XHTML™ For Dummies® By Ed Tittel , Natanya Pitts , Chelsea Valentine
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book How to Use This Book Three Presumptuous Assumptions How This Book Is Organized Part I: Getting Cozy with XHTML Part II: Getting Started with XHTML Part III: The Building Blocks of XHTML Part IV: Taking XHTML to the Next Level Part V: Advanced XHTML Topics Part VI: The Part of Tens Part VII: Appendixes Icons Used in This Book Where to Go from Here
Part I: Getting Cozy with XHTML
Chapter 1: Welcome to XHTML! The X Marks a Whole New Spot! The joys of extensibility What that X means to you Basic Rules for XHTML Markup elements often travel in tandem Markup Defined and Explained Basic XML Terms and Concepts XML Syntax and Rules in General Defining XML (And XHTML) Documents Rules have benefits Rules make a difference The XHTML Namespace Chapter 2: The XML Connection The Hot Meta XML versus HTML XML versus SGML The Best of Both Worlds If it's broke, don't fix it Add new tags Write once, read everywhere Using XML tools Using HTML Tidy Being Well Formed What about all these names? Your Refrigerator Is a Browser! Chapter 3: Converting HTML to XHTML Why are most people converting? Ringside with HTML and XHTML Converting to XHTML by Hand Nest tags correctly Always include optional ending tags Quote attribute values Lowercase all element and attribute names Attribute name-value pairs cannot stand alone Open and close an element in the same tag Include a DOCTYPE declaration Include an XML namespace within Include the
and elements Wrap your script and style elements Take a look at an example Converting with HTML Tidy Chapter 4: The XHTML Specification What is a Specification? What's in the XHTML specification? Are you asking me or telling me? A Little Bit about DTDs What is a DTD? What's in a DTD? The Three Flavors of XHTML Specification Highlights The normative definition of XHTML 1.0 What's different about XHTML I'm sorry you can't go here! HTML compatibility guidelines
Part II: Getting Started
Chapter 5: Behind the Scenes of XHTML Documents Hypertext Is Part of the Name Style Sheets Separate Content from Display XHTML and Web Browsers Beyond Browsers: The Many Uses for XHTML Documents XHTML Element List The three flavors of XHTML revisited A word about attributes Chapter 6: My First XHTML Page XHTML-Savvy Tools Finding an XML editor How XML editors handle XHTML documents Defining Your Audience Mapping the Content Planning Style Sheets A Simple XHTML Document Chapter 7: Elements and Attributes XHTML Rules and Regulations Whitespace Defaults Nesting properly XHTML Elements at a Glance Tag versus element XHTML categories Attributing Your Sources Common Attributes Core Attributes Language Attributes Event Attributes (a.k.a. intrinsic events) Deprecated Means Bye-Bye Chapter 8: Styling XHTML with CSS Why Add Style? Adding form to function One document, many uses Consistency is a good thing Meet CSS What does cascading mean? Internal style sheets vs. external style sheets The Basics of Writing CSS The magic formula for building CSS style rules Variations on the magic: Selector specifications Efficiency is good: Combining selectors and declarations Punctuating CSS rules Adding Style Sheets to Your Web Pages The Best of CSS on the Web Chapter 9: A Basic XHTML Page Page Design from Top to Bottom What's in a Title? Titles -- see and be seen Headings -- here's the beef Document Bodies Just how much text is okay? Composition is a balancing act Trimming leggy pages The bottom line on page bodies Creating Strong Paragraphs Listward, Ho! Using a List Structure Linking Your Pages Relative links (to pages within your Web site) Absolute links (Web world at large) Choose your hyperlinks with care Use Those Comments The Basic XHTML Working Draft Chapter 10: Document Structure Elements Sanity through Structure Well-formed documents Valid and validated documents DOCTYPE Declaration XML Declaration Comment It Up Basic Document Structure Elements The root element The document head The document body Pulling It All Together
Part III: Coding Your First XHTML Page
Chapter 11: Presentation and Text Controls Using Presentation or Style Elements Understanding Presentation Control Elements . . . bold text base font . . . bidirectional algorithm . . . big text
. . .
centered text . . . font appearance horizontal rule . . . italic text . . . strikethrough text . . . small text . . . teletype text . . . underlined text Implementing Text Elements Separating form from content Using style to emphasize content differences Text control elements Taking Control of Text On-Screen Chapter 12: Of Links and Graphics Hyperlinks and Graphics Have a Common Theme Linking Your Pages Linking to pages within your site with relative links Linking to the outside world with absolute links Linking to a spot on a page . . . Anchor Embedding Images Image Combining Hyperlinks and Images to Build Clickable Graphics Chapter 13: Listing Data Using Lists Ordered lists Unordered lists Definition lists Deprecated lists List Elements
. . .
