RE: [VE][344] Error Message Feedback (No DOCTYPE Found - DTD List)

> olivier Thereaux wrote:
> > Hi Greg,
> > 
> > On Jan 5, 2005, at 19:26, Greg Pinnington wrote:
> >> How about a link to
> >> http://www.w3.org/QA/2002/04/valid-dtd-list.html
> >> on the "no document type declaration" error message?
> > 
> > This link is already in the error message when in verbose mode...

I was actually meaning the error message in the "results" section, for example:
-----------
Line 2, column 0: no document type declaration; implying "<!DOCTYPE HTML SYSTEM>"
<HTML>

The checked page did not contain a document type ("DOCTYPE") declaration. The Validator has tried to validate with the HTML 4.01 Transitional DTD, but this is quite likely to be incorrect and will generate a large number of incorrect error messages. It is highly recommended that you insert the proper DOCTYPE declaration in your document -- instructions for doing this are given above -- and it is necessary to have this declaration before the page can be declared to be valid. 
-----------

In fact, I think "instructions for doing this are given above" is only true in verbose mode.
I think you're right about linking to 
http://htmlhelp.com/tools/validator/doctype.html
instead of 
http://www.w3.org/QA/2002/04/valid-dtd-list.html
though


> The verbose error message seems fine, however it says that it's falling 
> back to HTML 4.01 Transitional, then procedes to show an example of an 
> XHTML 1.0 Strict DOCTYPE.  That may be a little confusing for newbies.
> 
> > What do you think?
> 
> In normal mode, how about just changing this line to:
> 
>    So what should I do? _Tell me more_ or _choose a DOCTYPE_
> 
> with _choose a DOCTYPE_ linking to the DTD list.
> 
> -- 
> Lachlan Hunt
> http://lachy.id.au/
> http://GetFirefox.com/    Rediscover the Web
> http://SpreadFirefox.com/   Igniting the Web
>

Received on Friday, 14 January 2005 11:22:03 UTC