Which DOCTYPE is best....for dynamic positioning stuff?

This question is grows out of another I asked yesterday (thanks for
many helpful answers).
I like to be able to validate my code at the w3c validator. But this
may not be so
practical in the DHTML context.

I'm trying to learn how to make dropdown menus that aren't
invisible to search engines. So I've been working with code from
suckertree and
positioniseverything.net. I found I could put [if lte IE6] like
constructs in my head,
and get these menus to operate acceptably in all the major browsers.
It's ugly, but it works. Apparently there are browser-specific hacks
that can used in
external css files (rather than the head) too.

I've also found my code behaves differently in different browsers--
depending on which
DOCTYPE I decalare. For instance, <?xml version="1.0"
encoding="utf-8"?> at the start
of any XHTML DOCTYPE flips IE6 into quirks mode. But that's not the
only example.
All I have to do is swap out the DOCTYPEs and stuff starts migrating
around.

So here is my question: for websites that do include dynamic
positioning tricks (in order
to make menus work, for instance) what is the best DOCTYPE choice?



I a

On Oct 26, 2:07 pm, salmobytes <Sandy.Pittendr... (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote:

I like to be able to validate my code at the w3c validator. But this
may not be so practical in the DHTML context.

Gosh. People still use the term 'DHTML'? I thought that buzzword had
died out.

It is practical, and HTML 4.01 Strict is most suitable for the vast
majority of documents authored today.

I'm trying to learn how to make dropdown menus

Shame. http://www.message.uk.com/index.php?page=81

I've also found my code behaves differently in different browsers--
depending on which DOCTYPE I decalare. For instance, <?xml version="1.0"
encoding="utf-8"?> at the start of any XHTML DOCTYPE

The XML prolog goes before the Doctype, not "at the start of it".

It's also ill-advised by the mandatory but non-normative Appendix C of
XHTML 1.0. (Its generally best to avoid XHTML).

flips IE6 into quirks mode.

Another reason to avoid XHTML.

So here is my question: for websites that do include dynamic
positioning tricks (in order to make menus work, for instance) what
is the best DOCTYPE choice?

HTML 4.01 Strict triggers standards mode in pretty much everything
that has a standards mode.

--
David Dorward
http://dorward.me.uk/
http://blog.dorward.me.uk/

HTML 4.01 Strict triggers standards mode in pretty much everything
that has a standards mode.

Thank you. That's the answer I was looking for.
RE> "Drop Down Menus: No Thanks"
I agree completely. I'm new at making websites professionally.
I'm learning on the fly (I have over ten years experience with
c, c++ and java). My customers all seem to ask for these menus.
So there is the rub.

On Oct 26, 3:05 pm, "Beauregard T. Shagnasty"
<a.nony.m... (AT) example (DOT) invalid> wrote:

Ask your customers to hire a person with motor deficiencies to test some
sites that use dropdowns...

And they are annoying, especially when you are moving your mouse up
toward the Back button, and happen to cross over one.

Less annoying then when you move the mouse from the navbar to a link
in the content and it gets covered by by the menu.

--
David Dorward
http://dorward.me.uk/
http://blog.dorward.me.uk/

Yes, dropdown on mouseover menus are a pain.
I try to steer people away from them. Sometimes
they insist. In order to be journeyman developer,
you have to know how to do it, even if you'd rather not.

Websites are a sideline for me. Most of my work is
java and ajax interface to database. For that I either make
Java/Swing applications, or, for browsers, I use GWT from
Google.

For complex GUIs that interact with a database, you
have to use menus. There are simply too many options
and choices to put into a static layout. So maybe I should
use GWT for dropdown menus.

GWT uses javascript and ajax, so it is invisible to its maker:
Google. The problem with GWT is it's an all or nothing deal.
With GWT you use the same screen forever. Ajax communicates
with the server, and javascript (with debugged browser sniffing
supplied by
Google) rebuilds the screen locally, instead of tripping out to
the server. Anyway, despite all these objections, there is a
place for dropdown menus, even if they do tend to get over-used
in general.

......finally, for SEO and handicapped purposes you can make a static
sitemap as an alternate navigation scheme.

David Dorward wrote:

On Oct 26, 2:07 pm, salmobytes <Sandy.Pittendr... (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote:

I'm trying to learn how to make dropdown menus

Shame. http://www.message.uk.com/index.php?page=81

Thanks for this link. I've been saying the same things for years.

--
Berg