From HTML to XHTML

More on XHTML

Since XHTML 1.0 Strict, Transitional and Frameset flavours W3C HTML Working Group decided to realise one of the doors of native XHTML - XHTML as a collection of modules. So they put all three flavours together and shattered the XHTML language into modules. These modules can be used to create XHTML Document formats that just have the features that authors want to use. These formats would only be native-XHTML.
Two official XHTML versions have been created using these modules:

XHTML Basic is the consensus result for PDAs, SmartPhones and other low-process Internet along with the CSS (Cascade StyleSheets) Mobile Profile. Now this markup uses such modules as Basic Tables and Basic Forms. XHTML Mobile Profile is a profile based on XHTMl Basic plus some extra features added. Wireless Markup Language (WML) 2.0 is also a superset of XHTML Basic.

The other official Modular XHTML format is XHTML 1.1. This is the reformulation of XHTML 1.0 Strict as a modular-based format that is used as the new springboard for new XHTML Document formats. A few profiles based on XHTML 1.1 include the 'XHTML 1.1 plus MathML 2.0 Profile' which adds Mathematical Markup Language 2.0, describing and presenting math expressions on the Internet, to XHTML 1.1 host document (another example of namespace use). Also 'XHTML 1.1 plus MathML 2.0 plus SVG 1.1 Profile' like the last one but in addition adds Scalable Vector Graphics to the mix.

These days W3C and other groups are debating over better ways to structure webpages.

XHTML 2.0 is a possible next release that is stil in development by the W3C XHTML2 Working Group to provide true structure, accessibility and semantics. Such as the old <img src="mypic.png" alt="My Picture" /> element is poorly designed where XHTML 2.0's version is better:

<img src="mypic.png" srctype="image/png">

  <span class="visualStyle audioStyle">

    My Picture.

  </span>

</img>

Also instead of the <br /> element at the end of the line, XHTML 2 will have the <l> </l> line element:

<p>

  <l>This is the first line.</l>

  <l>Followed by the second line.</l>

</p>

New elements such as <h></h> and <section></section> eliminate fixed level headings and the <nl></nl> navigation list offers a built-in feature that could be styled as a drop down menu system. Forms are replaced by the existing XForms and other features await in the future of XHTML as version 2.0.

HTML/XHTML 5 is a proposal provided by the WHATWG (Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group). This version takes some concepts from XHTML 2 and provides them in a more backwards compatible form while adding more features to better support todays growing Web Application and Web 2 concepts.

<img /> and <br /> are still there but new elements such as <nav></nav> that surround unordered lists for navigation features and new <section></section>, <article></article> and <aside></aside> provide better containers than <div></div> which is still supported.
<audio></audio> and <video></video> elements compliment <object></object>. Plus innerHTML is offically supported, onerror, ondrag, ondrop, oncontextmenu events are supported. Forms are upgraded to WHAT Working Group's Web Forms 2.0 which adds many XForms features such as inputmode, <dataset></dataset>, date and number spinners, etc.

End. Download Formats of this quick tutorial are available.

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From HTML to XHTML

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