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HTML can be classified into two categories namely SGML based HTML (traditional) pitted against XML based HTML (also called XHTML) and the second one being a strict versus transitional versus frameset. In this article, the former has been described in detail.

One notable difference between the traditional version and XHTML is the technical distinction between the two of them. However, Inspite of all the modifications being done, the root element name “HTML” has been kept the same. The area which requires loads of effort is the one where the limitations of XML start showing in comparison to the more complex SGML inspite of the W3C intended HTML 4.01 being identical to XHTML 1.0. Due to the similarity quotient between HTML and XHTML, they are documented in parallel at many times.

The difference between an XHTML 1.0 document and an HTML 4.01 document is mostly syntactic in each of the corresponding DTDs except for the different opening declarations applicable for the document. There are many shortcuts which XHTML does not allow but HTML allows because of the underlying syntax. Be it elements with optional opening or closing tags, empty elements not having an end tag, all these are examples of the shortcuts that a user can take advantage of in HTML. HTML requires all elements to have an opening tag or a closing tag.

After contemplating on the whole process, the developers of XHTML have also come out with a shortcut. The opening and closing of an HTML tag has to be done within the same tag but a slash (/) can be added before the closing of the tag. For demonstration of the concept, let us take this example: <avi/>, where “<” is the opening tag and “>” the closing tag, “avi” is a fictitious HTML tag and as mentioned above, the slash (/) comes before the tag is closed.

To properly understand the minute differences between HTML and XHTML, the tips listed below need to be kept in mind:

. XHTML makes use of XML’s built in language defining functionality attribute. The language for an element should be specified with a lang attribute rather than the XHTML attribute.
. The XML namespace has to be removed as HTML does not have a provision for namespaces.
. The document type declaration has to be changed from XHTML 1.0 to HTML 4.01.
. The empty-element syntax of an XML has to be developed into a style empty element of an HTML.

A technically well constructed XHTML document will always follow all the syntax requirements of XML. The structure of a document is thoroughly described by the content of XHTML and legitimate documents will religiously follow its specified data.

To migrate easily between HTML and XHTML, several conventions have been recommended by the W3C and by meticulously following these guidelines, a user will be able to easily interpret the document as HTML or XHTML. The XHTML 1.0 documents that have been made compatible in this way are permitted by the W3C to be served either as HTML or as XHTML.

World Wide Web Consortium, popularly known as W3C is an international organization which formulates policies and lays down the standards for World Wide Web (WWW or W3). W3C is in fact a consortium where all its members work together towards the development of WWW standards.

Why W3C was formed?

W3C was formed by Tim Berners-Lee in October 1994. It was created to develop universal standards for developing HTML documents. Before the evolution of the consortium, every vendor was providing a different version of HTML documents. This lead to web page incompatibilities and the purpose of Internet (that everybody should be connected) was getting into somber. Thus, there was an immediate need to standardize the process of web site creation. Now a days W3C develops interoperable technologies, specifications, guidelines, software and tools with an aim to enhance and utilize the web in a best manner.

W3C Members:

W3C is an international organization having a large number of members who are dedicated to manage and design the specifications for web. These efforts are made in order to ensure that people form different backgrounds and cultures can access the utilize the web easily. W3C is hosted by three universities:

1) Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S.
2) The French National Research Institute, Europe
3) Keio University, Japan

There is no individual or a single organization or a group of organizations which own W3C. Every member of the consortium holds equally important position. Some of the well known members of this consortium are IBM, Microsoft, America On Line (AOL), Apple, Adobe, Macromedia, Sun Microsystems and much more which includes a large number of software vendors, content providers, telecommunications companies, corporate users, networking companies, international carriers like AT&T, academic institutions, research laboratories, government bodies, electronics and hardware companies etc. In total, there are 425 members of W3C till date (June 2008).

Goals of World Wide Web Consortium or W3C:

As mentioned above, the W3C is continuously engaged in the development of standards for the web. These standards are developed keeping in mind certain long term objectives. Following are the goals which form the basis of the standards developed by W3C:

1) Web for Everyone: W3C believes in non-discrimination and aims at giving equal opportunities to all the human beings irrespective of their caste, sex, religion, and their social and ethnic values. Thus, this consortium lays down some standards which make the web pages easily accessible to all the people.
2) Web on Everything: With the growth of telecom sector and communications technology now apart from the PC, there are a large number of devices which can support internet surfing. W3C develops standards and protocols to support the internet on these kinds of devices such as PDAs, Smart phones, Tablets etc.
3) Knowledge Base: W3C aims at enhancing the web content and its processing via databases and scripts so that people can use the internet as a useful knowledge source.
4) Trust and Confidence: W3C also lays down the standards for internet security and privacy so that people can confidently involve into activities like e-commerce.

