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JAVASCRIPTHTMLCSSPYTHONSQLJAVACPPCSHARPPHPTYPESCRIPTCRUBYGOSWIFTKOTLINRUSTRBASHSCALAOBJECTIVE-CDARTPERLLUAMATLABXMLJSONMARKDOWNASSEMBLYLATEXYAMLSOLIDITYBLOCKCHAIN

Topics

HTML Basics

Introduction to HTMLHTML Document StructureHTML ElementsHTML AttributesHTML HeadingsHTML ParagraphsHTML Text FormattingHTML CommentsHTML LinksHTML ImagesHTML ListsHTML TablesHTML Blocks and Inline ElementsHTML ClassesHTML IdHTML IframesHTML File PathsHTML HeadHTML Layout ElementsHTML Responsive Web Design

HTML Forms and Input

HTML FormsHTML Form AttributesHTML Form ElementsHTML Input TypesHTML Input AttributesHTML Input Form AttributesHTML TextareaHTML ButtonsHTML SelectHTML DatalistHTML OutputHTML Form Example

HTML5 Features

HTML5 IntroductionHTML5 New ElementsHTML5 Semantic ElementsHTML5 FormsHTML5 GraphicsHTML5 MediaHTML5 APIsHTML5 GeolocationHTML5 Drag and DropHTML5 Web StorageHTML5 Web WorkersHTML5 Server-Sent EventsHTML5 CanvasHTML5 SVGHTML5 AudioHTML5 Video

HTML Advanced Topics

HTML EntitiesHTML SymbolsHTML EmojisHTML CharsetHTML URL EncodeHTML XHTMLHTML Style GuideHTML vs. XHTMLHTML AccessibilityHTML Best PracticesHTML SEO BasicsHTML MetadataHTML Responsive ImagesHTML Picture ElementHTML FaviconHTML Performance Optimization

HTML and Other Technologies

HTML and CSSHTML and JavaScriptHTML DOMHTML EventsHTML Web ComponentsHTML TemplatesHTML Custom ElementsHTML Shadow DOMHTML MicrodataHTML and XMLHTML and JSONHTML and ARIAHTML and SVGHTML and MathML

HTML Tools and Resources

HTML EditorsHTML ValidatorsHTML Color CodesHTML Character CodesHTML Language CodesHTML Country CodesHTML DoctypesHTML Canvas ReferenceHTML Audio/Video DOM ReferenceHTML Attribute ReferenceHTML Event ReferenceHTML Color NamesHTML Web Storage Objects

HTML vs XHTML: Understanding the Differences

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and XHTML (Extensible Hypertext Markup Language) are both markup languages used for creating web pages. While they share many similarities, there are important distinctions between the two.

Key Differences

1. Syntax and Structure

HTML is more forgiving in its syntax, while XHTML follows stricter rules:

  • XHTML requires all tags to be properly nested and closed
  • HTML allows some tags to be left unclosed (e.g., <p> or <li>)
  • XHTML elements must be in lowercase
  • HTML is case-insensitive for element names

2. Document Type Declaration

Both HTML and XHTML use different DOCTYPE declarations:



<!DOCTYPE html>


<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">

3. Attribute Syntax

XHTML requires all attribute values to be quoted, while HTML allows unquoted values in some cases:



<input type=text name=username>


<input type="text" name="username" />

When to Use HTML vs XHTML

The choice between HTML and XHTML depends on your project requirements:

  • Use HTML5 for modern web development, as it's widely supported and more flexible
  • Consider XHTML if you need stricter document structure or plan to use XML tools
  • HTML5 is recommended for most new projects due to its simplicity and compatibility

Best Practices

Regardless of which markup language you choose, follow these best practices:

  • Use a consistent coding style throughout your project
  • Validate your markup using appropriate tools
  • Ensure your code is accessible and follows HTML best practices
  • Stay updated with the latest web standards and browser support

Conclusion

Understanding the differences between HTML and XHTML is crucial for web developers. While HTML5 is the current standard, knowing XHTML principles can help you write cleaner, more structured code. Always consider your project's needs and target audience when choosing between HTML and XHTML.

For more information on HTML structure and elements, explore our guides on HTML document structure and HTML elements.