XHTML Example By Example

About

Features

• XHTML development—From syntax and style sheets, to tables, frames, forms, and scripts.

  • Provides students with everything they need to know to create rich XHTML applications for the desktop. Ex.___

• Real-world example-based format.

  • Provides students with hands-on presentation of XHTML with examples they can use to add power and flexibility to their pages. Ex.___

• Wide range of platforms—Desktop PCs, wireless phones, digital TVs.

  • Enables students to deliver content on a variety of platforms. Ex.___

• Practical, real world applications.

  • Provides students with real world features that are currently available rather than focusing on the promise of extended future capabilities. Ex.___

• Rationale for XHTML.

  • Demonstrates to students how XHTML bridges the gap between yesterday's HTML pages and tomorrow's sophisticated XML applications. Ex.___

• HTML pages reformulated in XHTML.

  • Demonstrates to students how to reformulate pages without compromising compatibility with existing browsers. Ex.___

• Case studies—Rich application targeted at the desktop and a lean wireless Web application.

  • Provides students with a step-by-step walk through of two different types of applications. Ex.___

• Hundreds of professional, pre-made style sheet examples and ready-made scripts.

  • Provides students with an instant jump-start to designing Web pages. Ex.___

• Extensive coverage of XHTML capabilities—XHTML CSS2 style sheet; using scripts to create interactive XHTML content; using forms and scripts to create pages with smart input capabilities.

  • Provides students with detailed explanations of language uses. Ex.___

• Language benefits without excessive code.

  • Shows students how to craft professional, compelling pages without getting lost in unnecessary code. Ex.___

• Tips, tricks, and warnings.

  • Enables students to immerse themselves in the language while avoiding the pitfalls. Ex.___

Description

Combine HTML's simplicity with XML's power—right now!

• Learn XHTML hands on, through ready-to-use examples
• Don't wait! Master XHTML techniques that work with today's browsers
• Create rich media Web pages for the desktop—and "lean and mean" pages for next-generation wireless devices
• Covers essential XHTML syntax, style sheets, tables, frames, forms, scripts, and much more
• Written by International Standards experts who lead World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web3D Consortium (Web3D), and Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) activities

XHTML combines HTML's simplicity and accessibility with XML's unprecedented power and flexibility. With XHTML Example by Example, any Web developer can learn XHTML by example, simply and quickly, using hands-on examples and ready-made scripts and style sheets. Leverage your existing HTML skills to create rich, highly interactive XHTML sites—and learn how to deliver content on any platform, from desktop PCs to wireless phones. Best of all, discover how to gain XHTML's key benefits right now, with today's browsers and tools!

Authored by Aaron E. Walsh—XHTML Liaison to W3C for Web3D—and Dave Raggett—HTML lead architect and former W3C Activity Lead for XHTML—XHTML Example by Example covers XHTML development, from syntax to tables, style sheets to scripts.

Coverage includes:

• Why you need XHTML, not just XML or HTML
• Deploying XHTML on today's 4.x (and higher) browsers
• Converting existing HTML pages to XHTML—painlessly
• Creating static and interactive XHTML pages from scratch
• Integrating forms and scripts to create pages with intelligent input capabilities
• Enriching XHTML with XML-based languages such as SMIL, SVG, and MathML
• Saving time and frustration with XHTML authoring, validation, and optimization tools

Filled with insider's insights and real-world solutions, XHTML Example by Example will help you deliver the next-generation Web sooner than you ever imagined.

Extras

Related Articles

Wireless, Web Worlds Rally Around XHTML

XForms: Are They for Real?

Sample Content

Table of Contents

Preface.


Acknowledgments.


1. Why Bother?

Piecing Together the Web Development Puzzle. Stretching HTML to its Limit. XHTML Testimonials. Summary. Summary of URLs Found in This Chapter.

XHTML: Marrying HTML with XML. The Well-Formed XHTML Document. Three Flavors of XHTML. Understanding Markup Languages. Origins of Markup. Tags and Elements. Following Rules and Establishing Structure. Parsing Particulars. Presenting Style Sheets and DOM. Achieving Massive Scalability. Markup Languages for the Web. HTML. XML. Summary. Summary of URLs Found in This Chapter.

Introducing XHTML 1.0. Crafting “Strictly Conforming” Documents. Constructing Your XHTML Documents. Giving Your Documents a Basic Structure. Using <head> to Describe Your Documents with Meta Information. XHTML Versus HTML. Differences with HTML. HTML Compatibility Guidelines. Summary. Summary of URLs Found in This Chapter.

Sounding off with Audio Files. Popular Web Audio File Formats. Weaving Audio into XHTML Pages. Linking to Audio Files. Creating Background Sounds for Internet Explorer. Embedding Audio Files with 'embed' and 'object'. Embedding Audio into Web Pages Using 'embed'. Embedding Audio into Web Pages Using 'object'. Combining 'embed' and 'object' for Cross-Browser Compatibility. Summary. Summary of URLs Found in This Chapter.

Weaving Images into XHTML Pages. Linking to Image Files. Displaying Images Inline Using 'img'. Using JavaScript to Create Banner Ads and Image Rollovers. Creating Background Images and Colors. GIF. PNG. JPEG. JPEG2000 (J2K). Hooking Up Video. Entering the Third Dimension with Browser Plug-Ins and Java Applets. Plugging in Web3D Plug-Ins. Hooking Up 3D Java Applets. Summary. Summary of URLs Found in This Chapter.