Apart from creating the new ones, W3C also updates its existing standards whenever required and it is recommended that the web developers conform to these standards while creating HTML documents.

HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) was developed in the year 1991. This language is used to write scripts to construct the Web pages. Though, today we have a lot of tools that are used for scripting to help in web designing the history of HTML goes back to 1991 when this was the only language for scripting to develop a Web page. The language could also be used to share documents online. This idea of sharing documents and pages was proposed by Tim Berners Lee. He is still eulogized for introducing HTML tags, which were responsible for initiating the Internet ride, ultimately helping in better communication. Initially, 22 elements were introduced in HTML, out of which 9 elements have been frozen due to upgradation. Now, we have the fourth version of HTML, which is referred to as HTML Four. The initial version of HTML Four consists of 13 elements.

HTML has its origin from SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language). SGML is a little heavy on the technical side, but it’s good to know it because it initiated the whole project of W3-World Wide Web. An SGML is usually described as a Meta language, which gives you the liberty to make use of a range of markup languages. Initially, when HTML originated, SGML tagging was used in the basic HTML, however, in the advanced stages, SGML tagging was not given any preference, as HTML could never be an appropriate SGML document.

If you wish to learn the HTML scripting, it can be learned easily and is very interesting. Continuing with the history, Lee HTML was withdrawn and a new HTML was created by the IETF. This was described as the HTML working group, which brought about a formation of HTML 2.0 version. For a difference 2.0 is the version number, which is given to this. But this 2.0 is not up to the mark for the development of a web environment, which is suitable to everyone and gives a better result. This addition requires some changes. Earlier in this 2.0 version changes were done under the guidance of IETF. In 2000 a version was released by W3C that is well known, as it possess those international standards the same as version 4.0. Presently HTML 5.0 is in demand in the market. HTML has come a long way since 1991 and it has launched many versions in the past years and from every version users have received something new to exhibit. When HTML came up with its final version, users found this version more easily applicable as compared to any other programming language, which is used for web designing.

Yesterday while surfing the net, an unusual observation made me wonder a few things. I marveled at how easily communication can be established now and our data transferred. What used to take something like ages in the past is now done in minutes. With technology growing rapidly, people seem to have been able to make things simpler for everyone to grasp. Definitely getting information, being able to communicate with a pal somewhere and also applying for a job has become easier thanks to the net. But have you ever wondered what/who masterminded this? Well programming and the answer is as simple as that. It’s the human mind which is the center for such easy communication and no miracle thankfully.

When Tim-Berners Lee wished to share documents between two computers, he did a small programming and created a language which enabled him to share the documents. This language, he called HTML tags which were but simple designs then. With time, the HTML drafts by Lee and his team faded away. IETF a new team on the block, worked on these dead drafts and got a whole new HTML developed which became the version 2.0. This version was made in the year 1995. Over the years from 1991 to 1995 a whole team worked day and night to come up with something good for technology. But version 2.0 was not the end of HTML.

During the period between the version 2.0 and the building of the other versions a request was sent by IETF for comments on various factors like form based file upload, client side image maps, tables and internationalization. All this was given to the IETF in the year 2000. A certain Dave Raggett of the IETF, came up with the version 3.0 which contained all the elements mentioned in his proposal like tables, text flow around figures, and the display of complex mathematical elements. At the time it came into existence, it was too complicated from implementation point of view and so nobody took the project ahead. But the interesting fact is that instead of proposing a 3.1 version, a 3.2 version was proposed and many of the features of version 3.0 were removed due to the complexity.

Now at the time when 3.2 came into existence, IETF had closed down and it became officially declared by the W3C. After this straight away HTML 4.0 came into existence in the year 1997. This version contained certain flavors which were strict, transitional and frameset. It adopted browser specific attributes and removed some that were of no use. In 1998 the version 4.0 was re-released with some minor additions. This version too contained the same flavors but had some more additions. Version 4.01 came into existence in the year 1999. The latest version released in 2008 is the version 5.0. This shows that HTML has particularly undergone a lot many changes in the period of 17 years. It has survived in spite of its initial dismissal.

