Semantic XHTML
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Definition
- “XHTML is built on XML, and thus XHTML-based formats can be used not only for convenient display presentation, but also for general-purpose data exchange. In many ways, XHTML-based formats exemplify the best of both HTML and XML worlds. However, when building XHTML-based formats, it helps to have a guiding set of principles.” (Semantic XHTML Design Principles, retrieved 15:46, 12 April 2007 (MEST))
See also: Microformats (for a global perspective) and semantic web for an opposite, more heavy approach.
Design Principles
According to Semantic XHTML Design Principles, the design principles (reproduced in simplified form here) are:
- Reuse schema (names, objects, properties, values, types, hierarchies, constraints) as much as possiblefrom pre-existing, established, well-supported standards by reference. (and don't restate constraints expressed in the source standard, informative mentions are ok).
- Use the most accurately precise semantic XHTML building block for each object. E.g. use the "address" tag for a contact information, "h2" for a section title.
- Otherwise use a generic structural element (e.g. span or div), or the appropriate contextual element (e.g. an li inside a ul or ol).
- Base class names on the original schema.
Microformats use semantic XHTML, but not all uses of semantic XHTML are microformats.
Simple example
Source: Real world semantics, retrieved 15:46, 12 April 2007 (MEST).
| presentational | semantic |
|---|---|
| <br> | <p> |
| <font> | <h1>,<h2>,<h3> |
| <i>,<b> | <em>,<strong> |
Links
- Web sites
- Microformats Wiki (best resource)
- Microformats blog
- Talks and web pages
- Lossless XHTML (blog entry by Bill Humphries)
- The Elements of Meaningful XHTML. Slides by Tantek Çelik, Chief Technologist Technorati
- Real world semantics by Tantek çelik and Kevin Mar, slides 2004