XHTML - the next step in markup language

This transition to XHTML Basic will strengthen the mobile browser's position within the Internet mainstream and allow for a far greater range of presentation design and formatting possibilities than previously possible. Consequently, consumers will enjoy a wider array of services, more intuitive user interfaces, and a generally more useful experience. At the same time, it will also enable carriers to exercise more control over the look and feel of the services they provide through their wireless portal.

According to the W3C specification, XHTML Basic defines a document type that is rich enough to be used for content authoring and precise document layout yet can be shared across different classes of devices—desktop, PDA, TV, and mobile handset. (XHTML Basic is the mobile adaptation of XHTML 1.0, and includes everything in XHTML 1.0 except those capabilities, such as frames, that are not appropriate for devices with small screens.)

XHTML (Extensible HyperText Markup Language) is the latest browser markup language, which replaces HTML as the W3C standard browser language. XHTML simply adds modularity and enforces strict adherence to language rules. As a result, XHTML brings clean structure to web pages, which is especially important given the small screens and limited power of mobile devices. W3C is recommending XHTML for all future web development for desktops as well as all other devices, including mobile handsets.

XHTML is closely related to WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) as for mobile devices, the future of WAP browsers lies in close alignment with widely accepted Internet standards. XHTML Mobile Profile is the foundation of next generation WAP, and WAP 2.0 is adopting the XHTML standard from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Central to XHTML Basic is its support for Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). CSS describes how documents are presented on screen in the browser. It also separates the presentation from the content. Changes to the presentation can be made in the style sheet and those changes are automatically reflected throughout the whole document. The W3C has actively promoted the use of CSS on the Web for use with all browsers, desktop and mobile. Through the use of CSS, document creators can control the presentation of documents without sacrificing device independence or adding new markup language tags, as was done with WML 1.x. The use of well-known standard HTML tags (Tag = Informal name for element. In effect, it is a programmatic instruction,) will reduce content development costs by eliminating the need for developers to learn new tags, to store multiple versions of content, or to master different tools. In addition, servers won't experience the added overhead that resulted from the expensive transcoding required to prepare content for an array of different markup languages.

XHTML is the Future
XHTML Basic is leading the way to the next generation of WAP technology. It has been widely embraced by the industry, and its modular architecture makes it easy to adapt to any changes that result from the evolution of new
technologies. In addition, the XHTML Basic browser delivers a number of specific benefits for all parties involved in mobile computing.

The adoption of XHTML Basic within the mobile industry as the standard browser language brings wireless communications into alignment with the latest advances in Internet content development and presentation.
Supported by the WAP Forum and the W3C, XHTML Basic establishes a global standard for all browsers. Even the i-mode service (which uses proprietary markup languages), appears to be moving toward XHTML compliance. By adopting XHTML Basic as their browser standard, mobile device manufacturers, carriers, developers and end-users alike can get a head start on experiencing the many benefits its offers. Foremost among those benefits is compliance with the global standard for mobile Internet computing going forward.