part of the HTTP response to a GET or HEAD request for that document.
The following example shows the correct usage for describing a character set. For more information, see the Character Sets section in the Author's Guide.
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type"
CONTENT="text/html; charset=Windows-1251">
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="REFRESH" CONTENT=2>
<TITLE>Reload Document</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<P>This document will be reloaded every two seconds.
</BODY>
</HTML>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="REFRESH" CONTENT="5;
URL=http://www.sample.com/next.htm">
<TITLE>Load Next Document</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<P>After five seconds have elapsed, the document
"http://www.sample.com/next.htm" will be loaded.
</BODY>
</HTML>