Sustainability of Digital Formats: Planning for Library of Congress Collections
Sustainability of Digital Formats: Planning for Library of Congress Collections |
|
|
|
| Introduction | Sustainability Factors | Content Categories | Format Descriptions | Contact | |
| Full name | HTML Email Markup Language |
|---|---|
| Description |
HTML Email Markup Language or HEML is an open source markup language for email messages created by SparkPost. According to the press release dated October 27, 2017, HEML is built on three core principles: native feel ("HEML mirrors HTML as closely as possible and uses plain ol’ CSS for styling"); forward thinking ("HEML is designed to take advantage of all that email can do while still providing a solid experience for all clients"); and, extendable ("HEML lets you create your custom elements, share them, and pull in other elements made by the community"). heml.io describes the structure of HEML: "HEML follows the same structure as HTML [version of HTML is not specified]. Every HEML email opens with a <heml> element, similarly to the <html> tag in HTML. Inside the <heml> element should live a single <head> and a <body>. The head will contain all metadata and non-visible content about the email. The body will hold all content for the email." In addition, for styling, "HEML styling is driven through CSS." HEML supports a variety of HTML attributes and formatting options. |
| Production phase | Used for content in initial (by message authors), middle (by archives) or final state (by message recipients/other end users). |
| Relationship to other formats | |
| Requires | HTML_family, HyperText Markup Language (HTML) Format Family. HEML elements are converted to HTML. HEML technical documentation does not define the version of HTML but likely later versions. |
| Contains | CSS, Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) File Format |
| LC experience or existing holdings | None. |
|---|---|
| LC preference | See the Library of Congress Recommended Formats Statement (RFS) for preferences for Email and PIM content. |
| Disclosure | Open source application with published code, guides and editor. Reports on heml Issue Tracker indicate that the editor is no longer functional. Comments welcome. |
|---|---|
| Documentation | Code is published on SparkPost / heml GitHub repo but has not been updated since 2017 (as of this writing in late 2024) and reports on the heml Issue Tracker indicate that the project is dormant if not defunct. Additional documentation is available through heml.io. Comments welcome. |
| Adoption |
Adoption is mostly unknown or unconfirmed. SparkPost was acquired by Bird Email in 2021. According to its website, Bird is an AI-powered Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Platform for Marketing, Customer Service, and Payments, powering over 5 trillion annual messages. Their Inbox suite "consolidates email, chat, voice, SMS, WhatsApp, and social media" into one platform. Presumably, if HEML was still implemented, it would be in these applications but there is no information about the use of HEML in any publicly available documentation from Bird or elsewhere. Comments welcome |
| Licensing and patents | None |
| Transparency |
HEML files are usually simple text files and can be opened in Notepad or a web browser. |
| Self-documentation |
See also HTML. Accessibility Features HEML does not have specific features to support digital accessibility but as a text-based format, it does comply with Section 508 guidelines for accessible email. These guidelines include information about five areas of focus for email: Structure (which, in part, advocates for plain-text or HTML formats), General Content of messages including color contrast, file attachments and signature blocks, Graphics and Sensory Characteristics including the use of alt text, Data Tables with a focus on structured data and their headings, and Saving Files as a document file. Accessible-email.org also provides an accessibility evaluation tool "aimed at email marketing professionals and industry developers to give them an overview of their current level and possible improvements" in terms of accessibility and usability. |
| External dependencies | None |
| Technical protection considerations | None |
| Tag | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Filename extension | heml |
See https://heml.io/docs/getting-started/usage |
| Other | See note. | NARA File Format Preservation Plan ID has no corresponding entry as of December 2024. |
| Pronom PUID | See note. | Pronom has no corresponding entry as of December 2024. |
| Wikidata Title ID | See note. | Wikidata has no corresponding entry as of December 2024. |
| General | |
|---|---|
| History |
|
|