Title: XHTML Validation thoughts Last modified: December 28, 2016 --- # XHTML Validation thoughts * [Ozh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ozh/) * (@ozh) * [22 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/xhtml-validation-thoughts/) * Hi there For my upcoming WP powered site, I’m experimenting “pure css” design and try to produce valid html code, since I thought it would be a safe bet to think that valid html code would probably render correctly in more browsers. By now, I’m almost done with my design, and it does display as desired in MSIE, Konqueror, Opera & Mozilla. But, it still doesnt validate … I get errors like these : `Line 80, column 51: document type does not allow element "h3" here; missing one of "object", "applet", "map", "iframe", "button", "ins", "del" start- tag

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^ (the ^ showing the ” before the first closing >) Basically, I dont see why h3 onclick would be illegal 😛 and can’t find any explanation about this at W3 refs. So, I have 3 questions. 1. why doesnt this validate ? 2. Is there a more appropriate forum, for general html and validation matters, than this forum, since it’s not strictly WP related and might bother (or is this forum OK for this kind of questions ?) 3. More generally about validation : what is the point of it ? When your layout displays correctly in all browsers, and may or may not validate, are you satisfied, or why arent you ? Thanks for any thoughts on this subject. Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total) * Anonymous * [22 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/xhtml-validation-thoughts/#post-46263) * Surely you can’t onclick on an h3? Not if you want to validate. h3 a possibly. You are right to suggest that this might not be the right forum to discussion the principles of validation from the ground up. The web standards dot org has a whole lotta stuff. * [uberwald](https://wordpress.org/support/users/uberwald/) * (@uberwald) * [22 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/xhtml-validation-thoughts/#post-46264) * post a link to the validator, would you? The error it’s giving is usually caused by trying to put an tag inside a or - , where it doesn’t belong. The point of validation is, to my eyes, that creating standards compliant code ensures that your content will continue to look right, even in browsers from the future, and in screen readers, and on mobile devices, etc. code that breaks the standards “might” look right, but it won’t **be** right. It’s also nice to get a virtual pat on the back for a job well done 🙂 * Thread Starter [Ozh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ozh/) * (@ozh) * [22 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/xhtml-validation-thoughts/#post-46266) * Actually you can specify onclick in h3 and it *does* validate. My whole page wouldnt validate because the h3 was included in a span, not a div. Go figure. Now I have a valid XHTML page, which as uberwald said is more a pat on my back to say “gg dude” than a real improvement of my page 🙂 * [jpierre](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jpierre/) * (@jpierre) * [22 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/xhtml-validation-thoughts/#post-46282) * Not sure about what exactly the validation garantees. I have a WP site which validates, though in Modzilla the credit bar appears in the middle of the “content”. Go figure. JP * [nsxpower](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nsxpower/) * (@nsxpower) * [22 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/xhtml-validation-thoughts/#post-46314) * That’s very odd, because Mozilla usually renders everything properly and IE is the one to mess things up (at least in my case and IE 5.2 for Mac, I just gave up on that browser). Link? * Thread Starter [Ozh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ozh/) * (@ozh) * [22 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/xhtml-validation-thoughts/#post-46315) * My tests tend to prove (to me at least:) that MSIE 6 displays things quite ok( ie like Mozilla, Opera and Konqueror), but MSIE 5 is a pure crap, at least on Windows. My advice would be to get things ok for Mozilla & MSIE6, not paying attention to (quite rare I hope) older versions. * [jpierre](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jpierre/) * (@jpierre) * [22 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/xhtml-validation-thoughts/#post-46317) * @ nsxpower: here’s the link: [http://www.natureinarts.com](http://www.natureinarts.com) JP * [tcervo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tcervo/) * (@tcervo) * [22 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/xhtml-validation-thoughts/#post-46326) * Try removing the line: “position: absolute;” from your .credit declaration. That should clear up the Mozilla display issues. * [Sushubh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sushubh/) * (@sushubh) * [22 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/xhtml-validation-thoughts/#post-46327) * here is a genius: [http://www.apcmag.com/apc/v3.nsf/0/a569c81864dc4f1bca256e5f001a59c5](http://www.apcmag.com/apc/v3.nsf/0/a569c81864dc4f1bca256e5f001a59c5) * [Beel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/beel/) * (@beel) * [22 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/xhtml-validation-thoughts/#post-46331) * One man’s genius…. Anyway, I like a set of basic standards and do not cotton to go back to the days when no one could communicate outside their own network of proprietary software/hardware because everyone had their own standards. I like standards in my TV sets, VCRs, telephones, just about everything and beyond that they can have their own little bells and whistles – At least I know I can take my VHS tape out of my JVC and play it in my friend’s Panasonic without a hitch, so what if his doesn’t have flying erase heads or CompuLink, or nonlinear editing. Those who don’t think standards are important should use Sony’s Betamax as a case study. Better picture and sound quality but a proprietary format and no OEMs. * Moderator [Matt Mullenweg](https://wordpress.org/support/users/matt/) * (@matt) * [22 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/xhtml-validation-thoughts/#post-46337) * That’s one of the stupidest articles I’ve ever read. * [jpierre](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jpierre/) * (@jpierre) * [22 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/xhtml-validation-thoughts/#post-46381) * However… a few problems remain with the pannings in the menu. Also: text characters tend to excede the menu, etc. And probably a few more. However, I take it that not so many people use Mozilla so I guess it does’nt really matter. (?) JP Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total) The topic ‘XHTML Validation thoughts’ is closed to new replies. * 12 replies * 9 participants * Last reply from: [jpierre](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jpierre/) * Last activity: [22 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/xhtml-validation-thoughts/#post-46381) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics