In this lesson we learned about the basics of layout and how things have progressed from the simpler table like format of the past to Html written web pages.
Before Html came into existence the internet was initially very limited as only certain websites could be read thoroughly to complete specifications. For example many internet companies were only using their own Browsers and getting third party companies to sign up and use their software on the internet. They all had their own specific languages. This meant many Browsers fought for dominance and this period was called the Browser wars. This war started primarily between the two companies Netfast and Microsoft. Netfast had its own Browser which was fast
and expensive while Microsoft began its move into the internet and its
domination by providing more features than the other. They launched Internet Explorer. In the end the web was virtually split in two to the point it became too fragmented as different browsers used different codes and smaller competitors also attempted to enter the market in any way they could. Eventually, a
solution had to be made as the internet was becoming more and more compartmentalised and splintered. This was why the initial W3C (world wide web consortium) was formed.
This effectively ended the Browser wars and temporarily destroyed Microsoft’s biggest competitor Net Space. However, they were soon to rise again as Mozilla Fire Fox originally called Phoenix from the flame. The whole idea of the W3C was to, in effect, to come improve accessibility. They made Html the main web language. This allowed all Browser to read the HTML coding so the internet would not fall into disarray as it had before. The W3C came up with an agreed upon HTML format which all Browser could read successfully in 1994.
HTML came into being originally as a way to allow all web browsers to come up with a good method of viewing the sites. This eventually developed however into the new HTML 4 this worked for a while and it seemed the problem was solved. However eventually because the fact that Html is very user friendly extra code or error code was not picked up or altered by web designers. This could fill pages with bugs and small problems, though not enough to crash the websites. These bugs kept occurring.
To solve the problem W3C came up with the idea to set out
a new format to allow it to run correctly. They originally came up with XHTML.
This original came from xml language and then had elements of html grafted into
it. It was more powerful and not prone to any of the faults that HTML suffered
from. However, it was much more complex and therefore difficult to learn. This
in some ways became its undoing as many web designers were familiar with the
old html. It was too complex for people to learn and so many just avoided it
and stuck with the old Html system. This eventually caused a split in the W3C
as a group broke off calling itself The Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group (WHATWG) and was completely independent at
first. The two now work together as W3C has now realised that the entire web will
not just convert to the new language overnight and if they could sort out the
flaws of the Html code then it is possible to keep the internet functioning
together and prevent it splintering like it did during the browser wars. The
current language they are working on is HTML5, a continuation of html.
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