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Step 2:  Setting the Doctype

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Step 2:  Set the Doctype

What is a Doctype?

The Doctype, or DTD (Document Type Declaration), is used to specify the version of HTML to use in creating the Web Page.  Every Web Page must have a Doctype.

Expression Web 3 provides only those Doctypes that are valid. 

Browser Rendering Modes

A Valid Doctype will trigger a browser rendering mode called Compliance Mode or Standards mode.  This means your web pages will be rendered as you specified in the HTML and CSS. 

If a web page does not have a Doctype specified, or an invalid Doctype is used, then Quirks mode is triggered.  In Quirks mode, your web pages are rendered with quirks, and not quite as you specified. 

Each web browser has different browser rendering modes, but in general, they come down to Standards Mode and Quirks Mode.  If you are interested in reading more about each browsers' rendering modes, just visit each browser individually.  (Mozilla for Firefox, MS for Internet explorer, Safari, and Opera) 

As Beginners, ALWAYS specify a Doctype.

 

Some advanced users will purposely trigger Quirks mode so they can take advantage of certain Internet Explorer bugs.  However, we will not do this. 

How, What, and When to Set the Doctype

How to Set the Doctype?

1.  Click Tools

2.  Choose Page Editor Options

3.  Choose the Authoring Tab

4.  In the middle area of the Authoring Tab is the Document Type Declaration drop down menu.

5.  Choose a Doctype.

6.  Click OK

 

See Below

 

doctype

 

What Doctype Should I Use?

For the sake of the Tutorials on this web site, please use XHTML 1.0 Transitional.  At a later time I will explain more about the different Doctypes as well as the future of HTML 5.  (HTML 5 will have a version of XHTML for us to use in the future. )

The Doctype chosen will be used to judge the code of our web pages for correctness.  Therefore, if we find errors in the code, then we can learn toghether about how to fix those errors. 

 

When to Set the Doctype?

Since all of our web pages will use the same Doctype, we will only need to set the Doctype one time. 

We must set our desired Doctype BEFORE we make any web pages.

 

UPDATE:

 You Can Use the HTML 5 Doctype if you want!!  I am starting to switch over as I learn more about it. 

The HTML 5 Doctype will need to be inserted into each Web Page, Manually. 

New Update - June 14, 2010

Expression Web 4 has an HTML 5 Doctype preset.  You can now easily use HTML 5 Doctype within Expression Web.

Step 3:  Make a Blank Web Page  next