W3C sets new version of HTML in motion

 

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By Simon Aughton

Posted on 8 Mar 2007 at 07:33

W3C has announced the formation of a Working Group of content designers and browser and application developers to put together a specification for a new version of HTML.

The organisation, which oversees the creation of Web standards such as HTML, CSS and XML, said that the establishment of the HTML Working Group recognises the importance of an open forum for the development of what is the predominant Web content technology. HTML (hypertext markup language) is a core element to describe how Web page content is presented and organised.

'HTML started simply, with structured markup, no licensing requirements, and the ability to link to anything,' said explained Tim Berners-Lee, W3C director and the inventor of HTML. 'More than anything, this simplicity and openness has led to its tremendous and continued success. It's time to revisit the standard and see what we can do to meet the current community needs, and to do so effectively with commitments from browser manufacturers in a visible and open way.'

After the publication in 1998 of HTML 4, W3C began work on developing it further as the XML-based XHTML, and the first full XHTML Recommendation was issued two years later. The organisation notes, however, that due to the significant legacy of Web content that is based on some variant of HTML, traditional browser developers moved slowly to adopt XHTML.

As a result, there was little motivation for content developers to adopt XHTML, prompting Web developers and designers to urge W3C to renew its commitment to HTML by adding new features while ensuring backwards compatibility. However as the markets for XML content are significant and growing, so W3C says it will define an XML syntax for the new HTML in addition to the classic HTML syntax.

But that is not to say that work on XHTML will stop, as demonstrated by the formation of a separate XHTML 2 Working Group. As W3C notes, XHTML has proved valuable for Web content outside the traditional desktop space, such as on mobile devices, in enterprise applications, on the server-side and in an increasing number of Web applications such as blogging software. The Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group, for example, has included XHTML Basic as a core component of its specification for the mobile Web, because software running in less memory can support it.

'One of the design aims for XHTML 2.0 has been to keep it as generic as possible, reusing applicable XML standards, including XForms, XML Base, and XML Events, instead of HTML features that served similar purposes,' W3C explained. 'Those design choices have led to XHTML 2.0 having an identity distinct from HTML. With the chartering of the XHTML 2 Working Group, W3C will continue its technical work on the language at the same time it considers rebranding the technology to clarify its independence and value in the marketplace.'

The HTML Working Group is not expected to submit its final recommendation until the third quarter of 2010. No date has yet been set for the XHTML 2 recommendation.

The CSS Working Group continues to work on the new CSS 3 specification, this week publishing a working draft of CSS Text Level 3, which defines properties for text manipulation such as line breaking, justification and alignment, white space handling, text decoration and text transformation.