Introducing Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). Why Bother with Style Sheets? CSS Versions and Browser Support. Creating Style Sheet “Rules” in CSS. Understanding the “Cascade” in CSS. Linking and Importing External Style Sheets. Creating Document-Level Styles. Creating Element-Level Styles. Setting Background Colors and Images. Creating Text and Link Styles. Setting Link Colors. Coloring Headings, Paragraphs, and Other Text. Customizing Fonts. Controlling Page Formatting and Layout. Using Margins to Give Your Content Elbow Room. Summary. Summary of URLs Found in This Chapter.

Introducing JavaScript. Weaving Scripts into Web Pages. Internal Scripts Appear Alongside Markup. Using Comments to Hide Scripts from Older Browsers. Placing Scripts in Document Head. Specifying the Script Language and MIME Type. Managing the Many Versions of JavaScript. Using for Script-ignorant Browsers. External Scripts Reside Outside of Your Page. Inline Scripts Appear inside XHTML Elements. Ready-to-Use Scripts. Dazzling Visitors with Visual Effects. Blinking Colored Text. Fading Background Colors. Creating an Image Slide Show. Preloading Images for Smooth Image Rollover Effects. Animating Layers to Create Background Rain. Weaving Dynamic Sound Elements. Creating Pop-Up Windows for Page and Site Navigation. Enhancing Forms. Summary. Summary of URLs Found in This Chapter.

Introducing Forms and the Element. From Springs Forth Forms. Combining Forms and Scripts for Smart Input. Instant Form Field Validation with Events and Regular Expressions. Creating Form Controls with Input Elements. Designing Smart and Secure Data Input Pages. Designing the Toys For Tots Donation Form. “Stitch”ing Together Your Own Bulletproof Form. XForms: The Future of Forms. XForms on the Horizon. XHTML-FML: Charting a Course for Future Forms. Background: The Scenario. No New Browsers = No Evolution. Rethinking “Browser”. The Vision. How It Works. Why the W3C Is Helping Us. Given this Magic Technology, Now What? Diving into XHTML-FML in 10 Short Steps. Rolling Your Own Interactive XHTML-FML Forms. Summary. Summary of URLs Found in This Chapter.

Using Tables to Organize Data into a Grid of Rows and Columns. Understanding the Importance of Captions, Headers, and Footers. Creating Simple Tables Using and. Describing Tables with the Element and Summary Attribute. Adding Column Headers with. Grouping Rows into Head, Body, and Foot Sections Using. Creating Cells That Span Multiple Rows or Columns. Grouping Columns Using. Looking Good! Customizing the Appearance of Your Tables. Aligning Cell Data Horizontally and Vertically. Tweaking Cell Appearance Using Borders, Frames, and Rules. Adding a Dash of Style to Your Tables Using Css. Summary. Summary of URLs Found in This Chapter.

Getting Ready. MPEG-4: A Multimedia Toolkit for Audio, Video, 2D, 3D, and Interactive Content. SMIL Enables TV-Like Multimedia Presentations. Making Sense of Your SMIL Presentation File. Scalable Vector Graphics Deliver 2D Vector Graphics, Images, and Text. Partitioning Screen Real Estate with Frames. Framesets Contain Frames Organized into Rows and Columns. Summary. Summary of URLs Found in This Chapter.

Reflecting on Your New Skills. The Future of Web Publishing with XHTML. Your Next Steps As a Web Guru.

XHTML Development Tools. Stand-Alone XHTML Authoring Tools. HTML Tidy-Enabled Authoring Tools.

XHTML 1.0 Strict DTD. XHTML 1.0 Transitional DTD. XHTML 1.0 Frameset DTD.

Anticipating the Wireless Web and 3G Wireless. Unveiling XHTML Basic 1.0. XHTML Basic W3C Recommendation. W3C's Document Notice and License. Abstract. Status of the XHTML Basic Recommendation. Table of Contents. 1. Introduction. 2. Conformance. 3. The XHTML Basic Document Type. 4. How to Use XHTML Basic. 5. Acknowledgments. A. References. B XHTML Basic Document Type Definition.

Preface

Preface

Welcome to XHTML Example by Example. Written by professional Web developers, this book shows you how to get the most out of the Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML) without getting bogged down in rhetoric or code. This book focuses on what you really need to know to start using XHTML today. Using a variety of simple, practical, and real-world examples, it leads you step-by-step down the road of Web page development using XHTML and on your way to mastering this powerful and exciting foundation technology that enables the next generation of content for the World Wide Web.

XHTML Example by Example was written by professional Web developers, specifically people new to XHTML. Whether you're a seasoned Web developer or a budding "newbie," this book will show you the essentials you need to know to get up and running with XHTML in no time flat.

Because we assume that you're already comfortable using basic Web development tools (such as text editors, FTP utilities, and Web browsers), this book walks you through many of the most important and useful aspects of XHTML irrespective of the tools that you use today. In other words, we focus primarily on how to write XHTML code, and we also introduce you to a few new XHTML-savvy tools, with an emphasis on creating high-quality Web pages.

Examples drive this book, as the title XHTML Example by Example implies, and the printed pages that follow are brimming with them. We provide you with several hundred examples, ranging from XHTML source code examples to "visuals" (stand-alone images, such as the one shown on page xvii), organized into the following 11 chapters:

You can read these chapters in any order that you'd like, although we'd suggest that you start with Chapter 1 and progress through each subsequent chapter in a linear fashion if you're not already experienced with HTML. If you're already comfortable with HTML, however, you'll probably want to jump around from chapter to chapter as you chase down specific topics and examples that interest you.

XHTML Example by Example represents a new dimension of technology books dedicated to advanced and cutting-edge Internet and Web topics. To get your hands on additional resources related to XHTML Example by Example, or to learn more about related technologies, visit the Web3DBooks.com online site (http://web3dbooks.com/).

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