Main Page

Resources

• Change Proposals
• HTML Accessibility Task Force
• Testing Task Force
• Canvas Task Force
• Media Task Force
• Extension Specifications (and How to write one)

Meetings

The HTML WG holds regular telcons and face-to-face meetings.

Our meetings minutes are publicly available.

Some general information about HTML WG meetings is documented in the Phone Meetings & Face-to-Face Meetings sections of the HTML WG home page. (could be moved here)

HTML Working Group Issues

• Tracker is a HTML Working Group issue, action and resolution tracking tool.
• Teleconferences are typically used to facilitate issue coordination with Minutes announced via the announce mailing list.
• Surveys are a working group tool to aid information gathering and if needed decision making. For more information visit decision history.
• EmailLists are used for HTML Working Group business, proposals and issues.
• TaskForces exist for specialized issues and work.

Tracker Definitions

• ISSUE = A topic of concern or a problem. (An issue defines a problem.)
• ACTION = The process of doing something in order to resolve or help resolve an ISSUE. (An ACTION generates a potential resolution to an ISSUE, or helps solve it e.g. by gathering more information.)

Tracker Issue State Definitions

• RAISED = A working group member suggests this is worth a WG discussion and potentially a decision, but to date no concrete proposal has been created that enjoys a consensus of at least one.
• OPEN = At least one concrete proposal has been made resolving this issue, but one on which consensus has either not been evaluated, or has not yet been reached; a working group member is assigned an ACTION to follow up (similar to ASSIGNED).
• PENDINGREVIEW = An Editor has reviewed arguments and edited spec to taste, or the WG chairs have evaluated the level of consensus and identified one or more proposals that would resolve the issue. In the case where multiple proposals are identified, the Editors may make the determination as to which one to incorporate.
• POSTPONED = The WG has decided the issue will not be addressed at this time due to engineering constraints, cost-effectiveness, or the inability of the issue to be address in the time defined by our charter. To be investigated during the next chartering period.
• CLOSED = The chairs believe either the WG has resolved the issue (via spec editing) or the issue has been withdrawn. Only the chairs should move issues to 'closed'. Typically moving issues from PENDINGREVIEW to CLOSED will involve review in the weekly telecon.

Tracker Action State Definitions

• OPEN = A working group member has been assigned this ACTION, and has clear steps to follow up (an action cannot be created without assigning to someone).
• PENDINGREVIEW = The person to whom the action was assigned has further information or a recommendation, and wishes the WG and chairs to review it. This may also be used to flag a status update, but then move back to OPEN (e.g., an assignee wants to get on the agenda for the weekly telecon to give a status update, but then still has more to do to complete the action.
• CLOSED = The chairs believe either the action was withdrawn or it has been completed. Only the chairs should move actions to 'closed'. Typically moving actions from PENDINGREVIEW to CLOSED will involve review in the weekly telecon.

Issue Resolution Related Policies

• HTML Working Group Decision Policy (in Charter) - 2007.
  • HTML Working Group Decision Policy - Began use Fall 2009.
• W3C Definition of Consensus.
• W3C Voting Policy.

Change Proposals

• Change Proposals
• Change Proposal Status
  • Accessibility Change Proposal Status

Issue Reference

The list below is a collection of research concerning issues raised on the public-html@w3.org mailing list (archive). Please follow the issue template when creating new reference pages, including adding links to all the related e-mails in the discussion. Be sure to document issues in a way that the editors will pay attention to them.

Definitions and Clarifications of Terms

• Glossary
• CommonVocabularyAndDefinitions
  1. Accessibility (definition)
  2. Compatibility (definition)
  3. Fall Back Content (definition)
  4. Universality (definition)

Research Tasks

ResearchNeeds

Use-cases / Problem statements

Accessibility

• AccessibilityTrackerIssues
• AccessibilityDependencies
• AccessibilityTesting
• IssueAltAttribute
• ARIAIntegration
• AccessibilityConsensus
• IssueTableHeaders
• SummaryForTABLE
• Multimedia Accessibility (Audio Video)
• AddedElementCanvas

Datetime encoding

• DateTime

Equivalent Content

• LongdescRetention
• Availability of equivalent content
• ShortFallback
• ObjectSupport

Forms

• DeclWebFormExpr04

Semantics

• AbbrAcronym01
• Quotes: Reforming & Strengthening a Single Quote Element
• PoeticSemantics

SVG

• SVG in text/html

Syntax

• AuthorSyntax
• DocTypes02

Tables

• ComplexTables
• From accessibility issues above:
  • SummaryForTABLE
  • IssueTableHeaders

Miscellaneous Issues

• Parsing unknown elements and attributes: A thought experiment in graceful degradation
• SerializationDependentProcessingDifferences
• DefaultStyleSheet05 (note plans for a rendering section)
• StyleAttribute
• DefinitionGrouping
• ContentTypeIssues
• DistributedExtensibility: (e.g., adding namespace support to text/html serialization)
• HTMLCharacterUsage Generally about providing additional HTML5 guidance — including document and implementation conformance criteria — for using Unicode characters

Incomplete Issue Descriptions

• RichTextInput03 (note contenteditable="")

Solution proposals

Since solutions are sometimes designed to address multiple problems, it will be useful to create hyperlinked pages describing solutions and proposed solutions that link to problem statement/ use-cases pages. Likewise, the use-case pages should link to proposed solution pages and the HTML5 draft and elsewhere.

