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HTML Conformance

GED-GEN creates web page files using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). HTML is a set of rules (i.e., a standard) that describes the content of web pages. The standard promotes a uniform way of interpreting web pages for consistent display on all Internet browsers.

Generally, not all web pages conform to the HTML standard, and those that do may not conform to the strictest standard. Therefore Internet browsers typically interpret non-standard elements they encounter in a web page. They can still display a non-standard web page, but since different browsers interpret them differently, the page may appear differently in each browser.

That said, each Internet browser also interprets the HTML standard differently. Even a standard HTML web page may appear differently in each browser. There will also be differences between different versions of the same browser from a particular company.

Most web pages, whether standard or not, will display satisfactorily in most Internet browsers. Any custom HTML statements you add may cause GED-GEN to violate its conformance to the standard. If you are concerned about conformance, you should validate the web pages created by GED-GEN after you have added your custom HTML. The HTML validation facility at www.w3c.org On the WWW is recommended.

Strict Conformance

The HTML 4.01 Strict standard is recommended for new web pages. By default, the basic output of GED-GEN uses Strict conformance. Each web page generated includes a Document Type Definition (DTD) indicating this conformance.

To enable Strict conformance:

Use the Document Type Definitions (DTD) option under HTML, on the Program tab. Simply click the Default button. Alternately, you can manually enter the following string (all one line) in the nonframes-based DTD field:

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">

Please keep these points in mind when using Strict conformance:

Transitional Conformance

The HTML 4.01 Transitional standard is intended for older web pages that do not meet the criteria for the HTML 4.01 Strict standard. You will want to use Transitional conformance in two cases:

  1. Your personal website uses HTML frames.

    Frames-based web pages have been depreciated in the HTML 4.01 Strict standard. This means web pages that use the <frameset> and <frame> elements are discouraged. If your own website is frames-based and you want to incorporate GED-GEN output within your framework, then you must enable Transitional conformance.

  2. You want your source citations to appear in a frame window at the bottom of the browser.

    You can optionally choose to display your source citations in a separate frame window at the bottom of the browser window. (See Include source citations: in frame window at bottom of browser under Source Citations on the Features tab.)

To enable Transitional conformance:

Use the Document Type Definitions (DTD) option under HTML, on the Program tab. Simply click the Frames button. Alternately, you can manually enter the following string (all one line) in the nonframes-based DTD field:

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">

and the following string (all one line) in the frames-based DTD field:

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN">

Please keep this point in mind if you choose HTML 4.01 Transitional conformance: