The XHTML Difference
September 4, 2011
Adam Anderson – Phoenix, AZ
123Triad: Web Design & SEO Company
The XHTML Difference
You thought HTML 4.01 was complicated enough, but then you get wind of XHTML, which seems to be a whole new language. What does that X really do to the web’s most basic language? Do you need to relearn all the code you’ve been using for the past five years? This guide runs you through the basics of XHTML and shows some of its basic advantages.
So what is it?
XHTML is basically a combination of two markup languages, HTML 4 and XML. HTML, as you probably know, is meant to display page elements across different browsers and platforms. XML simply took the basics of HTML and reworked them into a new code that’s lighter and simpler, but just as flexible.
XHTML combines these two languages to give you the best of both worlds. With XHTML, you get more control over design and layout, and more visual choices without raising compatibility issues.
What does it mean for me?
Some HTML tags can only be viewed in certain browsers, or may be displayed differently from one system to another. While the latest version, HTML 4.01, addressed some of these issues, the fact remains that every user will view a page differently. Because of this, designers are usually left with three choices: write a different source code for every browser, state that the page is best viewed with a certain browser, or not use the tags at all.
XHTML takes care of this problem. In the XHTML code, when you come across an incompatible tag, you simply create a new tag (or “module”) for it. It also lets you work the code to make it appropriate, or XHTML-compatible, with any browser upon request.
When is XHTML appropriate?
HTML is certainly not out of the market—it’s just that XHTML has smoothed out some of its rougher edges. Not all designers will need to create their own tags, although they certainly can if they want to. Generally, XHTML is useful only for large, complex websites where custom features are needed. So while it won’t hurt to learn the new code, you’ll still want to hold on to your HTML books and use the appropriate tools for your project.
123Triad webdesign offers affordable custom website design. Our full service website design company only hires certified website designers. Please contact us today on 1-800-720-0816 for your next web site design project.
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