HTML vs XHTML
HTML vs XHTML
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and XHTML (eXtensible HyperText Markup Language) are markup languages for creating web pages, but XHTML is stricter and follows XML rules.
Key Differences
| Feature | HTML | XHTML |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | HyperText Markup Language | eXtensible HyperText Markup Language |
| Syntax | Flexible, not strict | Strict, must follow XML rules |
| Case Sensitivity | Tags and attributes are not case-sensitive (<DIV> same as <div>) |
Tags and attributes must be lowercase (<div>) |
| Closing Tags | Optional for some tags (<br>, <img>) |
Mandatory for all tags (<br />, <img />) |
| Attribute Quotes | Optional in some cases (<input type=text>) |
Mandatory (<input type="text" />) |
| Error Handling | Browsers try to correct errors | Browsers may not display content if syntax is incorrect |
| Doctype Declaration | Flexible, older doctypes like <!DOCTYPE HTML> |
Must follow XML rules, e.g., <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> |
| Compatibility | Works in older browsers | Works in modern browsers but requires strict syntax |
Example Comparison
HTML Example:
XHTML Example:
Key Points
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XHTML is essentially HTML + XML rules, making it stricter.
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XHTML ensures well-formed, consistent code, which is better for future-proofing and interoperability.
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Modern web development usually uses HTML5, which combines flexibility with some semantic improvements.
