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| HTML |
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| HTML and variants |
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| Graphics and Web3D technology |
| Comparisons |
XHTML Basic is anXML-based structuredmarkup language primarily designed for simple (mainlyhandheld)user agents, often found in mobile devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, pagers, and set-top boxes.
XHTML Basic is a subset ofXHTML 1.1, defined usingXHTML Modularization including a reduced set of modules for document structure, images, forms, basic tables, and object support. XHTML Basic is suitable formobile phones,PDAs,pagers, andsettop boxes.
XHTML Basic was once intended to replace older technologies like WML and C-HTML as more compliant user agents were developed. However, with the rise ofHTML5 as the dominant web standard, XHTML Basic has been largely supplanted. HTML5's rich feature set and cross-device compatibility have rendered separate mobile-specific languages like WML, C-HTML, and XHTML Basic unnecessary. Today, HTML5 provides a unified platform for creating websites that work across all devices, making XHTML Basic largely irrelevant in modern web development.
One significant advantage of XHTML Basic over WML and C-HTML is that XHTML Basic pages can be rendered differently inweb browsers and on handheld devices, eliminating the need for creating two different versions of the same page.
The initial specification for XHTML Basic was released in 2000. In 2006, the specification was revised to version 1.1, incorporating six new features to better serve the small-device community. The latest update of the specification by theW3C has been performed in 2018.[1]
The2018 update to XHTML Basic by theW3C focused on improving interoperability with current technologies, ensuring XHTML Basic pages remain usable across a broader range of modern devices, including those that have adopted more recent web standards. These changes aimed to refine how XHTML Basic interacts with modern networking environments, enhancing compatibility with newer handheld devices and browsers that now more frequently rely onHTML5.
While XHTML Basic remains functional, it is considered outdated in comparison to modernHTML5, which has become the dominant standard for mobile-first design.HTML5 includes features for multimedia, graphics, and responsive layouts, making it far more versatile for current web development needs.
To validate as XHTML Basic, a document must contain the followingDocument Type Declaration, or DOCTYPE:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML Basic 1.1//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml-basic/xhtml-basic11.dtd">A completevalid andwell-formed example is:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML Basic 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml-basic/xhtml-basic11.dtd"><htmlxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"xml:lang="en"><head><title>Hello</title></head><body><p>Hello<ahref="http://example.org/">world</a>.</p></body></html>
Served with aMIME type of "application/xhtml+xml".
XHTML-Print, which became a W3C Recommendation in September 2006, is a specialized version of XHTML Basic designed for documents printed from information appliances to low-endprinters.[2]