General document enhancements

• MuchAdoAboutQ:Proposal to eliminate the Q / BLOCKQUOTE distinction and associating quotations with sources.
• QuotationBlockVInline

Quotations

• Proposal for associating attributions, citations, quotations and references
• New markup attribute on Q and BLOCKQUOTE: "marks"

Key binding mechanism

• KeyBindingMarkup to provide a flexible, international, device independent and cascading key binding mechanism for HTML documents.

Authoring definitions structurally

• Defining terms, variables, proper nouns, and abbreviations

Form/WebApp enhancements

Accessibility enhancements

• ABetterAlt
• EmbeddedContentRoleAndEquivalents
• Text Alternatives on img

Tables

Media

• Proposal for Key System Registry for use with the Encrypted Media Extension
• Media Source Extensions - Disposition of Last Call Comments

Miscellaneous

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Use-cases / Problem statements for changes in the draft

The HTML 5 differences from HTML 4 draft enumerates a number of attributes and elements that are different between the two specifications, but it gives little by way of rationale for the changes. As rationale for changes emerges (see ProposedDesignPrinciples, RationalesGathering, and public-html) please update the following index of changed elements and attributes.

Justification for Adding Elements

• Justification for Adding Elements

Sectioning and section metadata related

• AddedElementArticle (starter page)
• AddedElementAside (starter page)
• AddedElementFooter (starter page)
• AddedElementHeader (starter page)
• AddedElementNav (starter page)
• AddedElementSection (starter page)

Embedded content related

• AddedElementEmbed (starter page)
• AddedElementFigure (starter page)
• AddedElementVideo (starter page)
• AddedElementAudio (starter page)
• AddedElementCanvas

Form related

• AddedElementOutput (starter page)
• AddedElementDatalist (starter page)

Phrase related

• AddedElementM (starter page)
• AddedElementMeter (starter page)
• AddedElementProgress (starter page)
• AddedElementTime (starter page)

Others

• AddedElementCommand (starter page)
• AddedElementEventsource
• AddedElementDatagrid (starter page)
• AddedElementDetails (starter page)
• AddedElementDialog (starter page)

Justification for Adding Attributes

• Justification for Adding Attributes

Global attributes

• AddedAttributeContenteditable (starter page)
• AddedAttributeDraggable
• AddedAttributeContextmenu (starter page)
• AddedAttributeIrrelevant (starter page)

Global event attributes

• AddedAttributeOneventname (starter page)

And the other new global event attributes: onabort, onbeforeunload, onblur, onchange, oncontextmenu, ondrag, ondragend, ondragenter, ondragleave, ondragover, ondragstart, ondrop, onerror, onfocus, onkeydown, onkeypress, onkeyup, onload, onmessage, onmousewheel, onresize, onscroll, onselect, onsubmit, onunload

On AREA

• AddedAttributeMedia (starter page)
• AddedAttributePing
• AddedAttributeHreflang (starter page)

On A

• AddedAttributeMedia (starter page)
• AddedAttributePing

On BASE

• AddedAttributetarget (starter page)

On Lists

• AddedAttributeValue (starter page): on LI
• AddedAttributeStart (starter page): on OL and UL(?)

On META

• AddedAttributeCharset (starter page)

UI controls related

• AddedAttributeAutofocus (starter page)
• AddedAttributeForm (starter page): also on FIELDSET
• AddedAttributeInputmode (starter page)
• AddedAttributeReplace (starter page)
• AddedAttributeData (starter page)
• AddedAttributeRequired (starter page)
• AddedAttributeDisabled (starter page)
• autocomplete, min, max, pattern and step (starter page)
• AddedAttributeRepeat (starter page)
• AddedAttributeRepeatmax (starter page)
• AddedAttributeRepeatmin (starter page)
• AddedAttributeRepeatstart (starter page)
• AddedAttributeTemplate (starter page)

Added values for INPUT@type

• AddedAttributeValues (starter page)

On STYLE

• AddedAttributeScoped (starter page)

On SCRIPT

• AddedAttributeAsync (starter page)

On MENU

• AddedAttributeType (starter page)

Justification for Changing Attributes

• Justification for Changing Attributes

Made global

The following attributes were mostly global already in HTML 4.01

• ChangedAttributeClass
• ChangedAttributeDir
• ChangedAttributeId
• ChangedAttributeLang

