HTML5 and XHTML are two of the more prevalent markup languages used today. Each have valid arguments.
What the XHTML camp says:
- It's an attempt to make HTML4 compliant with XML standards
- It is easier to learn (by current Web developers).
- Its strict rules forces accurate syntax and better form.
- It is easier for Web browsers to parse.
- It's better for basic, straighforward, informational pages.
- HTML5 allows for more lenient and sloppy code.
What the HTML5 camp says:
- Includes many new features and tags
- Has native support for video, audio, SVG images, and other such media types
- Eliminates the requirement for separate media plugins
- Has been shown to perform faster on mobile devices
- Major browsers already support significant portions of HTML5
- Extends the semantic richness of documents
What independent sources say:
- The last Revision for XHTML was in 2002.
- HTML5 includes many popular new features, and incorporates not only extensions of HTML4 but also many XHTML features.
- According to the World Wide Web Consortium, HTML5 is intended to replace XHTML in the long run.
- Many web developers are suggesting that HTML5 will soon completely displace XHTML
- Many other web devs are suggesting that XHTML will be around for years to come (maybe in the form of XHTML5).
Here's a quote from the "Weblog for Developers" by "downgraf.com"
"HTML5 and XHTML 1.0 Head To Head:
- Ease of Use – XHTML is very easy to learn and apply on the websites compared to HTML5 which has a steeper learning curve. Most developers know XHTML like the palm of their hand while it takes time for a developer to get used to HTML5.
- Basic Website – There is always a great demand for basic websites which purely display information. For such sites that are seen on the computer and laptop screens XHTML is a better language as it takes less time to create such a website.
- Web 2.0 – This is one environment where social media and multimedia elements are expected to rule the market. HTML5 has been designed to take web development to the new level. XHTML 1.0 is a decade old technology and hence was never created keeping this kind of web development challenges in mind.
- Device Support –Creating a website that is supported across computers, smartphones and tablets is very important in a multi-device world and this is where HTML5 comes good. It allows you to create websites that reach out to the masses. XHTML 1.0 on the other hand was never conceptualized to work in such an environment.
- Browser Support – When we factor browser support HTML5 emerges as the clear winner as almost all the web and mobile browsers support this markup language. You might face some issues with the older versions of the browsers but such problem is miniscule. Though XHTML also enjoys browser support, it does create some issues with mobile browsers (specifically tablets and smartphones).
To sum up, it is difficult to compare two technologies that were developed a decade apart. While some say that HTML5 would soon displace XHTML 1.0 as the dominant web language there are others who predict that XHTML 1.0 still has a long way to go before we write its obituary. With X/HTML 5.0 expected to be released soon we shall have a level platform to make comparisons. So the technology that you would use to develop your website is purely based on your requirements. HTML5 does offer you all the solutions that XHTML 1.0 has to offer but it still allows lenient code, much to the disappointment of many users."
After much research into the comparison of the various languages, I've realized that none are all that removed from each other. Basically, XML and HTML were both derived from SGML. Then, a mix of XML and HTML4 gave us XHTML. HTML4 borrowing from XHTML spawned HTML5. Now, we have the two most popular choices…a more robust HTML5 or a syntactically proper XHTML.
So, I've made the decision to go with HTML5, favoring a more practical and pragmatic solution over semantics. My editor can deal with the code syntax and form, while I can focus on the design and content.
…....“And that’s all I have to say about that.”
