Web Development
Web Developer Guidelines
Visual Design Recommendations

Checkpoint 1.1 - Core

All pages include the correct DOCTYPE declaration

WCAG 1.0 Priority 2

WCAG Guideline 3. Use markup and style sheets and do so properly.

The (X)HTML standards have grammar, vocabulary and syntax rules that allow browsers and other technologies that understand (X)HTML in order to correctly display and interpret web pages. Every web page written with (X)HTML is supposed to follow the rules for the specified version.

These rules are defined in a file called a Document Type Definition (DTD or DOCTYPE). The DEECD websites conform to either the HTML 4.01 Transitional or HTML 1.0 Transitional DOCTYPE.

Requirement

All web pages must contain either the W3C's "HTML 4.01 Transitional" DOCTYPE for HTML or "XHTML 1.0 Transitional" DOCTYPE for (X)HTML.

As the first line in all HTML documents use:

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

As the first line in all (X)HTML documents use:

  • <DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/2000/REC-xhtml1-20000126/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

Recommendation

Consult the W3C Markup Validator Help and FAQ pages  (validator.w3.org/docs/help.html) for more information on HTML page validation and related information.

Checking Tool

  • Internet Explorer - AIS toolbar: Doc Info > Show DOCTYPE
  • Firefox - Web Developer's Toolbar: View Source > View Source

Information Source

The original source of this information is located on the W3C web site  (www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-TECHS/#tech-identify-grammar)

 

Back to top