1 About the HTML 4.0 specification

1.1 Organization of the specification

The specification consists of the following sections:

Sections 2 and 3: Introduction to HTML 4.0

The introduction describes the place of the HTML language in the World Wide Web scheme, gives a brief history of the development of the HTML language, describes what can be done using HTML 4.0 and contains some hints on how to create documents in HTML format.

A quick guide to SGML gives readers an understanding of the relationship of the HTML language to the SGML language and provides information about reading the Document Type Definition (DTD).

Sections 4 - 24: HTML 4.0 Reference Guide

The main content of the manual is the HTML Language Reference, which defines all the elements and attributes of the language.

This document is organized in sections, not in the grammar of the HTML language. The sections are grouped into three categories: structure, presentation and interactivity. Although the HTML language constructs are difficult to divide into these three categories, this model reflects the experience of the HTML Working Group, which says that separating the document structure and presentation provides greater document efficiency and better support capabilities.

Information on the language includes the following:

• Which characters can be displayed in the HTML document.

• The main data types of the HTML document.

• Elements that control the structure of an HTML document, including text , lists , tables , links and objects, images and applets .

• Elements that control the presentation of an HTML document, including style sheets , fonts, colors, horizontal delimiters and other visual representations , as well as frames (frames) for a multi-window view .

• Elements that control the interactivity of an HTML document, including forms for entering user data and scripts for active documents .

• The formal SGML definition of HTML:

  • SGML definition of HTML .
  • Three DTDs: strict , transient and with frames .
  • List of references to symbols .

Apps

The first application contains information about changes to HTML 3.2 to help authors when migrating files to HTML 4.0. The second appendix contains comments on performance and application , the purpose of which is to help developers create tools for using HTML 4.0.

References

List of normative and informative documents.

Pointers

Three pointers provide readers with quick access to the definition: concepts , elements and attributes.

1.2 Agreements

This document is written by readers with two types of thinking: authors and developers. We hope that the specification will provide the authors with the tools they need to create effective, attractive and accessible documents and do not burden them with details of the application of HTML. Developers, however, must find here all the information necessary for the development of appropriate media.

This specification can be used in several ways:

• Read from beginning to end. This specification begins with a general representation of the HTML language, and the number of technical details is gradually increasing.

• Refer to the necessary information. To ensure maximum speed of obtaining information about syntax and semantics, the following features are included in the operational version of the specification:
  1. Each reference to an element or attribute is associated with its definition in the specification. Each element or attribute is defined only in one place.
  2. Each page has links to pointers, so you can always find the definition of an element or attribute using at most two links.

  3. On the first pages of the three sections of the manual, more information about each section is added to the original table of contents.

1.2.1 Elements and Attributes

The names of the elements are represented by uppercase letters (for example, BODY). Attribute names are represented by lowercase characters (for example, lang, onsubmit). Remember that in HTML, element and attribute names are not case-sensitive; This is used for easier reading.

In the names of elements and attributes in this document, markup is used, so user agents can be generated in a special way.

In each attribute definition, the type of its value is set. If there are several possible values, a list of values ​​separated by a vertical bar (|) is given.

After the type information in each attribute definition in square brackets ("[]"), it is indicated whether the values ​​are case-sensitive. For details, see the information on the register .

1.2.2 Notes and examples

Informative comments are highlighted to differ from the rest of the text and can be generated by user agents in a special way.

All examples illustrating undesirable use are labeled as "EXAMPLE OF UNDESIRABLE USE". Examples of undesirable use also include recommended alternative solutions. All examples illustrating unacceptable use are marked as "EXAMPLE OF UNACCEPTABLE USE".

The examples and comments use markup, so some user agents can generate them in a special way.

1.3 Acknowledgments

Thanks to everyone who helped create the working draft versions that led to the HTML 4.0 specification, and to all who sent suggestions and corrections.

Many thanks to the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI HC) for their work on improving the availability of HTML and TV. Raman (Adobe) for the development of affordable forms.

The authors of this specification, the members of the W3C HTML Working Group , deserve applause for a thorough review of this document, constructive comments and work: John D. Burger (MITRE), Steve Bairn (JavaSoft), Martin J. Durst (Zurich University), Daniel Glazman (ElectricitÉ De-France), Scott Aizax (Microsoft), Murray Maloney (GRIF), Steven Pemberton (CWI), Robert Pernett (Lotus), Jared Sorensen (Novell), Powell Smith (IBM), Robert Stevan (HP), Ed Tikot ), Jeffrey Veen (HotWired), Mike Veksler (Adobe), Misha Wolf (Reuters) and Lauren Wood (SoftQuad).

Thanks to Den Connolly (W3C) for the work of the editor and careful guidance as chairman of the HTML Working Group. Thanks to Sally Hudairi (W3C) for her work on press releases.

Thanks to David M. Abrahamson and Roger Price for careful reading and constructive comments.

Thanks to Jan Carmman, author of html2ps for the great help in creating the version of the specification in the Postscript format.

Special help for the W3C in Sofia-antipolis was brought by Janet Bertot, Bert Bos, Stefan Bauer, Daniel Dardelier, Yves Lafon, Haakon Lee, Chris Lilly and Cola Nahabu (Bull).

Finally, thanks to Tim Berners-Lee, without whom all this would be impossible.

1.4 Copyright Information

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