The HTML5 statement must appear at the beginning of the web page and is used to inform the browser to parse the page with the HTML5 standard to avoid entering weird mode. 1. It is not an HTML tag but a declaration. It must be located on the first line of the file and cannot have anything in front of it; 2. It is case-insensitive, and there is no need to close the tag or add attributes; 3. When generating in dynamic languages, you must ensure that there is no unnecessary interference in the output; 4. You can confirm whether it is effective by viewing the source code, developer tools or online verification tools. Proper use ensures that the page renders consistently across different browsers.
The statement is actually very simple, but many newbies will wonder when they first start writing web pages: Why must it be added? What exactly does it play? In fact, it can be explained in one sentence - <strong>it tells the browser which HTML standard to use to parse the page</strong> . If you don't write it or write it wrong, some browsers may enter "weird mode", causing unexpected problems with the page layout and behavior.

Let’s start from several common questions and explain clearly the use and precautions of HTML5 doctype.

What is ?
is not an HTML tag, but a declaration that is placed at the beginning of the HTML document (before the <code>
tag). Its purpose is to tell the browser the HTML version used by the current document so that the browser can render the page correctly.
In HTML5, this statement becomes very concise:

<!DOCTYPE html>
This is the only form to remember. Unlike HTML4 or XHTML before, where you need to write a long list of DTDs (document type definitions), now only this line is enough.
Why do you have to write ?
There are two main reasons:
- Quirks Mode : If you do not write doctype or write it incorrectly, some browsers will enter the "weird mode" that is compatible with old web pages. At this time, the box model, layout method, etc. of CSS may be different from the standard mode.
- Ensure consistent behavior : Modern browsers parse HTML and CSS more consistently in standard mode, helping you write pages that perform consistently across browsers.
For example, without doctype, the IE browser may handle margin and padding in a completely different way, causing your layout to go wrong.
What should I pay attention to when writing ?
Although this statement seems simple, there are still several small details that are easily overlooked:
- It must appear on the first line of the HTML file and cannot be preceded by anything (including spaces or comments);
- It is not case sensitive, so it is no problem to write it as
;
- No closing tags are required, no quotation marks or other attributes are required;
- If you generate HTML pages in PHP or other dynamic languages, make sure there is no extra content (such as error messages or whitespace characters) before the output, otherwise the doctype will be shifted.
For example, if you accidentally type an extra space in a PHP file before opening the <?php
tag, the browser will not recognize the doctype, and enter weird mode.
How to check whether doctype is effective in actual development?
You can confirm in the following ways:
- Right-click in the browser to view the page source code and confirm whether the first line is
;
- Use the developer tool (F12 or right-click to select "Check"), and see if the rendering mode of the page is "Standards mode" in the "Elements" panel;
- Use some online tools (such as W3C Verification Services) to check whether the HTML structure is standardized.
If you see that the browser shows "Quirks Mode", then you have to go back and check whether your doctype is written correctly and whether there is any unnecessary content in front of it.
Basically that's it. Although it only has one line, it is one of the basics for the normal display of the entire web page. Not complicated, but easily overlooked.
The above is the detailed content of Understanding the HTML5 doctype declaration. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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