Web standards

Introduction
In 1993 the Tim Berners-Lee found the World-wide consortium called W3C. The W3C is an international
organization that creates standards for the World Wide Web. The WC3 is committed to improving the
web by setting and promoting web-based standards. International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
contribute with the W3C to make first web standard.

European Computer Manufacturers Association (ECMA) is also the platform to make the web standards.

Web standards

Web standards are the technical specifications and formal rules that define the World Wide Web and
how it works

Web standards are the rules created by the W3C and ISO in which a webpage can be created and use
over the internet

In start there are basically three web standards.

• Html
• URL
• http/https

web standard should be based on

1. Decentralization: No central authority needed for web posting, ensuring no single point of
failure or "kill switch" and freedom from censorship and surveillance.

2. Non-discrimination: Net Neutrality ensures equal communication regardless of paid service

levels.

3. Bottom-up design: Code development open to all, fostering maximum participation and
experimentation.

4. Universality: Web standards enable communication across diverse hardware, locations, and
beliefs.

5. Consensus: W3C's participatory process fosters universal standards through transparency and
inclusivity.

Most famous web standards

HTML
HTML is the web’s publishing language; every page is written in it.

Versions of HTML

• 2.0 enabled cross-browser functionality

• 3.0 and 3.2 extended the original language
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• 4.0 added accessibility options, style sheets, and an improved framework.

• 5.0 is the fastest version of HTML and used mostly.

Features of HTML 5

• User friendly: html is simple language having tags English like words (<form>, < table>)
• Semantic Structure: there are multiple tags in HTML5 like <article>, <aside> but before it a tag
called <div> is used for every container in webpage
• SEO: stand for search engine optimization. In HTML the search engine checks the meta data in
which there is some keyword about your data that will used as optimization by query for your
webpage.
• Local Storage & Indexed DB: the html has some local space that is used to store the data of the
client. So, the server is not overload if the page stores some space by itself.
Local Storage is a key-value storage mechanism that can persist data for as long as needed,
while Indexed DB is an API for storing large amounts of structured data, including files, that
persists until it's explicitly cleared.
• Offline Capabilities: the html page have capability to run even if there is no internet available.
But this feature is limited like if html has API, then it will not work offline correctly.

XML
Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a web language that allows for more personal definitions of web
page elements rather than the fixed nature of HTML.

It is used to communication machine to machine rather than in browser communication.

Features of XML

• Extendable or Extensible: the XML is the advance version of markup language that allow to
extend the size of file even after the communication.
• XML streamlines: It allows for smooth transitions to new operating systems, apps, or browsers
without sacrificing data integrity. Additionally, XML enables data access on a wide range of
devices, from computers to voice assistants and beyond.
• XML validation: XML have the data validation for form like DTD (Document type definition) or
XML schema that allow to submit form without any third-party language or protocols.

XHTML

Extensible Hyper Text Markup Language, is a web browser markup language that is an extension of
HTML and XML. It is designed to be a stricter way to develop websites by enforcing industry standards
and requirements that lead to better development practices.

Features of XHTML

• Cleaner Code Structure: All XHTML tags require closing tags and proper nesting, resulting in
code that is easier to read and maintain.
• Bandwidth Efficiency: XHTML documents are lean, meaning they consume less bandwidth.
Particularly beneficial for websites with extensive content, potentially reducing operational
costs.
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• Enhanced Accessibility: Well-formatted XHTML documents can be easily transported to various

devices, including wireless devices and Braille readers. Ensures accessibility across specialized
web environments.
• Integration with CSS for Easy Updates: XHTML works seamlessly with CSS, allowing for the
creation of web pages that are easily updatable.

CGI
Common gateway interface a standard interface that allows web servers to process HTTP or HTTPS user
requests by executing external programs. It acts as middleware, allowing web servers to interact with
applications that process data and send back responses.

Features of CGI

• Well-Established Standard: CGI (Common Gateway Interface) is a thoroughly defined and

widely supported standard in web development.
• Flexibility in Scripting Languages: CGI scripts are typically written in languages like Perl, C, or
shell scripts, offering versatility in implementation. For instance, a simple Perl script can handle
form data from a web page submission and generate dynamic responses.
• Dynamic Content Generation: CGI facilitates the interaction between applications and HTML,
enabling the generation of dynamic content for web pages.
• Efficiency in Counter Creation: CGI is often regarded as the most efficient method for creating
counters due to its quick execution.
• Compatibility with Browsers: The CGI standard is generally highly compatible with modern web
browsers, ensuring smooth functionality across different platforms and environments.

Advantages of CGI

• CGI can be a quick and straightforward method for implementing simple web-based tasks, such
as form processing or data manipulation.
• There is a large existing code base of CGI scripts, especially in Perl, which can be readily used or
customized for specific requirements.
• CGI is a widely accepted standard in web development, ensuring compatibility across different
systems and platforms.

Disadvantages of CGI

• Each page load in CGI incurs overhead by having to load the script into memory, which can
impact performance.
• CGI scripts do not easily allow for caching of data in memory between page loads, which can
affect performance and scalability.
• Since CGI scripts are executed on the server, there is always a risk of security vulnerabilities.
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Alternative of CGI

FASTCGI, PHP, Java Servlets, web frameworks

WML

WML stands for Wireless Markup Language, which is a markup language used to create web pages for
mobile devices. It's based on HTML and XML, and is part of WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), which
controls the exchange of data between mobile phones and web servers

Features of WML

• Illustration: it allows to set images as graphics in page. The images must be in WBMP format
and be monochrome.
• User interface: WML supports a variety of input components, including a password entry field,
an option picker, and a text entry control.
• WAE (Wireless Application Environment), which comprises of WML and the WML scripting
language, is the uppermost layer in the WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) architecture.

Advantages of WML

• WML is a mandatory component of the WAP standard.

• It takes less bandwidth than the HTML.
• Displaying WML pages takes less processing power and memory than HTML documents.

Disadvantages

• WML content may appear differently in different micro browsers on different WAP devices.
• Large decks will not be accepted by WAP devices such as WAP phones
• WAP phones, for example, come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Different screen sizes, keypads,
and soft keys are available. As a result, WML decks should be tested on the most common WAP
devices.

cHTML
Short for compact HTML, cHTML is a subset of HTML (hypertext markup language) used for small devices
such as smartphones and PDAs (personal digital assistant). Some HTML features, such as tables, image
maps, font styles/variations, background colors, background images, frames, and style sheets are not
supported in cHTML.

HTTP
The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the foundation of the World Wide Web, and is used to load
webpages using hypertext links. HTTP is an application layer protocol designed to transfer information
between networked devices and runs on top of other layers of the network protocol stack. A typical flow
over HTTP involves a client machine making a request to a server, which then sends a response message.
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HTTP vs HTTPs

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Hypertext Transfer Protocol secure

No SSL certificate Having SSL certificate
Not for all website Can be used any type of website
URL → http://. URL → https://.