Why XHTML
The W3C gives two main reasons for recommending XHTML as the next step from HTML 4.0. First, XHTML, since it's an XML application, is designed to be extensible. This means that new tags can be added to the document without any alteration of the DTD to simply the development. It also allows using the tag that contains some information in itself which leads to the concept of semantic web. Unlike HTML, its DTD is a standard (although it is not well-formed in some cases), any modification to the tag is prohibited unless we make the modification to the DTD.
The second reason is that: XHTML is designed for portability. The different web browsers give the user the different result when viewing a particular page. But according to some estimation cited by the W3C, by 2002, the large number of web readers will read a webpage through non-desktop devices like palm computers, televisions, toasters, fridge and other alternative platforms, not only through browsers on PCs. Other web-enable device may not a potential to serve an ill-formed, lack-of-uniformity like PC browser does. The XHTML offer the most suitable solution with very specific standard and modularization (especially in the latest version) to support the portability of webpage. As a web developer, we certainly want more people to access our webpage. Let's think about if we can expand group of audience, vary from platform to platform, access to our pages regardless the browser used the XHTML is best answer.
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This tutorial is final project for INFSCI 2000, Fall 2004
Copyright 2004 School of Information Science, University of Pittsburgh