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North Square completes its evaluation of the new Allerdale Council website. North Square has worked for 26 councils in the UK.
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(January 2008)
19 April 2007
A Document Type Definition (DTD or Doctype) is a statement at the beginning of a website page that tells browsers the version of XHTML or HTML being used. One of the early decisions facing a programmer is: which Doctype should I use? At present, programmers are most likely to choose between the following DTDs:
The two key components of a web page are the structural layer and presentation layer. In HTML 3, for example, it was acceptable to mix the two together. HTML 4, which was the final version of HTML (superseded by XHTML), and XHTML 1.1 were published with optional Transitional formats.
Transitional formats are, as the name suggests, intended for programmers to transition their HTML 3 or 4 web pages to Strict format. XHTML 1.1 is the latest specification and does not give programmers the choice between Transition or Strict (it is Strict) and will soon be superseded by XHTML 2.0
We are still surprised at North Square to see so many new websites being created in a Transitional format. Like it or not, the W3C is the key player in (X)HTML decision-making and it has been clear for many years that separation of structural and presentation layers is inevitable.
When we ask programmers why they have used a Transitional DTD for a new website, they often say something like: "It's a valid Doctype - what's the problem?". HTML 3 is a valid specification, but who would consider using it for a new website?
There is no need to create your new pages in a Transitional format - at some point your pages will need converting to a Strict format. Creating new pages with a mix of structural and presentation elements will mean more work later on.
If you are building a new website or creating new pages, we highly recommend programming in XHTML 1.1. Converting to XHTML 2.0 and beyond from 1.1 should be relatively straight forward, thus saving you time in the long-run.
by David Miller
Website Analyst,
North Square Interactive
North Square Interactive is an online consultancy that delivers cost effective, best practice, Website Evaluation reports, Usability Testing, Website Competitor Analysis, Accessibility Audits, Browser Testing, and more. For further information about all of our services, please visit our Online Consultancy Index.
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