HTML Quotes Poll

**giropets** · Dec 14, 2003 01:27

What kind of quotes do you use when programming HTML ? I use '

Example :

HTML Code:

<img src="img.png">
<img src='img.png'>
<img src=img.png>

**moncur** · Dec 14, 2003 04:58

While both work 90% of the time, I've found that there are a few buggy browsers out there that get confused by single quotes, so I've standardized with double quotes across my sites.

**John Colby** · Dec 14, 2003 05:36

According to http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/#h-4.4 all attributes must be quoted - which makes the double quote the correct method - nothing else.

**cfm** · Dec 14, 2003 07:50

I use doube quotes. Incidentally, do you need to encapsulate integers in quotes in HTML? I know that you don't in most programming languages, so what about HTML?

**John Colby** · Dec 14, 2003 08:37

Originally Posted by compuwhiz7

I use doube quotes. Incidentally, do you need to encapsulate integers in quotes in HTML? I know that you don't in most programming languages, so what about HTML?

(X)HTML does not discriminate about the type of assignment to an attribute. You quote them all. It is the action of assignment rather the apparent data type or content of the assignee that is the issue.

**vgarcia** · Dec 14, 2003 11:19

Originally Posted by compuwhiz7

I use doube quotes. Incidentally, do you need to encapsulate integers in quotes in HTML? I know that you don't in most programming languages, so what about HTML?

Since HTML is not a programming language and knows nothing about data types, yes you have to quote them.

As for the question, I use double quotes; always have

.

**N9ne** · Dec 14, 2003 11:25

I use double quotes too.

Also, just to be picky:

<img src="image.png" alt="This is an Image!!!" style="width: 200px; height: 200px" />

Better

**John Colby** · Dec 14, 2003 12:09

Originally Posted by N9ne

I use double quotes too.

Also, just to be picky:

<img src="image.png" alt="This is an Image!!!" style="width: 200px; height: 200px" />

Better

Except that XHTML 1.1 deprecates inline styles. See http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/doctype.html#s_doctype

And http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml-modulariz...#s_imagemodule says: that an img tag should have alt* (Text), height (Length), longdesc (URI), src* (URI), width (Length) as attributes so IMHO it is incorrrect to specify length and height in a style declaration, and they should be declared directly.

**vgarcia** · Dec 14, 2003 12:15

Originally Posted by John Colby

And http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml-modulariz...#s_imagemodule says: that an img tag should have alt* (Text), height (Length), longdesc (URI), src* (URI), width (Length) as attributes so IMHO it is incorrrect to specify length and height in a style declaration, and they should be declared directly.

yep, same for <object> as well

**giropets** · Dec 14, 2003 13:09

Originally Posted by John Colby

According to http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/#h-4.4 all attributes must be quoted - which makes the double quote the correct method - nothing else.

That's XHTML, I program HTML and PHP. And because of that, I'm too lazy to do this :

PHP Code:


<?php

echo"<img src=\"img.png\">";

?>

With me...

PHP Code:


<?php

echo"<img src='img.png'>";

?>

I find it easier than hitting the [SHIFT] key all the time as well as adding backslashes...

**John Colby** · Dec 14, 2003 13:53

Thisn is nnow getting confusing. The http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/html-spec/html-spec_3.html says

Attributes

In a start-tag, white space and attributes are allowed between the element name and the closing delimiter. An attribute specification typically consists of an attribute name, an equal sign, and a value, though some attribute specifications may be just a name token. White space is allowed around the equal sign.

The value of the attribute may be either:

* A string literal, delimited by single quotes or double quotes and not containing any occurrences of the delimiting character. (7)
* A name token (a sequence of letters, digits, periods, or hyphens). Name tokens are not case sensitive. (8)

In this example, img is the element name, src is the attribute name, and `http://host/dir/file.gif' is the attribute value:

http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/intro/sgmltut.html#h-3.2.2 says (HTML4)

By default, SGML requires that all attribute values be delimited using either double quotation marks (ASCII decimal 34) or single quotation marks (ASCII decimal 39). Single quote marks can be included within the attribute value when the value is delimited by double quote marks, and vice versa. Authors may also use numeric character references to represent double quotes (&#34

and single quotes (&#39

. For double quotes authors can also use the character entity reference ".

However no examples on either HTML or XHTML show single quotes.

The validators accept either.

**vgarcia** · Dec 14, 2003 18:34

Originally Posted by giropets

That's XHTML, I program HTML and PHP. And because of that, I'm too lazy to do this :

PHP Code:


<?php

echo"<img src=\"img.png\">";

?>

With me...

PHP Code:


<?php

echo"<img src='img.png'>";

?>

I find it easier than hitting the [SHIFT] key all the time as well as adding backslashes...

Why not:

PHP Code:


<?php

echo '<img src="img.png" />';

?>

Unless you're throwing a variable in there, you can do what I did above just fine. There goes your argument

.

**Spencer F.** · Dec 14, 2003 23:43

I use " for sure.

**giropets** · Dec 15, 2003 02:27

Originally Posted by John Colby

Thisn is nnow getting confusing. The http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/html-spec/html-spec_3.html says

http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/intro/sgmltut.html#h-3.2.2 says (HTML4)

However no examples on either HTML or XHTML show single quotes.