List item . . . Ordered list
. . .
Unordered list
. . .
Definition list
. . .
Definition term
. . .
Definition description . . . Directory list Menu list Nested Lists Chapter 14: Adding Character Entities, Anyone? Building Entities Nothing Ancient about the ISO-Latin-1 HTML Chapter 15: Using XHTML Tables Effectively Don't Like Tables? XHTML
Overview XHTML Table Markup The parts of a
Recent Additions to the Table Family Basic Table Attributes Build Your Own Tables Laying out tabular data for easy display Multirow and multicolumn spans Mixing graphics and tables to add interest Tools automate tedious markup Using CSS with Tables Some Stunning Table Examples
Part IV: Taking XHTML to the Next Level
Chapter 16: Map It Up! One Step at a Time Mapping out the Territory Breeds Apart Map it Out Client-side map Client-side image map area Learning by Example Chapter 17: Formulating Forms The Many Uses of XHTML Forms What's in a Form? Forms involve two-way communication Using Form Elements
Form container Input control Drop-down menu group Drop-down menu item group Drop-down menu item Large text box A group of input fields Field set descriptor Form button So now what? Specify CGI and gate-a-way with it CGI scripts/programs: Watch your language How to Cheat at CGI Chapter 18: Framing Your Pages Many Web Documents, One Web Browser Window Great frame resources Frames at work on the Web XHTML Frame Elements A set of frames A single frame . . . No frame information Inline frame Putting It All Together to Build a Framed Web Site In frames links have targets A sample three-frame Web page Chapter 19: Java, Multimedia, and Scripting Java and Multimedia in XHTML < applet > . . . embedded Java applet embedded object object or applet parameter All about file types Script Fans, Rejoice! Events are the key All about content types client-side script information in lieu of scripts Scripting resources abound
Part V: Advanced XHTML Topics
Chapter 20: Modularizing XHTML XHTML Modules Why Modules? The Road to Modularization XHTML 1.1 is almost here XForms marks the spot XHTML Basic goes wireless What about the rest? Chapter 21: Extending Markup What the Heck is Modularization? Adding XHTML to XML Adding XML to XHTML A matter of record Conning the DTD Checking out the partner Building Modules for Different Media Chapter 22: DOMinate Dynamic Web Pages Why Create Dynamic Pages? XHTML Turns Interactive Scripting your pages Behind the scenes PG-Rated DOM DOM specifications on the rise Chapter 23: Real-World XHTML Solutions Using the XHTML namespace Conversions Converting HTML to XHTML Converting XHTML to XHTML Converting XML to XHTML Using XHTML Modules Maintenance manuals Program documentation Medical records Book editing Book writing Ancient and not-so-ancient manuscripts Using the XHTML namespace What am I? Where do I come from? Don't cry for me, XHTML; I never left you
Part VI: The Part of Tens
Chapter 24: Ten XHTML Do's and Don'ts Never Lose Sight of Your Content Structure Your Documents and Your Site Keep Track of Those Tags Make the Most from the Least Build Attractive Pages Avoid Unneeded Extensions Think Evolution, Not Revolution Navigating Your Wild and Woolly Web Beat the Two-Dimensional Text Trap Overcome Inertia through Constant Vigilance Chapter 25: Top Ten Design Tips Create Standard Layout Elements Build a Graphical Vocabulary Use White Space! Format for Impact Enhance (Don't Curb) Content with Graphics Make Effective Use of Hypermedia Aid Navigation Wherever Possible Form Good Opinions Know When to Split Add Value for Value Chapter 26: Cool XHTML Tools Start with HTML, Convert to XHTML Stay Tuned for Late-Breaking News Take the XML Tool Route If You Build It, They Will Come Clip! XML Editor v1.5 XMetaL XML Pro v2.0 Valid and Well-Formed Documents Always Get Along SP v1.3 XML4J Lark View It with Amaya Chapter 27: Ten Opulent Online XHTML Resources It All Starts at the W3C Nuthin' but the FAQs Robin's Got it Covered What's Up at the Web Developer's Library? Microsoft Makes XML Part of Its Game Look It Up in EncycloZine DevX Marks the (XHTML) Spot! More News from the Standards Gang XML.com Does XHTML, Too Searching for XHTML Satisfaction
Part VII: Appendixes
Appendix A: Glossary Appendix B: About the CD-ROM How to Use the Web Pages and Examples The XHTML For Dummies Files Working with Templates The Software System Requirements If You've Got Problems (Of the CD Kind)
