"XHTML" → what do you mean by this?
- the way the web's being developed today
- HTML 4.0 + compatible 1.0
- valid
For meaning, not show
- strict not transitional
- no tables for layout
- avoid presentational HTML (b, br, i, sub, sup)
- don't use meaningful markup for presentation (e.g. h1, blockquote)
Precisely meaningful
- not more or less than you need
- div + span as last resort
but using as aid in presentation, doesn't hurt semantics
XHTML Elements
Use existing elements semantically
- Simple contact info → <address>
- Blog Quote → <cite><blockquote>
- can cite person, URL, publication
- use cite attribute on blockquote, too
XHTML Compound
combine elements to create new meaning
- pre + code combined to denote block of code
a semantic use of pre since code usually is "preformatted," spaces are important - ol + cite + blockquote for a conversation or interview
Build More Compounds
- Understand the elements
- Read Web Standards Solutions and Simple Quizzes by Dan Cederholm
- Try mixing experiments
- Peer discussions
Extending XHTML
- to overcome limitations of XHTML
- create new semantics (more precise)
What can you extend?
- class attribute
- meta tag
- rel and profile attributes
How to extend?
- avoid if possible, it can make your code obtuse
- think about methodology before extending
- peer review, maybe it's already been done
Microformats
- solves a specific problem
- evolutionary improvements
- keep it simple
- adapt to current behaviors
- presentable and parsable
- reuse, don't reinvent
see who else has tried to solve the same problem - modular, embeddable
increases chance of use - encourage decentralized development
format should work on any site
Microformat Design
- based on XHTML
- designed for humans first, machines 2nd
- reuse schemas from existing standards
even if it's not XML, you can reuse structure
increases chances of success
Foundations: XMDP
- XML Metadata Profiles
- use XHTML to extend itself
- dictionary of properties and values
- reference with
<head profile="">
Linked License
- like a linked stylesheet
rel="license"
Social Relationships
- in blogs, URLs are people
- blogrolls are a social network
- created XFN
People: vCard
reuse its schema to create XML format → hCard
Events
iCalendar format reused as hCalendar
Outlines
XOXO → extensible OpenXHTML outlines
- nested ordered lists with class="xoxo" to denote outline
Presentations
reuse XOXO as slides, since a presentation is an outline
- e.g. S5 + XOXO
Summary/Conclusion/Questions
Metadata tends to be more accurate when it's visible (e.g. meta tag abuses)
Limitation of rel: only describes relationship between the destination and the source
Could this help foster portable stylesheets? Yes.
International applications: hopefully localized software will translate microformats
Suggestion for internationalization: provide translation options within a microformat profile, or provide equivalents