HTML better known as Hyper Text Markup Language is a tool for writing scripts to develop web pages. It has come a long way since it came into existence for the first time in 1991.

Web designing does still use HTML but it is not the only language used for scripting. A quick glance at the history of HTML will tell you that HTML was the first language used for scripting to build a web page. It was the start language for sharing documents online. The brain behind the idea for developing a system to share documents and pages was Tim-Berners Lee. This name is still famous for the HTML tags which started the internet tour and helped make communication easier. The HTML tags consisted of a simple design for HTML. The 22 elements that were introduced in the HTML then have lost some 9 elements on its way to upgradation. The fourth version of the HTML named HTML four consists of 13 elements of the first version.

HTML is inspired from the SGML language which is Standard Generalized Markup Language. Though a little technical it is definitely good to understand SGML because it started up the whole project of W3-World Wide Web. A SGML is normally termed as a metalanguage where you are free to use various markup languages. In the basic HTML too SGML tagging was used in the initially stages but later HTML never came up to be a proper SGML document and it was preferred not to use SGML tagging any further. Upgradation did not support the SGML. Right now if you go in for programming HTML scripting is considered a baby and anyone is able to learn it. But the Lee HTML disappeared in the wind and a new HTML was created by the IETF. This HTML was the HTML working group which concluded to be the HTML 2.0 version. Now here is where we get the standard HTML on which further upgradation to make it better were made. Not many of us are aware of this history, but it is certainly interesting. Well as a matter of fact you should also know that there was no HTML 1.0 as such. There were some previous HTML and its drafts which were different from the HTML 2.0. To create the difference a version number was given and what is better then 2.0. For better results and develop a web environment suitable to all, the version 2.0 was not sufficient. Some additions were needed in this version. So additions, changes and more such work was done on the version 2.0 under the guidance of IETF for this. The version released in 2000 by the W3C is known to have an international standard which was the version 4.0. The current version running in the markets is HTML 5.0. HTML has come a long way since its inception in 1991. A lot many versions have been developed since its initial dismissal and each version found something new to exhibit to the users. The final version has made things user friendly and people definitely find HTML easier to use then any other programming language for the web designing.

Yesterday while surfing the net, an unusual observation made me wonder about a few things. Namely, how easy it was to establish communication to transfer our data. What used to take something like ages in the past is now done in minutes. With technology growing rapidly, people seem to have been able to make things simpler for everyone to grasp. Definitely getting information, being able to communicate with a pal somewhere and also applying for a job has become easier thanks to the net. But have you ever wondered who/what is the mastermind behind all this. Well it is ‘programming’ and it is as simple as that. It’s the human mind which is the centre for such easy communication and no miracle thankfully.

When Tim-Berners Lee wished to share documents between two computers, he did some programming and created a language which enabled him to share the documents. This language, he called HTML tags which were but simple a design then. With time, the HTML drafts by Lee and his team faded away. IETF, a new team on the block, worked on these dead drafts and got a whole new HTML developed which became the version 2.0. This version was made in the year 1995. Over the years from 1991 to 1995 a whole team worked day and night to come up with something good for technology. But version 2.0 was not the end of HTML. During the period between the version 2.0 and the building of the other versions a request was sent by IETF for comments on various factors like form based file upload, client side image maps, tables and internationalization. All this was given to the IETF in the year 2000. A certain Dave Raggett of the IETF, came up with the version 3.0 which contained all the elements mentioned in his proposal like tables, text flow around figures, and the display of complex mathematical elements. At the time it came into existence, it was too complicated from an implementation point of view and so nobody took the project ahead. But the interesting fact is that instead of proposing a 3.1 version, a 3.2 version was proposed and many of the features of version 3.0 were removed due to the complexity. Now at the time when 3.2 came into existence, IETF had closed down and it became officially declared the W3C. After this, HTML 4.0 came into existence straight away in the year 1997. This version contained certain flavours which were strict, transitional and frameset. It adopted browser specific attributes and removed some that were of no use. In 1998 the version 4.0 was re-released with some minor additions. This version too contained the same flavors but had some more additions. Version 4.01 came into existence in the year 1999. The latest version released in 2008 is the version 5.0. This shows that HTML particularly has undergone a lot many changes in the period of 17 years. Yet, it has survived in spite of its initial dismissal.