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XHTML 1.0 now a W3C Recommendation

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the still-lost-in-dynamic-html dept.

thehermit writes "New info on the W3C's Web site as XHTML 1.0 became a W3C Recommendation on Jan. 26. The specification now features a single namespace, and takes a more cautious approach to Internet media types, following feedback from W3C members on the previous version of the specification. " W3C notes that "XHTML 1.0 is the first step toward a modular and extensible Web based on XML". The full XHTML spec is also available.

2 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. No one uses XML?! Are you for real? Or a troll.. by deusx · · Score: 5
    No one uses XML yet, it's harder to parse in a program than proprietary formats, so no one uses them

    WHAT?!

    XML is the best thing since sliced bread! And, no this isn't a troll, I mean this! Hard to parse? What are you talking about?

    First of all, YOU shouldn't be parsing it. I don't care what language you're coding in, you'll probably find that someone else has taken care of that for you. I use Perl primarily, and switch between XML::DOM and XML::Parser, both of which handle all of the dirty work of chewing on the tags and characters.

    As I mentioned in the story on the Slashdot code release, I have a project: Iaijutsu: Open Source Content Management and Web Application Framework. And this project makes extensive, pervasive use of XML.
    • The documentation I'm writing (other than POD in the Perl modules) is being done with the DocBook DTD, which lets me write in one common format and publish in HTML, Word doc format, etc... all from one document.
    • Content classes may be created using a hybrid Perl/XML format which defines the class' properties, methods, template accessors, and various other aspects.
    • Objects in my system may be imported and exported in a simple, self describing XML format listing all of their properties. You can write it by hand easily in Textpad or Emacs to make lots of objects easily...
    • XML is used to syndicate news and headlines from other sites, like the service Slashdot offers in the backend. I've written content classes in Iaijutsu which download these syndication files to collect headlines. And, I believe, Slashdot uses these files to make slashboxes.
    yes, I *do* write import/export routines, everyone still uses comma-delimited or dbf files, occasionally Access files too

    Then you've REALLY missed the boat. XML is EASY. Screw comma delimited, I've actually found it easier and more maintainably elegant to write quick Perl scripts which use the XML::DOM, than to hack out a CSV parser. Hell, I even have Oracle DB servers spewing XML streams at me to handle.

    XML is far from failed. Go back and try it again. As for XHTML, I don't know that it will ever be truly adopted, but if it catches on... we could write web browsers and web service consumers in a fraction of the time and code.

  2. Re:Compatibility with existing browsers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5

    I'm involved in the W3C working group, so maybe I can answer...

    XHTML, like all XML, is *required* to be "well-formed", which basically means matched tags, no missing quotes, etc. The XML 1.0 Recommendation *requires* implementations to stop normal processing of an XML document that isn't well-formed. In short, if it isn't well-formed, it isn't XML.

    Browsers will eventually get smart about this. Mozilla already is. :-) If a document declares itself to be HTML, normal (lenient) processing will take place. If a document declares itself to be XML, then strict processing will take place. When authors are unable to view malformed documents, that forces them to fix problems at the front end, which is A Good Thing.

    Anon on purpose. Moderate accordingly.

    Posted with M13