| XHTML, the standard, was first released back in | | | | most designers have with moving to XHTML. The |
| 2000. Roughly five years later we begin to see major | | | | manner in which many designers have come to rely |
| websites revised to use this standard. Even the | | | | on to layout and organize their pages is now taboo. |
| favorite whipping boy of standards-compliance | | | | Simple visual inspection of XHTML code reveals how |
| punditry, Microsoft, presents their primary | | | | light and efficient it is in comparison to a table based |
| homepages, and in XHTML. Standards compliant | | | | HTML layout. XTHML makes use of Cascading Style |
| XHTML sites are still the minority. The reason is | | | | Sheets (CSS), which, when called externally, remove |
| simple. When the W3C released the new standard, | | | | virtually all styling information from the XHTML |
| the rest of the web running on HTML did not cease | | | | document itself. This creates a document focused |
| to function. Nor will the rest of the web, written in | | | | solely on content.XHTML makes use of "div" tags to |
| various flavors of HTML, cease to function any time | | | | define content areas. How these "divisions" are |
| soon. Without any pressing need to conform to the | | | | displayed is controlled by CSS. This is known as |
| new standard, designers continue to use old, familiar | | | | CSS-P, or CSS Positioning. Trading in "table" tags for |
| methods. These methods will perform in any modern | | | | "divs" can be tough. Learning a new way of |
| browser, so why bother switching?These sentiments | | | | accomplishing an already familiar task is generally |
| are similar to ones I experienced. A kind of "if it's not | | | | difficult. Like learning to use a different design |
| broke, don't fix it" mentality sets in. Whether HTML | | | | program or image editor, frustration can be constant. |
| was "broken" or not is a different argument. To the | | | | Looking at "divs" as a kind of table cell might be |
| casual Internet user, their standards are fairly direct. | | | | helpful, though they are not entirely equivalent. As |
| If a site displays without noticeable error and | | | | required by the XHTML standard, always make sure |
| functions to their satisfaction, these standards are | | | | there is a DOCTYPE definition at the top of the |
| met. Whatever additional steps the browser took to | | | | document. This is not only required by the standard, |
| make such display possible is irrelevant to most users. | | | | but it will force Internet Explorer 6, currently the |
| This kind of mentality is difficult to overcome in | | | | most common browser, to enter its "standards |
| designers accustomed to their old methods.Technical | | | | compliance" mode. IE6 and Firefox, both operating in |
| obstacles to adopting XHTML may be quite steep as | | | | standards compliance mode will display XHTML in |
| well, especially as regards large, existing websites | | | | much the same way. Not identical, but far better |
| with complex scripting. Yet the time may eventually | | | | than IE6 operating in quirks mode. Learning how to |
| come where yesterday's "tried and true" HTML is | | | | iron out the final differences between displays is the |
| little more than an ancient language, unable to be | | | | final obstacle and can require a bit of tweaking in the |
| interpreted by modern electronic devices. Whether | | | | CSS.Clean code has multiple benefits. It creates a |
| one agrees with the direction the W3C takes in the | | | | smaller page size which, over time, can save costs |
| development of HTML is irrelevant, you are just | | | | associated with transfer usage. Though the size |
| along for the ride. With some perseverance, getting | | | | difference may appear small, for someone running a |
| the hang of XHTML is possible. In form, it is not as | | | | highly trafficked site, even saving a few kilobytes of |
| different from HTML as Japanese is from English. | | | | size can make a big difference. Further, some believe |
| Knowing HTML grants a basic knowledge of the | | | | search engines may look more kindly on standards |
| language, it simply becomes a matter of learning a | | | | complaint pages. This is only a theory, though. In a |
| particular dialect. Even an original nay-sayer such as | | | | general sense, any page modification that makes the |
| myself managed to do it.Benefits of XHTML | | | | content easier to reach and higher in the code is |
| There are 2 primary benefits to using XHTML. First is | | | | considered wise. Search engines, so it is believed, |
| the strict nature of valid XHTML documents. "Valid" | | | | prefer to reach content quickly, and give greater |
| documents contain no errors. Documents with no | | | | weight to the first content they encounter. Using |
| errors can be parsed more easily by a browser. | | | | XHTML and "div" layout allows designers to |
| Though the time saved is, admittedly, negligible from | | | | accomplish this task more easily.Conclusions |
| the human user's point of view, there is a greater | | | | XHTML is the current standard set by the W3C. The |
| efficiency to the browser's performance. Most | | | | W3C continues development of XHTML, and XHTML |
| modern browsers will function well in what's usually | | | | 2.0 will replace the current standard in the future. |
| referred to as "quirks" mode, where, in the absence | | | | Learning and using XHTML today will help designers |
| of any on-page information about the kind of HTML | | | | prepare for tomorrow. Valid XTHML produces no |
| they are reading, present a "best guess" rendering of | | | | errors that might slow down a browser, and the |
| a page. The quirks mode will also forgive many errors | | | | code produced is clean and efficient. This saves in file |
| in the HTML. Modern browsers installed on your home | | | | size and helps designers better accomplish their |
| computer have the luxury of size and power to deal | | | | search engine optimization goals. Learning XHTML is |
| with these errors. When browser technology makes | | | | primarily about learning a new way to lay out pages. |
| the leap to other appliances it may not have the size | | | | Though frustrating at first, the long term benefits far |
| and power to be so forgiving. This is where the | | | | outweigh any initial inconvenience.Mr. Lester has |
| strict, valid documents demanded by the XHTML | | | | served for 4 years as the webmaster for and |
| standard become important.The second benefit is in | | | | previously worked in the IT industry an additional 5 |
| the code itself, which is cleaner and more compact | | | | years, acquiring knowledge of hosting, design, and |
| than common, "table" based layout in HTML. Though | | | | search engine optimization. Apollo Hosting provides |
| XHTML retains table functionality, the standard | | | | website hosting, ecommerce hosting, vps hosting, |
| makes clear tables are not to be used for page | | | | and web design services to a wide range of |
| layout or anything other than displaying data in a | | | | customers. Established in 1999, Apollo prides itself on |
| tabular format. This is generally the primary obstacle | | | | the highest levels of customer support. |