- From: Janet Daly <janet@w3.org>
- Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2007 07:05:06 -0800
- To: w3c-news@w3.org
Today, based on tremendous input from the design and developer
communities as well as browser vendors, W3C begins work anew on HTML.
This work begins with a revisit of the last standardized version,
HTML4, completed 10 years ago.
"HTML started simply, with structured markup, no licensing
requirements, and the ability to link to anything. More than
anything, this simplicity and openness has led to its tremendous and
continued success," explained Tim Berners-Lee, W3C director and
inventor of HTML. "It's time to revisit the standard and see what we
can do to meet the current community needs, and to do so effectively
with commitments from browser manufacturers in a visible and open way."
For more information, please contact Janet Daly of W3C +1 617 253
5884 <janet@w3.org> or the W3C Communications Team representative in
your region.
W3C Relaunches HTML Activity
Developers and Browser Vendors Shape HTML Future
Web Resources
This press release
In English: http://www.w3.org/2007/03/html-pressrelease.html.en
In French: http://www.w3.org/2007/03/html-pressrelease.html.fr
In Japanese: http://www.w3.org/2007/03/html-pressrelease.html.ja
HTML Activity
http://www.w3.org/html/
HTML Working Group
http://www.w3.org/html/wg/
HTML Vision Document - a technical background on the decisions
leading to today's announcement
http://www.w3.org/2007/03/vision
http://www.w3.org/ -- 7 March 2007 -- Recognizing the importance of
an open forum for the development of the predominant Web content
technology, W3C today invites browser vendors, application
developers, and content designers to help design the next version of
HTML by participating in the new W3C HTML Working Group. Based on
significant input from the design and developer communities within
and outside the W3C Membership, W3C has chartered the group to
conduct its work in public and to solicit broad participation from
W3C Members and non-Members alike.
"HTML started simply, with structured markup, no licensing
requirements, and the ability to link to anything. More than
anything, this simplicity and openness has led to its tremendous and
continued success," explained Tim Berners-Lee, W3C director and
inventor of HTML. "It's time to revisit the standard and see what we
can do to meet the current community needs, and to do so effectively
with commitments from browser manufacturers in a visible and open way."
The Evolution of HTML
After the publication of HTML 4, and following a 1998 Workshop, W3C
set forth to turn HTML into an XML-based format, called XHTML, due to
the benefits of XML formats. The first XHTML Recommendation was
issued in early 2000. But due to the significant legacy of Web
content that is some variant of HTML, traditional browser vendors
moved slowly to adopt XHTML. This, in turn, has meant little
motivation for content developers to adopt XHTML for the traditional
desktop environment. Leaders in the Web developer and design
communities therefore urged W3C to renew its commitment to HTML by
adding new features (starting with the HTML 4 standard) in a manner
that is consistent with community practice and backward compatible.
W3C will help ensure interoperability by making robust test suites
and validation services available to the community for future
technologies.
W3C is pleased to relaunch work on HTML with strong support from its
Members and more staff resources (including people and hardware). W3C
has tailored the HTML Working Group Charter to enable active
participation from browser vendors, applications designers, and
content developers, whose joint participation is key to the success
of the future HTML.
The Value of XHTML
XHTML has proved valuable in other markets, including the market for
mobile devices, in enterprise applications, on the server-side, and
in an increasing number of Web applications such as blogging
software. For example, the Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group
has included XHTML Basic as a cornerstone of the Mobile Web Best
Practices because software running in less memory can support it. The
markets for XML content are significant and growing, so W3C will
define an XML syntax for the new HTML in addition to the classic HTML
syntax.
One of the design aims for XHTML 2.0 has been to keep it as generic
as possible, reusing applicable XML standards, including XForms, XML
Base, and XML Events, instead of HTML features that served similar
purposes. Those design choices have led to XHTML 2.0 having an
identity distinct from HTML. With the chartering of the XHTML 2
Working Group, W3C will continue its technical work on the language
at the same time it considers rebranding the technology to clarify
its independence and value in the marketplace.
In addition to the new HTML and XHTML 2 Working Groups, W3C is also
pleased to recharter the Hypertext Coordination Group and charter the
Forms Working Group. The Forms Working Group will continue work on
the XForms architecture, which has seen significant adoption in a
variety of platforms.
Contact Americas, Australia --
Janet Daly, <janet@w3.org>, +1.617.253.5884 or +1.617.253.2613
Contact Europe, Africa and the Middle East-
Marie-Claire Forgue, <mcf@w3.org>, +33.492.38.75.94
Contact Asia --
Yasuyuki Hirakawa <chibao@w3.org>, +81.466.49.1170
About the World Wide Web Consortium [W3C]
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international consortium
where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work
together to develop Web standards. W3C primarily pursues its mission
through the creation of Web standards and guidelines designed to
ensure long-term growth for the Web. Over 400 organizations are
Members of the Consortium. W3C is jointly run by the MIT Computer
Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (MIT CSAIL) in the
USA, the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics
(ERCIM) headquartered in France and Keio University in Japan,and has
additional Offices worldwide. For more information see http://
www.w3.org/
Received on Wednesday, 7 March 2007 15:05:11 UTC