Useful links concerning XHTML and HTML

Compiled by P. Conrad, for CISC474, Spring 2006

General

• Web Authoring Tips from the W3C (the "tip of the day" that shows up on validator.w3.org comes from this list.)
• The W3C's style guide
• Web Authoring FAQ from the "Web Design Group"
• A Web Standards Primer from Maccaws.org ("Maccaws" is an acronym for a web site: "Making a Commercial Case for Adopting Web Standards")

The Present: XHTML 1.0 and 1.1

The Future: XHTML 2.0

• XML.com: The Road to XHTML 2.0: MIME Types (XHTML's Dirty Little Secret). An article from O'Reilly's XML.com website about MIME types and their important role in the transition from XHTML 1.x to 2.0. Contains some good basic information about moving to XHTML 2.0 from HTML (e.g. HTML 4.01) and/or XHTML 1.x .

Specific Issues

Opening new windows (controversy about whether target="_blank" is harmful or ok)

• This guy says "don't open new windows" and provides a tutorial on why not. It's in a forum, so its followed by interesting discussion, including some differing opinions.
• This guys says "I'm gonna do it anyhow" and offers a way to do it while still validating with XHTML 1.1 strict (by using JavaScript).

Layout Problems: captions on images

• Image captions on Web pages (HTML and CSS techniques).

• Practical CSS Layout Tips, Tricks, & Techniques by Mark Newhouse. Frames the "Tables are dead... Long live tables" debate very nicely, and offers links to some practical tips. Also covers the "captions on images" problem.