[thelist] Why code for standards

the head lemur headlemur at clearskymail.com
Sun Feb 3 09:41:00 CST 2002


The short answer:
It is a very good idea.
It insures portability, visability, and encompasses community.
the "World Wide" Web should provide a clue.

The long answer.
It is a very good idea.
It insures portability, visability, and encompasses community.

Valid code says to your audience that we care that you have taken the time
to visit and we have built our pages and site to be seen by anyone with a
connection using any browser capable of rendering <html>.

Valid code renders faster. Valid code is smaller.

Valid coding requires you to learn less code.  Coding to standards means
having to omit a large number of 'effects' and 'cool' features. The majority
of these are proprietary and browser specific, i.e. InnerHtml, <layer> ect.
Which alone should discourage their use.

The caveat to learning less code is to learn more code. Browser quirks, by
version and platform,  display resolutions, connection speeds, are the top
items for consideration. Rendering issues such as margins by browser have an
impact as well. Is the margin added to the Inside or the Outside of the box?

The top reason for writing valid code is to demonstrate which way the wind
is blowing in the development world. Writing valid code will send a clear
signal that browsers need to be compliant in their handling of what we code.

(it would be nice if they were smaller, but that is another rant:)

Where are the <blink> and <marquee> tags today?

The possibilities inherent in the standards today, CSS, HTML, XML, for
display and transmission of your message, assuming there is one, is having
an impact in how we build sites today, and by drawing the line on how we
code, is how we will determine the development of browsers in the future.

IE is not the only browser out here nor will it hold the dominant position
as the browser default. No inside info, just history.

the head lemur
Web Standards
http://www.webstandards.org
Evolt
http://www.evolt.org
lemurzone
http://www.lemurzone.com












More information about the thelist mailing list