Document Type Definition: for HTML

by Philip Thompson

The Document Type Definition or DTD is a file that exists on the Web that is used by user agents to help render Web Pages. Prior to HTML 5, all HTML Web pages required a DOCTYPE statement. This statement will point to the appropriate DTD. There are three flavors of the DTD used with HTML 4.01. The Strict DTD is used with compliant HTML that does not use frames. The Frameset DTD is used for HTML markup that uses frames. And the Transitional DTD is used for HTML Web pages that has deprecated markup. The DTD files are built with another markup language Standard Generalized Markup Language or SGML. HTML is an application of SGML. So, SGML determines the rendering abilities of any given application. All of the HTML elements. attributes, data types and attribute value sets are determined by the SGML enabler.
This book will cover all of the SGML constructs that enable an application like HTML to render markup in an ordered, concise and consistent manner. We will cover how elements are built and what content the element can contain. We will cover what attributes an element can have and how attribute values are determined. We will look at the SGML entities and how they determine data types, value sets, attribute collections and content models. The book is cross linked to a full HTML glossary.

368 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2017