[thelist] DOCTYPE DECLARATION HELL...

Sat Feb 19 17:49:45 CST 2005

As explained in this page:
http://www.htmlhelp.com/tools/validator/doctype.html

the doctype tells the browser what to expect from the HTML contained in the
document and thus how to render it.
Without the doctype the browser pretty much assumes that this is a legacy
document as opposed to a standards compliant document where the developer knew
exactly what he was doing.

Mozilla firefox renders the first version (test.asp) in Quirks Mode and the
(bad.asp) in Standards Compliant Mode.
Though in Firefox both versions would need some adjusting to be presentable.

Richard

-----Original Message-----
From: Wayne
Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2005, 12:13:35 AM
> Hello List

> I am making a site for a friend, this is one of the first non-tabular, CSS
> based websites I have attempted. I normally do back-end application stuff
> where the W3C has little, direct impact. 

> Can someone explain to me why, when I add the following declaration to my header, the whole layout drops?

> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"
> "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd"> 

> The good (how I want it) is at:

> http://justablip.web-demon.co.uk/test.asp

> The bad (and the ugly) is at:

> http://justablip.web-demon.co.uk/bad.asp

> Not tested in anything other than IE6 WinXP Pro.

> Maybe simple, may be beyond the capabilities of my fragile little mind,
> maybe I shouldn't be doing this on a saturday night!!

> Some critique might be nice also...

> I know I owe a couple of tips too, I'm working on it!!

> Ta

> wayne-o

> -------------------------------------------- 
> w: www.freelance-developer.co.uk 
> e: wayne at freelance-developer.co.uk 
> p: 07786 282 068    
> -------------------------------------------- 
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