HTML OR XHTML? Wich One To Use?

fcm52 · 12-10-2012, 10:25 PM

Hi everyone, I've read on some tutorials (depends on the author) that one should use HTML to format a mobi book, and XHTML to format an epub book. Is this a rigid rule, or can I use one or the other no matter if it will be used to format a mobi or an epub bnook? Can someone tell me about the right thing to do, because I am really confused about ithis matter. Thank you all for helping me out.

DaleDe · 12-10-2012, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fcm52

Hi everyone, I've read on some tutorials (depends on the author) that one should use HTML to format a mobi book, and XHTML to format an epub book. Is this a rigid rule, or can I use one or the other no matter if it will be used to format a mobi or an epub bnook? Can someone tell me about the right thing to do, because I am really confused about ithis matter. Thank you all for helping me out.

If you use KindleGen to convert an ePub to Mobi format then use XHTML. If you want to code directly into mobi format and use mobipocket creator then code in 3.2 version of HTML.

Dale

fcm52 · 12-10-2012, 10:58 PM

Tkx for your help Dale. So you agree if my intention is to code directly for mobi, the correct is to use html, and on the other hand, if it's to be coded directly for ebup with Sigil for example, I shoul use xhtml. Is this the right thing to do? Tkx.

AlexBell · 12-11-2012, 12:28 AM

I really don't think it matters a scrap whether one uses html or xhtml.

I use the same HTML editor for ePubs that I used in the olden days when I dabbled in web design, and it produces html files. They validate to W3C standards as xhtml 1.1 strict, and the ePubs I produce with them validate with ePubCheck and FlightCrew.

fcm52 · 12-11-2012, 01:22 AM

Tks Alex.

DSpider · 12-11-2012, 06:11 AM

Doesn't matter.

Adobe InDesign CS5.5 exports ePubs as a bunch of HTML files (don't know about 6.0 yet), while new projects in Sigil will be as XHTML, and FineReader 11 will also export ePubs that contain XHTML files.

ePubs can also be in XML format. See the screenshots from: http://code.google.com/p/sigil/

Jellby · 12-11-2012, 01:47 PM

The filename doesn't matter at all. The format (the content) must be XHTML for ePub.

DaleDe · 12-11-2012, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellby

The filename doesn't matter at all. The format (the content) must be XHTML for ePub.

To reiterate the filename including its extension does not matter at all. The content must be fully formed HTML that follows the XML rules to leave no open ended structures such as a <p> with no closing </p>. XHTML is HTML that follows XML rules.

In addition ePub supports CSS which mobipocket does not. All the people claiming it doesn't matter are using tools that fix things for them and do not understand what is going on under the hood.

Dale

fcm52 · 12-11-2012, 09:23 PM

Many thanks to all of you who are helping me out with these precious hints.

12-10-2012, 10:25 PM	#1
fcm52 Steppenwolf Posts: 46 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Device: Nook Simple Touch, Kindle Touch, Kindle 4 & Kindle Keyboard	HTML OR XHTML? Wich One To Use? Hi everyone, I've read on some tutorials (depends on the author) that one should use HTML to format a mobi book, and XHTML to format an epub book. Is this a rigid rule, or can I use one or the other no matter if it will be used to format a mobi or an epub bnook? Can someone tell me about the right thing to do, because I am really confused about ithis matter. Thank you all for helping me out.

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12-10-2012, 10:58 PM	#3
fcm52 Steppenwolf Posts: 46 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Device: Nook Simple Touch, Kindle Touch, Kindle 4 & Kindle Keyboard	Tkx for your help Dale. So you agree if my intention is to code directly for mobi, the correct is to use html, and on the other hand, if it's to be coded directly for ebup with Sigil for example, I shoul use xhtml. Is this the right thing to do? Tkx.

12-11-2012, 12:28 AM	#4
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	I really don't think it matters a scrap whether one uses html or xhtml. I use the same HTML editor for ePubs that I used in the olden days when I dabbled in web design, and it produces html files. They validate to W3C standards as xhtml 1.1 strict, and the ePubs I produce with them validate with ePubCheck and FlightCrew.

12-11-2012, 01:22 AM	#5
fcm52 Steppenwolf Posts: 46 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Device: Nook Simple Touch, Kindle Touch, Kindle 4 & Kindle Keyboard	Tks Alex.

12-11-2012, 06:11 AM	#6
DSpider Evangelist Posts: 450 Karma: 343115 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Romania Device: PW2 2014	Doesn't matter. Adobe InDesign CS5.5 exports ePubs as a bunch of HTML files (don't know about 6.0 yet), while new projects in Sigil will be as XHTML, and FineReader 11 will also export ePubs that contain XHTML files. ePubs can also be in XML format. See the screenshots from: http://code.google.com/p/sigil/

12-11-2012, 01:47 PM	#7
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,543 Karma: 19001583 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	The filename doesn't matter at all. The format (the content) must be XHTML for ePub.

12-11-2012, 09:23 PM	#9
fcm52 Steppenwolf Posts: 46 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Device: Nook Simple Touch, Kindle Touch, Kindle 4 & Kindle Keyboard	Many thanks to all of you who are helping me out with these precious hints.

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