I've been updating my site to XHTML and am having problems with Firefox 2's handling of the XHTML doctype re tables. Plain vanilla tables look different to their appearance with a HTML4 Transitional doctype, when they looked about the same in both IE and FF, a subtle 3D border everywhere. I can make the tables have the "old" appearance in Firefox, but then they go off in IE6. I'm trying to achieve the bottom left or top right appearance in both browsers. Source page
The upper pair are plain vanilla code, the lower pair have the same added CSS. I'm trying to improve the appearance in Firefox without spoiling it for the majority using IE. So what's the disadvantages of specifying the HTML4 Trans doctype? That solves the problem with no messing.
IE6 does'nt support xhtml its using quirks mode to display Good reading, http://www.hixie.ch/advocacy/xhtml I say stick with html4, i read a fantastic article on why you should still use html4 if your not mixing namespaces and now i can't find the bloody thing
Stick with HTML4.01 but make it Strict. There is currently no benefit to XHTML1.0 (which is a confused hybrid) and XHTML1.1. As for why there is a difference, I don't know. And I don't car and nor should you. The only person who sees both versions is yourself. And so what if they are not pixel-perfect? If it really concerns you, don't leave it to chance - style the borders and spacing yourself.
I discovered why my tables used to look the same in both browsers, the old 'HTML 4.01 Transitional' doctype (without an url) was throwing Firefox into 'Quirks' mode and 3D borders. The currently-recommended doctypes (with an url) all give fugly tables in Mozilla. "The only person who sees both versions is yourself." but 20% of visitors see crude tables. CSS FTFW.