The validators accept either.

I've talked to a Programming Expert in the past about this. He told me that browsers accept all three of them. He said it didn't matter which I use.
The only thing is that if you use it without any kind of quotes..it'll only pick up the first value.

Ex :

HTML Code:

<input type=Submit value=Click Me>

It'll only pick up 'Click'.

Just take a quick look at www.neopets.com, they're one of the biggest sites on the net. If you look at their HTML source code, you'll see that they don't use quotes and sometimes use single quotes.
At this very second, they have 66,098,612 accounts on their site with 116,622,550,000 page views.

Ex :

HTML Code:

<img src="http://images.neopets.com/blank.gif" width=2 height=5>

HTML Code:

<font size=1 color=#666666>NEOPETS, characters, logos, names and all related indicia<br>
 are trademarks of <a href='/aboutus.phtml'><font size=1>Neopets, Inc.,</a><font size=1 color=#666666> &copy; 1999-2003.  
All rights reserved.</font><br>
<a href='/privacy.phtml'><font size=1>Privacy Policy</a> |
<a href='/safetytips.phtml'><font size=1>Safety Tips</a> |
<a href='/contact.phtml'><font size=1>Contact Us</a> |
<a href='/aboutus.phtml'><font size=1>About Us</a> |
<a href='/presskit_form.phtml'><font size=1>Press Kit</a>

If they're one of the most popular sites on the net, then how come they still have single quotes and sometimes no quotes ?

**Helge** · Dec 15, 2003 09:21

Originally Posted by giropets

If they're one of the most popular sites on the net, then how come they still have single quotes and sometimes no quotes ?

Becuase they don't know better.

Seriuosly. It doesn't make it more correct/ok to break the standards because a large site do it.

Getting the quotes correct is a very simple task though.

-Helge

**xhtmlcoder** · Dec 15, 2003 11:54

Generally it is optional whether single or double are used though to be on the safe-side it is generally preferable to use double.

However, let us consider:

Code:

 <div style="font-face: 'Times New Roman', Times, Georgia, Serif;">X</div>

The above would be legal XHTML whereas if the author had chosen to use double quotes for Times New Roman they would have failed validation.

**fillup07** · Dec 15, 2003 17:23

I generally use " in HTML. However, if I am outputting HTML through
ASP I prefer the single ' because it simply makes the
code a little easier to see and takes up less room in monospaced fonts.

**Helge** · Dec 16, 2003 07:36

Originally Posted by xhtmlcoder

However, let us consider:

Code:

 <div style="font-face: 'Times New Roman', Times, Georgia, Serif;">X</div>

The above would be legal XHTML whereas if the author had chosen to use double quotes for Times New Roman they would have failed validation.

This would also have passed validation:

Code:

 <div style="font-face: Times New Roman, Times, Georgia, Serif;">X</div>

-Helge

**vgarcia** · Dec 16, 2003 08:11

Originally Posted by Helge

This would also have passed validation:

Code:

 <div style="font-face: Times New Roman, Times, Georgia, Serif;">X</div>

-Helge

Off Topic:

Yeah, you and xhtmlcoder would have passed XHTML validation, but you both would have failed at CSS validation. It's font-family!

**Helge** · Dec 16, 2003 12:28

Let's stay on topic shall we.

-Helge

**xhtmlcoder** · Dec 16, 2003 12:34

Ah yes, I didn't have my CSS Santa hat on since it was markup that was in question (I don't know how I managed to write face instead of family probably my dyslexia).

.

Also I have to use a similar nesting method with my ICRA labels.

**giropets** · Dec 16, 2003 16:49

Originally Posted by Helge

Becuase they don't know better.

Seriuosly. It doesn't make it more correct/ok to break the standards because a large site do it.

Getting the quotes correct is a very simple task though.

-Helge

I'm saying that because they're a big site. They are one of the biggest sites on the internet. Because of that, their visitors will have many different browsers -- some of which may not be compatable to that. Or so you say. Then if they get so many members, then why isn't all of their code with double quotes ?

**mdshort** · Dec 16, 2003 17:07

I don't agree with the rest of you. The most browser efficient way to quote or define html is transversal. There is no ONE quote you use, because this would overlap. Heres an example of what I use.

HTML Code:

<img height=0 width=0 src="image.jpg">

And for server side scripts I would use:

PHP Code:


<?php echo '<img height=0 width=0 src="image.jpg">'; ?>

I don't usually program in php, but that is how I do my quotes. For asp I would reverse it and just use:
Response.Write "<img height=0 width=0 src='image.jpg'>"
This allows for non-overlapping tags that would cause errors, which also goes for JavaScript. This is what I have found over the years of programming, don't bother visiting my website to see, its messed up at the moment.

**platinum** · Dec 16, 2003 17:14

Double quotes.

In php, I would use

PHP Code:


echo '<img src="/path/to/image.jpg" />';

**wwb_99** · Dec 17, 2003 12:15

One other advantage to using single quotes in your PHP code--it parses those strings faster, since it does not need to scan them and see if there are any variables or escaped characters. Also, to make things more readable, I do not include variables in strings but instead concatonate. So, how I would put an image in is:

PHP Code:


echo '<img src="'.$imagepath.$imagefile.'" alt="'.$imagealt.'">'

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