XHTML, the standard was first released in 2000. About five years later we begin to see major websites revised to use this standard. Even the favorite whipping boy of standards compliance expert opinion, Microsoft, presents their homepages, msn.com and microsoft.com in XHTML. Standards-compliant XHTML sites are still the minority. The reason is simple. When the W3C released the new standard, the rest of the web running on HTML did not cease to function. Nor does the rest of the web, written in various versions of HTML, cease to function in the short term. Without any pressing need to adjust to the new standard, designers continue to use old methods and family. These methods will be presented in any modern browser, so why bother changing?
These feelings are similar to those I've experienced. A sort of "if it is not broke do not fix it" mentality sets in if HTML was "broken" or not is a different argument. To the casual Internet user, their standards are fairly straightforward. If a site displays without appreciable error, and functions to your satisfaction, compliance with these standards. All additional measures that the browser is displayed to enable such is irrelevant to most users. This kind of mentality is difficult to overcome in designers accustomed to their old ways.
Technical obstacles to adopting XHTML may be quite strong, especially in terms of large web sites, existing complex scripts. However, the time can get into yesterday's "tried and true" HTML is little more than an ancient language, it can be interpreted by modern electronic devices. If you agree with the direction of the W3C has in the development of HTML is irrelevant, they are just for the ride. With a little perseverance, get the hang of XHTML is possible. In form, it is not so different from HTML as Japanese is from English. Knowing HTML grants a basic knowledge of the language, it simply becomes a matter of learning a particular dialect. Even the nay-Sayer original as I got it.
XHTML Benefits
There are two main advantages to using XHTML. The first is the strict nature of valid XHTML documents. "Valid" documents contain no errors. Documents with no errors can be analyzed more easily by a browser. Although time savings are certainly significant from the point of view the human user, there is greater efficiency in the performance of the browser. Most modern browsers work well in what is commonly known as "quirks" mode, that in the absence of any information on the page about the kind of HTML they are reading, present a "best guess" rendering of a page. Quirks mode will also forgive many errors in the HTML. Modern browsers installed on your home computer have the luxury of size and power to deal with these errors. When browser technology makes the leap to other appliances may not have the size and power to be so forgiving. This is where strict documents, valid XHTML required by the standard become important.
The second benefit is in the code itself, which is cleaner and more compact than common, "table" based layout in HTML. Although XHTML retains table functionality, the standard makes clear tables should not be used for page layout or anything else that display data in a tabular format. This is generally the primary obstacle most designers have to switch to XHTML. The way many designers have come to depend on the layout and organize their pages is now taboo. Simple visual inspection of XHTML code reveals how light and efficient it is compared to a table based HTML layout. XTHML makes use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), which, when called externally, remove virtually all styling information from the XHTML document itself. This creates a document focused solely on content.
XHTML makes use of "div" tags to define content areas. How these "divisions" are displayed is controlled by CSS. This is known as CSS-P or CSS Positioning. Trade in "table" tags for "divs" can be difficult. Learning a new way to perform a task is already familiar in general is difficult. Learning to use a different design program or image editor, frustration can be constant. As for "divs" as a kind of cell in the table may be helpful, although not completely equivalent. As required by the XHTML standard, always make sure there is a DOCTYPE definition at the top of the document. This is not only required by the standard, but it will force Internet Explorer 6, currently the most common browser, to enter the "compliance" mode. IE6 and Firefox, running in compatibility mode will display XHTML standards in the same way. Not identical, but much better than in IE6 quirks mode. Learning to bridge the gap between the final sample is the last obstacle and can require a little tweaking in the CSS.
Clean code has multiple benefits. It creates a smaller page size with time, can save costs associated with the use of the transfer. Despite the size difference may seem small, for someone with a high traffic site, even saving a few kilobytes of size can make a big difference. In addition, some believe search engines may look more kindly on standards complaint pages. This is only a theory, however. In a general sense, any page modification that makes the content easier to reach and higher in the code is considered wise. Search engines, so it is believed, prefer to reach content quickly, and give greater weight to the original as they are. Design Using XHTML and "div" allows designers to perform this task more easily.
Conclusions
XHTML is the current standard set by the W3C. The W3C continues development of XHTML and XHTML 2.0 will replace the current standard in the future. Learning and using XHTML today will help designers prepare for the future. Valid XTHML not produce any errors that may slow down a browser, and the generated code is clean and efficient. This saves on file size and helps designers improve compliance with its goals of search engine optimization. XHTML is mostly learning about learning a new way to design pages. Although frustrating at first, the long-term benefits far outweigh any initial inconvenience.
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Topic: XHTML - Kicking And Screaming Into The Future (Read 1105 times)
