A hypertext is a text that is organized like a network. Parts of the text reference other text messages or texts which can directly be accessed. The parts that provide the reference are known as hyperlinks. An example of a hypertext is the HTML standard used in the World Wide Web. Wikis also use hypertext.
Hypertext
Definition
The definition attempt of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) can be assumed as authoritative:
- Hypertext is text that is not constrained to be linear.
- Hypertext is text that contains links to other text.
- HyperMedia is a hypertext that can also contain graphics, videos or sounds (not constrained to be text).
- Hypertext and HyperMedia are concepts, not products.
Types of hypertext systems
In 1987 Jeffrey Conklin systematically examined the properties of 18 hypertext systems and formed four system classes based on typical use cases:
- macro-literary systems that facilitate the handling of large online libraries and serve as a platform for all relevant work steps such as publishing, reading, collaborating and critiquing.
- Heuristic tools (problem exploration) that can be used to transform the initial unstructured ideation phase of a work process into design generation, problem solving, programming or design.
- Browsing systems, which are intended primarily for low-threshold use in teaching, for reference or in public places.
- General hypertext technology intended primarily for experimental purposes.
Properties
Hypertext encodes complex information with comparatively little redundancy compared to linear information representations. Freedom from redundancy saves memory and transmission bandwidth and simplifies the maintenance and updating of content, because a centrally stored value only needs to be changed once to be displayed in all places linked to the value.
The associative structure of a hypertext seems to be more similar to the way human thinking works than purely linear texts. In this context, the pedagogue Rolf Schulmeister refers to the "cognitive plausibility hypothesis".