The following attribute was made much more global (only applying in HTML 4.01 to a few interactive elements):

• ChangedAttributeTabindex

Justification for Changing Elements

• Justification for Changing Elements

Slight element changes

• ChangedElementA (starter page): @href no longer a required attribute
• ChangedElementAddress (starter page): now scoped
• ChangedElementLabel (starter page): UA flexibility to match environment/OS UI behavior
• ChangedElementMenu(starter page): formerly deprecated in HTML 4.01, now proposed to serve as a contextual menu among other things

Meaning changes

Proposed changes (subtle and not so subtle) in meaning for following elements:

• ChangedElementB (starter page)
• ChangedElementI (starter page)
• ChangedElementSmall (starter page)
• ChangedElementHr (starter page)
• ChangedElementStrong (starter page)

Justification for Dropping Attributes

• Justification for Dropping Attributes

Accessibility related

• accesskey attribute on a, area, button, input, label, legend and textarea
• LongdescRetention
• SummaryForTABLE

Table related

• DroppedAttributeAxis
• headers/id on Tables
• DroppedAttributeScope (starter page)

Metadata related

• DroppedAttributeProfile (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeScheme (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeVersion (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeCharset (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeRev (starter page)

Associating style sheet data

• StyleAttribute

Embedding related

• archive, classid, codebase, codetype, declare and standby attributes on object (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeValuetype (starter page)

Dropped in favor of @id for a unique identifier

• name attribute on map, img, object, form, iframe, a (use id instead) (starter page)

Frame/iframe related

• DroppedAttributeTarget (starter page)

Client-side image-map related

• DroppedAttributeNohref (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeShape (starter page)

Justification for Dropping Presentational Attributes

• Justification for Dropping Presentational Attributes

Not Previously deprecated

• DroppedAttributeSize (starter page)

table related

• align attribute on col, colgroup, tbody, td, tfoot, th, thead, and tr (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeBorder (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeCellpadding (starter page)
• char and charoff attributes on col, colgroup, tbody, td, tfoot, th, thead and tr (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeFrame (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeRules (starter page)
• valign attribute on col, colgroup, tbody, td, tfoot, th, thead and tr (starter page)
• width attribute on table, col, colgroup, and iframe (starter page)

iframe related

• DroppedAttributeFrameborder (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeHeight (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeMarginheight (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeScrolling (starter page)

Previously deprecated

• align attribute on caption, iframe, img, input, object, legend, table, hr, div, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, p, and body (starter page)
• alink, link, text and vlink attributes on body (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeBackground (starter page)
• bgcolor attribute on table, tr, td, th and body (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeBorder (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeClear (starter page)
• compact attribute on dl, menu, ol and ul (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeNoshade (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeHspace (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeNowrap (starter page)
• DroppedAttributeSize (starter page)
• type attribute on li, ol and ul (starter page)
• width attribute on hr, td, th, and pre (starter page)

Justification for Dropping Elements

• Justification for Dropping Elements

Not Previously deprecated

• AbbrAcronym01: very similar and overlapping semantics with ABBR
• DroppedElementNoscript (starter page): this is only dropped from the XML serialization, though explanation for creating this difference in serializations is needed.

frame related

• DroppedElementFrame (starter page)
• DroppedElementFrameset (starter page)
• DroppedElementNoframes (starter page)

Previously deprecated

• DroppedElementApplet (starter page): while previously deprecated the semantic differentiation of objects through an element such as applet has been reintroduced with canvas, embed, video and audio.
• DroppedElementDir (starter page)
• DroppedElementIsindex (starter page)

Previously deprecated presentation elements

• DroppedElementBasefont (starter page)
• DroppedElementBig (starter page)
• DroppedElementCenter (starter page)
• DroppedElementFont (starter page)
• DroppedElementS (starter page)
• DroppedElementStrike (starter page)
• DroppedElementTt (starter page)
• DroppedElementU (starter page)

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See also

• HTML Slicing Tutorial
• HTMLAsSheAreSpoke
• SpecReviews
• UAs
• ResearchNeeds
• Last Call Timeline and Action Plan

Design Documents

• ProposedDesignPrinciples
• FormsUseCases
• ProposalChainedClassnames
• AudioVideoScope
• ConformanceErrorStudy

HTML5 online tools

• HTML5Lib based parse tree Enter a publicly available URL to see the parse tree.
• Another parse tree viewer using the Validor.nu HTML parser (in Java) Enter a publicly available URL to see the parse tree.
• HTML5Lib Versatile tool for parsing HTML serialization according to HTML5 (draft) parsing rules (i.e., parses well-formed and ill-formed HTML).
• Live DOM Viewer (text/html) Paste, or compose HTML and watch how your current browser parses the source into a DOM tree.
• Live DOM Viewer (XML) Same as prior, but for XML parsing (currently broken, please help)