HTML 4 Doctypes and Tag Overview

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HTML 4 introduced a new way of declaring document types, known as Doctypes.

There were four main Doctypes in HTML 4: Transitional, Strict, Frameset, and Modular.

The Transitional Doctype allowed for the use of presentational attributes, while the Strict Doctype did not.

The Frameset Doctype was used for documents that included frames, and the Modular Doctype was used for documents that used the MathML or SVG modules.

In HTML 4, tags were used to define the structure and content of a web page.

Some of the most common HTML 4 tags included headings (such as h1, h2, and h3), paragraphs (p), and links (a).

The HTML 4 tag set also included tags for lists (ul, ol, and li), tables (table, tr, and td), and forms (form, input, and textarea).

Consider reading: Coding Tags for Html

HTML 4 Doctypes

HTML 4.01 strict doctype declaration does not allow frameset, target link to be included in the HTML document.

There are two main types of HTML 4.01 doctypes: strict and transitional.

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HTML 4.01 Transitional is a derivative of HTML 4.01 Strict doctype declaration, allowing users to use certain elements and attributes which are not allowed to be used in strict doctype.

You can use HTML 4.01 Transitional if you need to include elements and attributes that are not allowed in HTML 4.01 Strict.

HTML 4 Features

HTML 4 introduced the concept of profiles, which allowed for the creation of customized versions of the HTML 4 specification.

The HTML 4 specification consisted of 18 modules, each focusing on a specific aspect of the language.

One of the key features of HTML 4 was its support for cascading style sheets (CSS).

The introduction of the OBJECT element in HTML 4 allowed for the embedding of external content, such as images, audio, and video.

The FRAMESET element in HTML 4 provided a way to define a page with multiple frames.

The inclusion of the STYLE element in HTML 4 enabled the embedding of CSS styles directly within the HTML document.

Worth a look: Text Html Style Tag

HTML 4 History and Evolution

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The HTML 2.0 specification was dated November 1995, marking the beginning of HTML's growth and evolution.

The HTML 3.0 draft specification expired on September 28, 1995, without becoming a recommended standard.

HTML 3.2 became a W3C Recommendation on January 14, 1997, showing progress in the standardization process.

The public draft for HTML 4.0 was announced on July 8, 1997, but it's likely to undergo changes before becoming a W3C recommendation.

Browsers have been making their own additions to HTML, some of which were eventually adopted into W3C HTML Recommendations, while others remain proprietary coding aspects.

A Brief History

HTML's history is a fascinating story of rapid growth and evolution. The HTML 2.0 specification was dated November 1995.

As the web grew, so did the need for a more robust HTML standard. The HTML 3.0 draft specification expired on September 28, 1995, without becoming recommended.

By 1997, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) had released HTML 3.2 as a recommended standard on January 14th. This marked a significant milestone in HTML's development.

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The W3C continued to work on new versions of HTML, with the public draft for HTML 4.0 announced on July 8, 1997. This draft was likely to undergo changes before being accepted as a proposed recommendation.

Browser manufacturers also played a significant role in shaping HTML's evolution, with some adding their own proprietary coding aspects that only they recognized.

What's Different in

HTML 4.0 introduced eight new elements, which brought a lot of excitement to web developers.

Deprecation is a process where older elements are marked for removal, and in HTML 4.0, ten elements were deprecated.

Frames, once exclusive to browser versions, became an official part of HTML 4.0.

Tables in HTML 4.0 provide better tabular presentation, making data easier to read and understand.

Forms in HTML 4.0 are more accessible to people with disabilities, which is a significant improvement.

Style sheets took over character formatting duties from HTML code in HTML 4.0.

HTML 4.0 uses a different character-encoding format, which allows for more alphabets and languages to be used in web documents.

A different take: Responsive Website Html

HTML 4 Best Practices

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To ensure your HTML document is valid, you need to follow the rules specified by w3c.

If your HTML code is valid, you can check it using the w3c validation service.

There are three ways to check if your HTML code is valid in the w3c validation service: by providing the URL of your HTML document, directly inputting the HTML code, or uploading the HTML file.

The w3c validation service not only checks if your HTML code is valid but also offers suggestions to rectify any issues.

HTML 4 Overview

HTML 4 was released in 1997 by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

It introduced a new set of elements and attributes to improve the structure and presentation of web pages, including the addition of the "style" attribute to the "body" element.

The "HTML 4" specification was based on the Document Object Model (DOM) and included a new set of elements for representing tables, forms, and other interactive elements.

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The "HTML 4" specification also introduced the concept of cascading style sheets (CSS) for separating presentation from content.

The "HTML 4" specification was widely adopted by web developers and became the standard for web development for many years.

It included a new set of attributes for specifying the language of the document, such as the "lang" attribute, which was used to specify the language of the text.

The "HTML 4" specification also introduced the concept of entities, which allowed for the representation of special characters, such as the ampersand (&) and the less-than sign (<).

See what others are reading: How to Start Coding in Html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the HTML 4?

HTML 4 is a markup language extension that enhances web page functionality with style sheets, scripting, and improved accessibility features. It offers a range of enhancements for building more interactive and user-friendly websites

Is HTML4 still being used?

No, HTML4 is no longer supported or used by most users, making it unnecessary for modern web development.

Emanuel Anderson

Senior Copy Editor

Emanuel Anderson is a meticulous and detail-oriented Copy Editor with a passion for refining the written word. With a keen eye for grammar, syntax, and style, Emanuel ensures that every article that passes through their hands meets the highest standards of quality and clarity. As a seasoned editor, Emanuel has had the privilege of working on a diverse range of topics, including the latest developments in Space Exploration News.

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