Text-based web browser: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Web browser that only renders text}}

{{Refimprove|date=June 2016}}

[[File:Webbrowser LinksW3m-wikipedia.jpgpng|thumb|Screenshot of [[Links (web browser)|Linksw3m]], displaying [[GNUthe Hurd]]Wikipedia home website.page with images]]

A '''text-based web browser''' is a [[web browser]] that renders only the [[text-based (computing)|text]] of [[web page]]s, and ignores most [[computer graphics|graphic]] content. Under small bandwidth connections, usually, they render pages faster than graphical web browsers due to lowered [[Bandwidth (computing)|bandwidth]] demands. Additionally, the greater [[CSS]], [[JavaScript]] and [[typography]] functionality of graphical browsers require more [[CPU]] resources. They also can be heavily modified to display certain content differently

[[File:W3m-wikipedia.png|thumb|[[w3m]] displaying the Wikipedia home page with images.]]

A '''text-based web browser''' is a [[web browser]] that renders only the [[text-based (computing)|text]] of [[web page]]s, and ignores [[computer graphics|graphic]] content. Under small bandwidth connections, usually, they render pages faster than graphical web browsers due to lowered [[Bandwidth (computing)|bandwidth]] demands. Additionally, the greater [[CSS]], [[JavaScript]] and [[typography]] functionality of graphical browsers require more [[CPU]] resources.

Text-based browsers are often very useful for users with [[visual impairment]] or partial [[blindness]]. They are especially useful with [[speech synthesis]] or text-to-speech software, which reads content to users.

[[Progressive enhancement]] allows a site to be compatible with text-based web browsers without compromising functionality to more sophisticated browsers, as the content is readable through pure HTML without CSS or JavaScript.<ref>{{cite web |title=Building a resilient frontend using progressive enhancement |url=https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/technology/using-progressive-enhancement |website=GOV.UK |date=16 December 2019 |access-date=27 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

== List of text-based web browsers ==

*Charlotte Web Browser (for VM/CMS)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vm.ibm.com/download/packages/descript.cgi?CHARLOTT |title=Description of CHARLOTT |website=IBM |publisher=IBM |accessdate=10 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rexxla.org/Newsletter/9810charlotte.html |title=The Charlotte Web Browser |last1=Forde |first1=Carl |website=The Rexx Language Association |accessdate=10 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rexxla.org/Newsletter/9812charlotte.html |title=The Charlotte Web Browser, part 2 |last1=Forde |first1=Carl |website=The Rexx Language Association |accessdate=10 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vm.ibm.com/ebusiness/browsers.html |title=VM and e-business: VM Web Browsers |website=IBM |publisher=IBM |accessdate=10 February 2015}}</ref>{{discuss|Charlotte web browser}}

== List of notable text-based web browsers ==

*[[browsh]]

*Charlotte Web Browser (for VM/CMS)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vm.ibm.com/download/packages/descript.cgi?CHARLOTT |title=Description of CHARLOTT |website=IBM |date=8 February 1999 |accessdate=10 February 2015}}</ref>

*[[Emacs/W3]] & [[eww (web browser)|EWW]] for GNU Emacs

*[[Line Mode Browser]] (by [[Tim Berners-Lee]])

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*[[Lynx (web browser)|Lynx]] (and derivatives ALynx and DosLynx)

*[[w3m]]

*[[WebbIE]]

== See also ==

*[[browsh]]

* [[Comparison of lightweight web browsers]]

* [[Gemini (protocol)]]

* [[Gopher (protocol)]]

* [[Text-based email client]]

==References==

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[[Category:Text-based web browsers|*]]

[[Category:Text mode]]

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